Solvent-soluble thiophene-benzene based electrochromic polymers as electrode materials for supercapacitor

The bis(alkoxy) group para-substituted para-phenylene (p-phenylene) based conjugated polymers exhibit good electronic property due to the existence of intra-molecular non-covalent interaction between oxygen and heteroatom. However, the strong inter-molecular aggregation inhibits the ionic transport of polymer. Here, the strategy of changing side chain substitution position is employed to improve the properties of conjugated polymer. Three organic solvent-soluble conjugated polymers based on the bis(hexyloxy) group ortho-substituted p-phenylene were synthesized. The three polymers display small dihedral angles between thiophene and benzene. As the conjugated chain length of repeat units increasing, the redox potentials of polymers decrease gradually. From P1 to P2 to P3, their optical absorption regions red shift gradually, leading to neutral polymers display yellow for P1, orange for P2, magenta for P3, respectively. And the three polymers display good electrochromic properties (coloration efficiency: 641 cm2 C−1; response time: 0.2 s; optical contrast: 54%). Also, P2 possess the specific capacitance value of 170 F g−1, which is higher than that of most reported soluble conjugated polymers. Combining energy storage and electrochromic performance of the three polymers, their visualization monitor of energy storage were investigated.