Novel hybrid polymers with thiophenylanilino and furanylanilino backbones and substituted phenyl side groups are reported.
The new monomers bis-(4-heterocyclic-2-yl-phenyl)-aryl-amine (heterocyclic = thiophen with aryl = 4-benzoyl (
2a), 4-nitro-phenyl (
2b) and furan with aryl = 4-benzoyl-phenyl (
3a), 4-nitro-phenyl (
3b)) were prepared by monosubstituting triphenylamine under electrophilic aromatic conditions affording 4-nitrotriphenylamine
and 4-benzoyltriphenylamine. Di(bromination) of the latter compounds followed by Stille cross-coupling reactions with 2-tributylstannylthiophene
or 2-tributylstannylfuran produces the new monomers
2a–b and
3a–b in high yield. The monomers are electrochemically polymerized at relatively low potentials (<0.8 V versus Ag
+/AgCl) in acetonitrile electrolytes resulting in electroactive films. All the new polymers can be repeatedly oxidized and
reduced with little loss of electrochemical activity. Vibrational spectroscopy reveals that the monomer units are connected
predominately via coupling of the thiophenyl or furanyl rings yielding the novel polymers. Single-crystal molecular structure
determinations of 4-nitrotriphenylamine and monomer
3b indicate the importance of the electron-withdrawing groups on the pendent phenyl groups in determining the extent of delocalization
of the extended multi-ring systems. Molecular orbital calculations suggest that the HOMO of
2b is delocalized about both anilino and thiophenyl portions of the molecule.