Electroactive polymeric films from oxidative coupling of oligophenyls

Anodic coupling of biphenyl, terphenyl and triphenylene in acetonitrile was investigated by electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Ortho-terphenyl cyclization to triphenylene is followed by two-graft linking in a polyparaphenylene-like structure which is reversibly oxidized with 0.5 electrons per monomer. Para-terphenyl produces a structure containing both polyparaphenylene segments and triphenylene islands. Meta-terphenyl and biphenyl give more disordered structures with dominance of triphenylene-like moieties.