Highly Soluble Electroactive Ethylenedioxythiopene (Edot)-Based Copolymer Obtained Via 'Click' Copolymerization

Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), in spite of its remarkable attributes, remains insoluble in many common solvents. By adopting the copolymerization approach, a new electroactive polythiopene derivative is synthesized with enhanced solubility by polymerizing an alkyne-functionalized (3-4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (EDOT) and an azide-functionalized tetraethylene glycol via copper catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC). The copolymer, EDOT-co-1,2,3-triazolium, exhibits an interesting chemical structure that makes it an ideal electroactive material. With its polar nature, it readily dissolves in solvents such as DMSO, DMF and PC. Furthermore, the introduction of the oxyethylene monomer as well as the formation of the 1,2,3-triazole during the polymerization step lowers its glass transition temperature inducing a faster switching between its reduced and oxidized state compared to pristine PEDOT.