Preparation and multifunction of electrochromic polyamides containing flexible backbone chains with electrochemical, fluorescence and memory properties

A series of electroactive polyamides (PAs) containing alkyl chains in backbone and triarylamine unit as the functional group were designed and synthesized by condensation polymerization of N-(2-amino-ethyl)-N-(4-carbazol-9-yl-phenyl)-ethane-1, 2-diamine with various dicarboxyl acids. The characterization confirms the successful synthesis. The thermal properties of the polymers investigated by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicate the polymers are hear-resisting. The main absorption peaks of PAs appear at λ _max = 283–296 nm and strong photoluminescence (PL) peaks at 363–404 nm exhibit in the NMP. Electrochromic (EC) characteristics of the PAs films reveal excellent stability together with multistep EC behaviors, which change from the almost colorless neutral form to the green, then dark green oxidized forms at applied potentials. The resistance memory with good electrical bistable resistive switching characteristics, which possesses low threshold voltage (V _SET of −1.6 V and V _RESET of 4.2 V). Conclusionally, the PAs can be used as hole transporting, electrochromic, electrofluor, and a nonvolatile memory materials.