Synthesis and Computational Bandgap Engineering of New 3,4-Alkylenedioxypyrrole (ADOP) Derivatives and Investigation of Their Electrochromic Properties

This research highlights the degree of conformity between our electrochemical and theoretical studies conducted on the newly designed electropolymerizable monomers (BuDOP, BenDOP and BenzoDOP) possessing 3,4-alkylenedioxypyrrole (ADOP) backbone (BuDOP). We tried to select logical enhancing of the structures in a stepwise in order to discuss the effects of benzene (BenDOP) and benzodioxane (BenzoDOP) like aromatic subunits to the electrochromic properties of the target monomers. Following to the completion of the synthetic steps, appropriate structural analyses of monomers were performed (FT-IR, GC-MS, H-1-NMR, C-13-NMR). Subsequently, their corresponding polymers were prepared by electrochemical oxidation and characterized. Afterwards, our consecutive efforts have been contributed to theoretical studies in order to obtain information about their structural properties. To this aim, geometry optimizations were carried out using hybrid density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP/LANL2DZ) and HOMO, LUMO energy levels, HOMO-LUMO energy gaps (Delta E), electron affinity (EA) as well as ionization potential (IP) values were calculated. Theoretical data were then used for identifying the structure-electronic properties relationship and we aimed to determine the electrochromic properties of the studied monomers. Our results from the B3LYP/LANL2DZ calculations indicated that P(BenDOP) has the lowest HOMO-LUMO gap and we predicted that theoretical data were in good agreement with the experimental studies. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.