ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE OF NEW CONJUGATED POLYMERS FROM DITHIENYLENE VINYLENE DERIVATIVES

Highly conjugated thiophene derivatives, based on thienylene vinylene and thienylene vinylene phenylene units, have been synthesized in orde r to examine: (i) the effect of such regular conjugated monomer struct ures on polymer formation; and (ii) the optical and electrochemical pr operties of the corresponding macromolecules. The all-trans monomers h ave been prepared by a Wittig reaction. The polymers have then been sy nthesized electrochemically. The polymers are electrochromic and can b e reversibly doped both oxidatively and reductively. Their electrochem ical behavior and optical properties have been analyzed on the basis o f a series of quantum-chemical calculations.