Novel organosoluble aromatic polyetheramides bearing triphenylamine moieties: synthesis, electrochemistry, and electrochromism

A new class of electroactive polyetheramides (PEAs) with triphenylamine (TPA) units were prepared from 4,4′-bis(p-aminophenoxy)triphenylamine (4) and aromatic dicarboxylic acids via the phosphorylation technique. These PEAs were amorphous with good solubility in many organic solvents, such as NMP and DMAc, and could be solution-cast into strong polymer films. Their decomposition temperatures (T _d) at a 10 % weight-loss in nitrogen and air were recorded at 545 ~ 570 °C and 531 ~ 560 °C, respectively. The glass-transition temperatures (T _g) of all the PEAs were observed in the range of 227–234 °C by DSC. Cyclic voltammograms of the PEA films cast onto an indium-tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate exhibited one reversible oxidation redox couples at 0.89 ~ 0.91 V versus Ag/AgCl in tetrabutylammonium perchlorate/acetonitrile solution. The PEA films revealed excellent electrochemical and electrochromic stability, with a color change from a colorless neutral form to pale orange and blue oxidized forms at applied potentials ranging from 0 to 1.06 V.