Electrochromism and doping in the thin films of liquid-crystalline mixed conductors based on perylene tetracarboxylic bisimide bearing cyclotetrasiloxane rings

Abstract

A polymerizable liquid-crystalline perylene tetracarboxylic bisimide (PTCBI) derivative bearing a triethylene oxide chain was synthesized. The compound exhibited a dimeric columnar phase. The spin-coated films were polymerized via exposure to the vapors of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. The polymerized thin films exhibited electrochromism, which was caused by the generation of anion radicals and dianions of the PTCBI cores. In addition, the polymerized thin films were doped in an aqueous solution of sodium dithionate. The electrical conductivity of the doped films increased to 10-5 Scm-1 because ionic species can penetrate the ion-conductive domains in the polymerized thin films.