Synthesis and electropolymerization of thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione based donor-acceptor-donor type monomers

Two monomers containing thieno [3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TP) acceptor units, namely 5-(2-ethylhexyl)-1,3-di (furan2-yl)-4H-thieno [3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione (FTPF) and 5-(2-ethylhexyl)-1,3-di (selenophen-2-yl)-4H-thieno[3,4-c] pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione (STPS), were synthesized via donor-acceptor-donor approach. Under the same template structure, the effect of heteroatom of the donor unit on redox and optical properties of the monomers and their corresponding polymers obtained via electrochemical method (PFTPF and PSTPS) were investigated. The results were also compared to their thiophene analogues 5-(2- ethylhexyl)-1,3-di (thiophen-2-yl)-4H-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione (TTPT) as the monomer and PTTPT as the polymer. Three monomers exhibited dual absorption bands one at high energy region due to the pi-pi* transition and the other one at low energy region which might be attributed to intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). An increase in ICT and a decrease both in the band gap and quantum yield was observed with increasing size of the heteroatomof the donor units. The oxidation potentials of the monomers and that of their corresponding polymer films were found to follow the order of decreasing aromatization energy from thiophene to furan (i.e thiophene > selenophene > furan). Also, heavy-atom substitution (PSTPS) effect showed itself by narrowing the optical band gap of the neutral state electrochromic polymer films: 1.90 eV for PFTPF, 1.82 eV for PTTPT and 1.76 eV for PSTPS.