Evgenia Dmitrieva

Influence of Phenazine Structure on Polaron Formation in Polyaniline: In Situ Electron Spin Resonance-Ultraviolet/Visible-Near-Infrared Spectroelectrochemical Study

The role of the phenazine structure in the stabilization of charged states in polyaniline was studied by in situ electron spin resonance (ESR)-UV/vis-near-infrared (NIR) spectroelectrochemistry of polyaniline and the copolymers of aniline and a phenazine derivative (3,7-diamino-5-phenylphenazinium chloride, phenosafranine). It is shown that the copolymer can be prepared by electropolymerization, and its structure was confirmed by mass spectrometry and IR spectroscopy. The electrochemistry of polyaniline and its copolymer pointed to preferred stabilization of a polaron pair in the charged states at the initial charge transfer reaction instead of polarons that are formed by equilibrium reaction at higher electrode potentials. A second polaron pair is detected for higher doped states of the polymer films. A mechanism of the formation of charged states in polyaniline and their equilibrium is given. It is shown that in situ ESR-UV/vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry is the method of choice to differentiate between polarons and polaron pairs in their potential-dependent formation. Thus, by this in situ spectroelectrochemical method the influence of phenazine structure on the formation of polarons in aniline polymers and copolymers can be followed.

Structure Dependence of Charged States in “Linear” Polyaniline as Studied by In Situ ATR-FTIR Spectroelectrochemistry

The electrochemical doping of emeraldine salt and emeraldine bases with different weight average molecular weights was studied by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroelectrochemistry using attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique. The formation and stabilization of charge carriers in polyaniline during p-doping was followed in dependence of the chain branching. The potential dependence of the IR bands during the oxidation of the polymer clearly demonstrates the formation of the different charged polymer structures (π-dimers, polarons, and bipolarons). It is shown that IR bands usually attributed to a semiquinoid polaron lattice correspond in fact to doubly charged species, π-dimers, which are face-to-face complexes of two polarons. Bands corresponding exclusively to polarons have been identified at 1266, 1033, and 1010 cm(-1), suggesting that polarons are predominantly stabilized on the linear segments near the polymer branches by phenazine.

ESR/UV-Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical study and electrochromic contrast enhancement of a polythiophene derivative bearing a pendant viologen

The importance of viologens in the field of electrochromic materials is well recognized due to their intensely colored radical cation formation. In this study, 1-[6-[(4-methyl-3-thienyl)oxy]hexyl]-4,4′-bipyridium hexafluorophosphate (Th-V) was synthesized and electropolymerized in a solvent mixture comprising water and acetonitrile (v/v; 50 : 50) with 0.1 M lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) as an electrolyte salt, yielding a viologen bearing polythiophene (PTh-V) film on an electrode surface. The resulting polymer shows electrochemical activity from both the redox active viologen and the conjugated polythiophene moieties. The redox behavior of the polymer was studied by multi in situ spectroelectrochemical technique by means of simultaneous recording of electron spin resonance and UV-Vis-near infrared (ESR/UV-Vis-NIR) spectra. The results indicate that only polaron charge carriers are created during both n- and p-doping of the PTh-V film. The polymer film shows enhanced electrochromic contrast due to the introduction of a pendant viologen group into the thiophene unit. The film switched reversibly between dark violet (at −0.6 V) and almost transparent (at 1.0 V) showing good optical contrast with a coloration efficiency of ca. 305 cm2 C−1 at 610 nm. The switching transmittance kinetics demonstrate fast response times to attain a bleached state and excellent operational stability with repeatable voltage switching between colored/bleached states for 1000 cycles. The polythiophene backbone was found to strengthen the thermal stability of the conjugated PTh-V redox polymer. The excellent optical contrast with sharp color changes and high color efficiency combined with adequate thermal behavior suggests the potential of PTh-V in the electrochromic device (ECD) application.

(Spectro) Electrochemical investigation of reduction mechanism of a new energetic molecule 2,2-dinitroethene-1,1-diamine (FOX-7) in aprotic solvents

The electrochemical reduction behaviour of a new promising energetic material 2,2-dinitroethene-1,1-diamine (FOX-7) was investigated in acetonitrile, dimethylformamide and dimethylsulfoxide at mercury, platinum, gold and glassy carbon electrodes. Instead of expected consumption of four to eight electrons necessary for reduction of nitro groups, only two electrons are consumed. In acetonitrile, the starting form of FOX-7 is the olefinic, nearly planar structure polarized by the push-pull effect, the first electron attacks one of the nitro groups. The electrochemical as well as in situ UV-vis-NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical results are in agreement with autoprotonation reduction mechanism. The radical intermediate was intercepted and identified by EPR spectrometry where an alternation line-width (AL) effect was observed.