Synthesis and optoelectronic properties of new polyarylates with 2-naphthyldiphenylamine units

Herein, five kinds of soluble electrochromic polyarylates were synthesized from the reaction of N,N'-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-N,N'-di-2-naphthyl-1,4-phenylenediamine with five bisphenols via direct polycondensation process, respectively. These new materials showed no significant decomposition below 400 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The maximum UV-vis absorption bands of these polyarylates located at 328-348 nm and 327-353 nm for solid films and DMSO solution, respectively. The polyarylate 6a, as an example, exhibited not only aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect in different fraction tetrahydrofuran/water solution, but also solvatochromism in various polar solvents, markedly. Two reversible pairs of distinct redox peaks were associated with noticeable color changed from original colorless to yellowish orange and green for polymeric film could be observed in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test. New absorption peaks emerged in near-infrared (NIR) region with increasing voltage in the UV-vis spectra, which indicates these polyarylates can be used as NIR electrochromic materials. These polyarylates performed high contrast of optical transmittance change around 42-53% with the highest coloration efficiency up to 236 cm2C−1.