Facile Synthesis of Electroactive and Electrochromic Triptycene Poly(ether-imide)s Containing Triarylamine Units via Oxidative Electro-Coupling.

Two bisimide compounds, TPA⁻TPDI and NPC⁻TPDI, consisting of a triptycene core and two triphenylamine (TPA) or N-phenylcarbazole (NPC) end groups were successfully synthesized by the condensation reactions from 1,4-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)triptycene dianhydride with 4-aminotriphenylamine and N-(4-aminophenyl)carbazole, respectively. These two monomers could polymerize electrochemically via the oxidative coupling reactions of triarylamine units. The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties of the electro-generated triptycene poly(ether-imide)s (TPA⁻TPPI and NPC⁻TPPI) were studied. Both polymers have two colored oxidation states, and TPA⁻TPPI showed better electrochromic performance than NPC⁻TPPI.