Low band gap donor-acceptor-donor compounds containing carbazole and naphthalene diimide units: Synthesis, electropolymerization and spectroelectrochemical behaviour

Photophysical and redox properties of new donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) compounds containing benzothiadiazole (A) and dimethyldihydroacridine (D) units: a combined experimental and theoretical study

Four donor-acceptor-donor compounds consisting of 9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine donors differently linked to a benzothiadiazole acceptor were designed using DFT calculations and synthesized, namely 4,7-bis(4-(9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine)phenyl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (1), 4,7-bis(2,5-dimethyl-4-(9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine)phenyl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (2), 4,7-bis(3,5-di(9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine)phenyl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (3), and 4-(3,5-di(9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine)phenyl)-7-(thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (4). As predicted theoretically, all studied compounds were electrochemically active both in the reduction as well as in the oxidation modes. They underwent one electron quasi-reversible reduction. Oxidation of 1 and 2 involved a two electron process transforming them into dications and carrying out, in parallel, their dimerization. Oxidation of 3 and 4 resulted in their oligomerization (polymerization). The electrochemically determined ionisation potentials (IP) of 1-4 were similar, covering a narrow range of 5.28-5.33 eV and were consistent with DFT calculations. Larger differences were found for experimentally determined electron affinity (EA) values, being significantly lower for 2 (|EA| = 2.59 eV) as compared to 1, 3 and 4 whose |EA| values were higher by 0.15-0.25 eV, again consistent with DFT calculations. DFT calculations predict positive values of ΔE(S1-T1) for all compounds i.e. in the range of 0.18 eV to 0.43 eV for 1, 3 and 4 and a significantly lower value for 2 (0.06 eV), indicating a possible RISC process in this case. DFT calculations of ΔE(S1-T2) lead to negative and very small values for 2-4 implying a possible involvement of higher lying triplets in the generation of singlet excitons. The investigated derivatives exhibited fluorescence in the orange-red spectral range (550-770 nm) and were strongly dependent on the solvent polarity. The highest PLQY value of 37% was measured for 1 in toluene. The PLQY values significantly improved upon deoxygenation of the studied solutions. Solid state samples also exhibited higher PLQY values as compared to those determined for DCM solutions. These findings were rationalized by partial suppression of the vibrationally induced emission quenching in the solid state due to the intermolecular interaction confinement.

Design Strategies for High Reflectivity Contrast and Stability Adaptive Camouflage Electrochromic Supercapacitors

The integration of an electrochromic (EC), energy storage, and adaptive camouflage system into a multifunctional electronic device is highly desirable and yet challenging. In this work, two carbazole-based conjugated polymers were prepared to achieve a reversible color change from transparent to yellow, green, and blue-green by easy electrochemical polymerization. Due to its dendritic geometry, the conjugated polymer p3CBCB exhibits a loosely packed structure with a relatively higher specific surface area than pCBCB, as well as a relatively better ionic conductivity. The kinetic and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) study reveals that p3CBCB has superior properties with larger optical contrast and volumetric capacitance. Moreover, EC supercapacitors (ECSCs) are constructed with p3CBCB as the EC layer and ZnO@PEDOT:PSS as the ion storage layer. The dual function of a ZnO interface layer on improvement in reflectivity contrast (ΔR% > 35.1%) and cycling stability (over 40,000 cycles) using ZnO as a reflective and protective layer is demonstrated in an ion storage layer. Additionally, patterned prototype devices based on the design of double-sided ITO glass were successfully assembled, which can simulate conditions of various natural environments including forests, wilderness, and deserts. This study provides new ideas not only for the preparation of conjugated polymers that can simultaneously realize reversible transparent-yellow-green conversion but also for the achievement of high coloration efficiency, high reflectivity contrast, and good stability of ECSCs for adaptive camouflage.

UV-vis and ECD spectroelectrochemistry of atropisomeric naphthalenediimide derivative

The UV-vis and ECD spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) of a chiral binaphthalenylamine derivative of the N-butyl naphthalenediimide (NDIB-NH₂) enantiomers were applied to measure UV-vis and ECD spectra of NDIB-NH₂ radicals and dianion formed in the reduction and oxidation processes observed in cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV curves and EPR spectroelectrochemistry enabled us to establish conditions at which a radical-anion [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.-, a dianion [NDIB-NH₂]^2-, and a radical-cation [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.+ are formed. The DFT restricted open-shell CAM-B3LYP-D3/def2TZVP/PCM calculations demonstrated that in the radical-anion [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.-, spin is spread over the NDI system while in the radical-cation [NDIB-NH₂]̇⁺ it is spread over the aminonaphthalene moiety. The UV-vis spectra of radical-anion and dianion show the most significant changes in the 400-800 nm range. In that range, the ECD spectra varied with the change of electrode potential more than the UV-vis did and enabled the identification of a new ECD band of [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.- at ca. 400 nm hidden in the background in the UV spectra at -1000 mV. A broad structured ECD pattern with a maximum at ca. 530 nm was observed for [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.- (-1000 mV), while a single smooth ECD band of [NDIB-NH₂]^2- was located at 520 nm (-1750 mV). For the first time, an isosbestic point (455 nm) was found in ECD spectroelectrochemical measurements for the radical-cation [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.+ in equilibrium with the NDIB-NH₂ neutral form. The TD-DFT CAM-B3LYP-D3/6-31G** calculations combined with the hybrid (explicit combined with implicit) solvation model fairly well reproduced the UV-vis and ECD SEC of neutral and redox forms of NDIB-NH₂ but the ECD spectrum of [NDIB-NH₂]̇^.+ above 390 nm.

Naphthalene Phthalimide Derivatives as Model Compounds for Electrochromic Materials

Electrochromism of organic compounds is a well-known phenomenon; however, nowadays, most research is focused on anodic coloring materials. Development of efficient, cathodic electrochromic materials is challenging due to the worse stability of electron accepting materials compared with electron donating ones. Nevertheless, designing stable cathodic coloring organic materials is highly desired-among other reasons-to increase the coloration performance. Hence, four phthalimide derivatives named 1,5-PhDI, 1,4-PhDI, 2,6-PhDI and 3,3'-PhDI were synthesized and analyzed in depth. In all cases, two imide groups were connected via naphthalene (1,5-PhDI, 1,4-PhDI, 2,6-PhDI) or 3,3'-dimethylnaphtidin (3,3'-PhDI) bridge. To observe the effect of chemical structure on physicochemical properties, various positions of imide bond were considered, namely, 1,5- 1,4- and 2,6-. Additionally, a compound with the pyromellitic diimide unit capped with two 1-naphtalene substituents was obtained. All compounds were studied in terms of their thermal behavior, using differential calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, electrochemical (CV, DPV) and spectroelectrochemical (UV-Vis and EPR) analyses were performed to evaluate the obtained materials in terms of their application as cathodic electrochromic materials. All obtained materials undergo reversible electrochemical reduction which leads to changes in their optical properties. In the case of imide derivatives, absorption bands related to both reduced and neutral forms are located in the UV region. However, importantly, the introduction of the 3,3'-dimethylnaphtidine bridge leads to a noticeable bathochromic shift of the reduced form absorption band of 3,3'-PhDI. This indicates that optimization of the phthalimide structure allows us to obtain stable, cathodic electrochromic materials.

Toward High-Performance Electrochromic Conjugated Polymers: Influence of Local Chemical Environment and Side-Chain Engineering

Three homologous electrochromic conjugated polymers, each containing an asymmetric building block but decorated with distinct alkyl chains, were designed and synthesized using electrochemical polymerization in this study. The corresponding monomers, namely T610FBTT810, DT6FBT, and DT48FBT, comprise the same backbone structure, i.e., an asymmetric 5-fluorobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole unit substituted by two thiophene terminals, but were decorated with different types of alkyl chain (hexyl, 2-butyloctyl, 2-hexyldecyl, or 2-octyldecyl). The effects of the side-chain structure and asymmetric repeating unit on the optical absorption, electrochemistry, morphology, and electrochromic properties were investigated comparatively. It was found that the electrochromism conjugated polymer, originating from DT6FBT with the shortest and linear alkyl chain, exhibits the best electrochromic performance with a 25% optical contrast ratio and a 0.3 s response time. The flexible electrochromic device of PDT6FBT achieved reversible colors of navy and cyan between the neutral and oxidized states, consistent with the non-device phenomenon. These results demonstrate that subtle modification of the side chain is able to change the electrochromic properties of conjugated polymers.

D-A-D Compounds Combining Dithienopyrrole Donors and Acceptors of Increasing Electron-Withdrawing Capability: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Electropolymerization, and Electrochromism

Five D-π-A-π-D compounds consisting of the same donor unit (dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole, DTP), the same π-linker (2,5-thienylene), and different acceptors of increasing electron-withdrawing ability (1,3,4-thiadiazole (TD), benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BTD), 2,5-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (DPP), 1,2,4,5-tetrazine (TZ), and benzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthroline-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone (NDI)) were synthesized. DTP-TD, DTP-BTD, and DTP-DPP turned out to be interesting luminophores emitting either yellow (DTP-TD) or near-infrared (DTP-BTD and DTP-DPP) radiation in dichloromethane solutions. The emission bands were increasingly bathochromically shifted with increasing solvent polarity. Electrochemically determined electron affinities (|EA|s) were found to be strongly dependent on the nature of the acceptor changing from 2.86 to 3.84 eV for DTP-TD and DTP-NDI, respectively, while the ionization potential (IP) values varied only weakly. Experimental findings were strongly supported by theoretical calculations, which correctly predicted the observed solvent dependence of the emission spectra. Similarly, the calculated IP and EA values were in excellent agreement with the experiment. DTP-TD, DTP-BTD, DTP-TZ, and DTP-NDI could be electropolymerized to yield polymers of very narrow electrochemical band gap and characterized by redox states differing in color coordinates and lightness. Poly(DTP-NDI) and poly(DTP-TD) showed promising electrochromic behavior, not only providing a rich color palette in the visible but also exhibiting near-infrared (NIR) electrochromism.

Synthesis, electrochemical, optical and biological properties of new carbazole derivatives

Carbazole skeleton is the key structural motif of many biologically active compounds including synthetic and natural products. Based on the (E)-2-(2-(4-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzylidene) hydrazinyl)thiazole as skeleton, three novel carbazole dyes were synthesized. The scientific analysis includes the effect of changing the strength of the activating substituents and their exchange for the deactivating substituent on the chemical and biological properties. The presented research showed a significant influence of the CH₃, OCH₃ and CH₂COOC₂H₅ groups on the spectral properties of the tested derivatives. Their significant influence is also visible in electrochemical, nonlinear-optic and biological properties. The study also included the analysis of the use of the presented derivatives as potential fluorescent probes for in vivo and in vitro tests. Quantum-chemical calculations complement the conducted experiments.

Copolymers Containing 1-Methyl-2-phenyl-imidazole Moieties as Permanent Dipole Generating Units: Synthesis, Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, and Photovoltaic Properties

New donor-acceptor conjugated alternating or random copolymers containing 1-methyl-2-phenylbenzimidazole and benzothiadiazole (P1), diketopyrrolopyrrole (P4), or both acceptors (P2) are reported. The specific feature of these copolymers is the presence of a permanent dipole-bearing moiety (1-methyl-2-phenyl imidazole (MPI)) fused with the 1,4-phenylene ring of the polymer main chain. For comparative reasons, polymers of the same main chain but deprived of the MPI group were prepared, namely, P5 with diketopyrrolopyrrole and P3 with both acceptors. The presence of the permanent dipole results in an increase of the optical band gap from 1.51 eV in P3 to 1.57 eV in P2 and from 1.49 eV in P5 to 1.55 eV in P4. It also has a measurable effect on the ionization potential (IP) and electrochemical band gap (EgCV), leading to their decrease from 5.00 and 1.83 eV in P3 to 4.92 and 1.79 eV in P2 as well as from 5.09 and 1.87 eV in P5 to 4.94 and 1.81 eV in P4. Moreover, the presence of permanent dipole lowers the exciton binding energy (Eb) from 0.32 eV in P3 to 0.22 eV in P2 and from 0.38 eV in P5 to 0.26 eV in P4. These dipole-induced changes in the polymer properties should be beneficial for photovoltaic applications. Bulk heterojunction solar cells fabricated from these polymers (with PC71BM acceptor) show low series resistance (rs), indicating good electrical transport properties. The measured power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.54% is limited by the unfavorable morphology of the active layer.