Developing aqueous electrolyte compatible, redox-active polymers that can be processed from environmentally sustainable solvents is desirable because these traits will effectively reduce environmental impact, safety concerns, and human health hazards during processing procedures and in the final device architecture. Additionally, the ability to dope and dedope conjugated polymers in aqueous media may allow for these systems to be studied as useful sensors in biological environments. In an effort to address these criteria, two ester-functionalized 3,4-propylenedioxy-thiophene polymers have been synthesized via direct arylation polymerization, which is considered a greener alternative compared to traditional cross-coupling polymerization methodologies. The resulting polymers are sufficiently soluble in, and processable from, environmentally sustainable (2-methyltetrahydrofuran) and benign (ethyl and propyl acetate) solvents leading to thin, electroactive films. Furthermore, as the ester-functionality on the side chains is increased, the polymer films reversibly switch in aqueous electrolytes. By combining green alternatives for the synthesis, processing, and testing stages during the development of these polymers, the “cradle-to-grave” impact for ProDOT-based polymers has effectively been reduced. The polymers were studied as electrochromic films as a case study and it was revealed that optical, electrochemical, and morphological properties showed slight variations depending on the casting solvent. However, properties such as switching time and contrast were unaffected. Our work highlights a simple design strategy to synthesize aqueous electrolyte compatible electrochromic polymers processable from sustainable solvents without post-polymerization modifications, which will ultimately reduce the environmental impact of electrochromic device fabrication and testing.<br/>

Exploiting facile synthetic strategies for the development of aqueous electrolyte compatible electrochromic polymers processable from environmentally sustainable solvents

2019 Fall National Meeting

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