Abstract
Thiophene monomers with an azobenzene moiety of different spacer length at the 3-position of the thiophene ring were synthesized. The monomers were polymerized and copolymerized with 3-hexyl thiophene to investigate the influence of an azobenzene side-chain on the properties of polythiophene, which has been widely used as a conducting polymer and has also been found many other applications. The polymers were characterized with UV-vis, FT-IR spectrophotometry, gel permeation chromatographic (GPC) analysis, DSC, TGA, elemental analysis and X-ray diffractometry. The polymers showed novel thermochromic and photoresponsive properties in polymer solutions and solid films. It was found that an azobenzene side-chain could bring about substantial thermochromic and photochromic changes to the polythiophene backbone as compared with non-azobenzene side-chain polythiophenes. These property changes could be triggered or controlled by light or heat on the basis of azobenzene trans-cis or cis-trans isomerization.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 260-265 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Polymers for Advanced Technologies |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 3-5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Polymers and Plastics
Keywords
- Azobenzene
- Copolymerization
- Polythiophene
- Spectrophotometry
- Trans-cis isomerization