A study of thermal, optical and electrical properties of new branched triphenylamine-based polyazomethines

A series of branched aromatic polyazomethines have been obtained by high temperature solution polycondensation of 4,4′,4″-triformyltriphenylamine with 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine with different feed molar ratio. For three polymers additional condensation of chain end groups with monofunctional monomers such as 4-formyltriphenylamine or 2-naphthylamine was carried out. Moreover, two model compounds were prepared and investigated for comparison with branched polymers. The structures of polymers and models were characterized by means FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). UV–vis properties of the thin films of the polymers and compounds were investigated on the glass substrate. Eg of the branched polymers was found about 2.47 eV. UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopy for iodine doped compounds were investigated. Doping decreased the value of Eg of the branched polyazomethines to about 1.71 eV. Refractive index (n) for branched polyazomethines was found about 1.97, while for the doped compounds was a little higher (∼2.48). Absorption (UV–vis) properties of the doped with iodine branched imines were investigated additionally after heating in different temperatures from 50 to 200 °C. Intensity of photoluminescence of branched imines in relation to 9,10-diphenylanthracene was found in the range 0.2–1.0% and 2.7–43.7% in dependence on the excitation wavelengths. Current–voltage (I–V) measurements were performed on ITO/TiO2/polymer/Al, ITO/polymer/Alq3/Al and ITO/TiO2/polymer/Alq3/Al devices in the dark and during irradiation with light (under illumination 1000 W/m2). The sol–gel technique was applied to prepared TiO2 layer. TiO2 layers and devices were investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Moreover, properties of these branched polymers were compared with the linear polyazomethine based on 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine and 4,4′-diformyltriphenylamine.