Hole-transporting phenothiazine-based hydrazones with reactive vinylbenzyl groups

•Phenothiazine-based mono- and dihydrazones with reactive vinyl groups.•Oxidation potencials are 0.17 V and 0.19 V.•Solid-state ionization potentials are 4.97 eV and 4.99 eV.•Hole-drift mobility in air exceeds 10−5 cm2/V s at the electric field of 1 × 106 V/cm.

Synthesis and optical, thermal, electrochemical, photoelectrical properties of new phenothiazine-based hydrazones with reactive vinyl groups are reported. The synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, IR, UV/VIS, fluorescence, mass spectrometries, and cyclic voltammetry. The oxidation potentials of the phenothiazine-based mono- and dihydrazones are 0.17 V and 0.19 V, respectively. Solid-state ionization potentials of these compounds are 4.97 eV and 4.99 eV, respectively. Hole-drift mobilities in the layer of the phenothiazine-based monohydrazone exceed 10−5 cm2/V s at the electric field of 1 × 106 V/cm, at 25 °C. The self-polymerization in the solid state of the synthesized monomers was demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry.

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