Using Cyclic Voltammetry, UV-Vis-NIR, and EPR Spectroelectrochemistry to Analyze Organic Compounds.

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is a technique used in the analysis of organic compounds. When this technique is combined with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) or ultraviolet-visible and near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopies, we obtain useful information such as electron affinity, ionization potential, band-gap energies, the type of charge carriers, and degradation information that can be used to synthesize stable organic electronic devices. In this study, we present electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods to analyze the processes occurring in active layers of an organic device as well as the generated charge carriers.

Electrochemical and Electrostatic Cleavage of Alkoxyamines.

Alkoxyamines are heat-labile molecules, widely used as an in situ source of nitroxides in polymer and materials sciences. Here we show that the one-electron oxidation of an alkoxyamine leads to a cation radical intermediate that even at room temperature rapidly fragments, releasing a nitroxide and carbocation. Digital simulations of experimental voltammetry and current-time transients suggest that the unimolecular decomposition which yields the "unmasked" nitroxide (TEMPO) is exceedingly rapid and irreversible. High-level quantum computations indicate that the collapse of the alkoxyamine cation radical is likely to yield a neutral nitroxide radical and a secondary phenylethyl cation. However, this fragmentation is predicted to be slow and energetically very unfavorable. To attain qualitative agreement between the experimental kinetics and computational modeling for this fragmentation step, the explicit electrostatic environment within the double layer must be accounted for. Single-molecule break-junction experiments in a scanning tunneling microscope using solvent of low dielectric (STM-BJ technique) corroborate the role played by electrostatic forces on the lysis of the alkoxyamine C-ON bond. This work highlights the electrostatic aspects played by charged species in a chemical step that follows an electrochemical reaction, defines the magnitude of this catalytic effect by looking at an independent electrical technique in non-electrolyte systems (STM-BJ), and suggests a redox on/off switch to guide the cleavage of alkoxyamines at an electrified interface.

Low and High Molecular Mass Dithienopyrrole-Naphthalene Bisimide Donor-Acceptor Compounds: Synthesis, Electrochemical and Spectroelectrochemical Behaviour.

Two low molecular weight electroactive donor-acceptor-donor (DAD)-type molecules are reported, namely naphthalene bisimide (NBI) symmetrically core-functionalized with dithienopyrrole (NBI-(DTP)2 ) and an asymmetric core-functionalized naphthalene bisimide with dithienopyrrole (DTP) substituent on one side and 2-ethylhexylamine on the other side (NBI-DTP-NHEtHex). Both compounds are characterized by low optical bandgaps (1.52 and 1.65 eV, respectively). NBI-(DTP)2 undergoes oxidative electropolymerization giving the electroactive polymer of ambipolar character. Its two-step reversible reduction and oxidation is corroborated by complementary EPR and UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical investigations. The polymer turned out to be electrochemically active not only in aprotic solvents but also in aqueous electrolytes, showing a distinct photocathodic current attributed to proton reduction. Additionally, poly(NBI-(DTP)2 ) was successfully tested as a photodiode material.

Doping-Induced Absorption Bands in P3HT: Polarons and Bipolarons.

In this work, we focus on the formation of different kinds of charge carriers such as polarons and bipolarons upon p-type doping (oxidation) of the organic semiconductor poly(3- hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT). We elucidate the cyclic voltammogram during oxidation of this polymer and present spectroscopic changes upon doping in the UV/Vis/near-IR range as well as in the mid-IR range. In the low-oxidation regime, two absorption bands related to sub-gap transitions appear, one in the UV/Vis range and another one in the mid-IR range. The UV/Vis absorption gradually decreases upon further doping while the mid-IR absorption shifts to lower energy. Additionally, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements are performed, showing an increase of the EPR signal up to a certain doping level, which significantly decreases upon further doping. Furthermore, the absorption spectra in the UV/Vis range are analyzed in relation to the morphology (crystalline vs. amorphous) by using theoretical models. Finally, the calculated charge carriers from cyclic voltammogram are linked together with optical transitions as well as with the EPR signals upon p-type doping. We stress that our results indicate the formation of polarons at low doping levels and the existence of bipolarons at high doping levels. The presented spectroscopic data are an experimental evidence of the formation of bipolarons in P3HT.