Synthesis and characterization of tricyanovinyl-capped oligothiophenes as low-band-gap organic materials.

Tricyanovinyl-capped oligothiophenes of up to six rings have been synthesized and characterized. The substituted oligomers display dramatic reductions in both their optical and electrochemical band gaps in comparison to unsubstituted oligomers. The solvatochromic behavior of the terthiophene-substituted molecule was investigated in a variety of solvents. Stable oxidations and reductions were exhibited by the sexithiophene-substituted molecule on the CV time scale. [structure: see text]