Biomass-Based Discrete Furan Oligomers as Materials for Electrochromic Devices

Electrochromic devices (ECDs) are materials that can undergo reversible changes in transmittance when exposed to different applied potentials. While many conjugated heterocyclic oligomers, such as oligothiophenes, have been developed for this purpose, there is no reported study on the use of discrete oligomeric furans as ECD materials. In this work, we introduce a furan trimer that can be utilized as a discrete electrochromic material, which transitions from light yellow to red and has a very high coloration efficiency of 1940 cm(2)/C at 507 nm. We propose that the reversible pi-stack formation of the oligomer radical cations is behind this phenomenon, as evidenced by both experimental and computational results. The derivability of this oligomer from biomass and its facile synthesis make it an interesting alternative for other existing organic electrochromic materials.