Leveraging reversible bonds for property modification of electrochromes and their immobilization by dual modes: Thermal and electrochemical polymerization

A vinyl terminated conjugated azomethine containing an electroactive triphenylamine was both thermally and electrochemically cross-linked on transparent electrodes. The two polymerization methods resulted in films having different optical properties. The electroactive layers could be electrochemically switched between their orange-to-green and red-to-gray colored states contingent on the polymerization method. The fluorescence of the thermally polymerized poly-1a could also be reversibly quenched with an applied potential. Hydrolyzing the reversible azomethine bond yielded an immobilized triphenylamine polymer whose color could be reversibly switched with an applied potential.