Electrochemical and UV-Vis/ESR spectroelectrochemical properties of thienylenevinylenes substituted by a 4-cyanostyryl group

The -electron delocalisation in conjugated thienylenevinylenes bearing arylethenyl chromophores,

makes those materials interesting candidates for electro-optic applications. In this study, we

report the results of electrochemical and UV–Vis/ESR spectroelectrochemical studies of a pair of

thienylenevinylenes substituted by the 4-cyanostyryl group, bearing either a hydrogen, or methyl group

terminated carbons at the peripheral thiophene rings. The reactivity of various functional segments of

investigated molecules was assessed by comparing the reactivity of the protected and unprotected counterparts

and the behaviour of their electrooxidation products. For the capped derivative, two irreversible

anodic redox processes giving electrochemically inactive products were observed, while the uncapped

molecule yields electroactive materials already upon its first oxidation step.