Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of new linear conjugated arylamine copolymers

New conjugated copolymers having linear structures were synthesized by palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of bis(4-bromophenyl)phenylamine or 4-hydroxymethyl-N,N’-bis(4-bromophenyl)aniline and two bisboronic acids of fluorene or thiophene. The copolymers were obtained as fully or partially soluble materials, in chlorinated and aprotic polar solvents. Having a hydroxymethyl group attached to the para position of the triphenylamine units, the synthesized copolymers can be viewed as functional polymers which were transformed into new ones by employing suitable chemical reactions. A new copolymer was obtained by coupling the hydroxymethyl group of triphenylamine of P35 copolymer, with phenyl isocyanate. The chemical structures and the properties of copolymers were investigated by spectroscopic methods such as 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was performed in order to obtain information about the electrochemical stability and reversibility of the redox processes of copolymers. Electrochemical studies were carried out on films cast on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) or In-Tin oxide (ITO) glass-coated electrode.