Optoelectronic properties of thiazole‐based polythiophenes

In this work, two thiazole‐containing monomers N‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)?2‐(thiophen‐3‐yl)acetamide (ThDBTH) and N,N′‐(4,4′‐bithiazole]‐2,2′‐diyl)bis(2‐(thiophen‐3‐yl)acetamide) (Th₂DBTH) were synthesized through amidification reaction of 2‐(thiophen‐3‐yl)acetyl chloride with aminothiazole derivatives and characterized by FTIR and ¹H and ¹³C‐NMR. The monomers were subjected to electrochemical polymerization and optoelectronic properties of the resultant conducting polymers were investigated. Additionally, copolymerization of ThDBTH in the presence of thiophene was achieved. PThDBTH, PTh₂DBTH, and P(ThDBTH‐Th) exhibited optical band gaps of 2.15, 2.30, and 1.95 eV, respectively. Switching time and optical contrast of the polymers were evaluated via kinetic studies. The P(ThDBTH‐Th) revealed satisfactory switching time and appropriate optical contrast of 1.27 s and 24.97%, respectively. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42206.