Fused 5,6,5-membered heterocyclic electroactive polymers

Claim 2

An electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone of recurring units of a fused 5,6,5-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring system wherein the 5-membered rings contain at least one nitrogen and a second heteroatom selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, and substituted N, wherein the substituent is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cycloalkyl, and alkoxy, and a sufficient concentration of a charge-compensating ionic dopant associated therewith, wherein the polymer backbone is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation or reversible reduction or both to form the charged polymer backbone.

Claim 3

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the recurring units are selected from the group consisting of 1,7 N-alkyl-benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']dimiidazole; 1,7-dimethyl-benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d'] diimidazole; benzo[1,2-d:5,4-d']bisthiazole; benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bisthiazole; benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d'] bisselenazole; selenazolo[5,4-f]benzothiazole; 1,8-dialkyl-benzo[1,2-d:3,4-d']diimidazole; 1,8-dimethyl-benzo[1,2-d:3,4-d']diimidazole; benzo[1,2-d:5,4-d']bisoxazole; benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d'] bisoxazole; benzo[1,2-d:3,4-d']-bisoxazole; benzo[1,2-d:3,4-d'] bisthiazole; benzo[1,2-d:4,3-d']bisthiazole; and mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

The electroactive polymer according to claim 2 wherein the charge-compensating ionic dopant is a cation selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal ions, alkali earth metal ions, Group III metal ions, ##STR27## wherein R xi is a straight- or branched-chain alkyl of C 1 -C 6 groups, or mixtures of said cations.

Claim 5

The electroactive polymer according to claim 3 wherein the recurring units are N-dialkyl benzodiimidazoles.

Claim 6

The electroactive polymer according to claim 3 wherein the recurring units are benzobisoxazoles.

Claim 7

The electroactive polymer according to claim 3 wherein the recurring units are benzobisthiazoles.

Claim 8

The electroactive polymer according to claim 2 wherein the fused 5,6,5-membered recurring units are interspersed with connecting units selected from the group consisting of phenylene, biphenylene, --CH═CH--, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The electroactive polymer according to claim 7 wherein the recurring units are N-dialkyl benzodiimidazoles.

Claim 10

The electroactive polymer according to claim 7 wherein the recurring units are benzobisoxazoles.

Claim 11

The electroactive polymer according to claim 7 wherein the recurring units are benzobisthiazoles.

Claim 12

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the charge-compensating ionic dopant is an anion selected from the group consisting of AsF 4 - , AsF 6 - , ClO 4 - , PF 6 - , SO 3 CF 3 - , BF 4 - , NO 3 - , POF 4 - , CN - , SiF 5 - , SbCl 6 - , SbF 6 - , HSO 4 - , acetate, benzoate, tosylate, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 13

An electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone and charge-compensating ionic dopants associated therewith of the formula: ##STR28## wherein a is 0 or 1; b is 0 or 1; c is 0 or 1; n is an integer from 1 to 1,000; d is an integer from 1 to 2,000; s is an integer 1, 2, or 3; R is a fused nitrogen-containing 5,6,5-membered unsaturated diradical-heterocyclic ring system; R' is the same as R or a different fused nitrogen-containing 5,6,5-membered unsaturated diradical heterocyclic ring system; X" is a connecting unit; Y" is the same connecting unit as X" or a different connecting unit; and M is a charge-compensating ionic dopant of opposite electrical charge to the charge of the polymer backbone, wherein said X" or Y" connecting unit is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR29## wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cyclo alkyl, and alkoxy, and R v , R vi and R vii are H, methyl, methoxy, halogen and mixtures thereof; Ar is phenylene or biphenylene, and R 2 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 4 .

Claim 14

An electroactive polymer which comprises a charged polymer backbone and charge-compensating ionic dopants associated therewith of the formula: ##STR28## wherein a is 0 or 1; b is 0 or 1; c is 0 or 1; n is an integer from 1 to 1,000; d is an integer from 1 to 2,000; s is an integer 1, 2, or 3; R is a fused nitrogen-containing 5,6,5-membered unsaturated diradical-heterocyclic ring system; R' is the same as R or a different fused nitrogen-containing 5,6,5-membered unsaturated diradical heterocyclic ring system; X" is a connecting unit; Y" is the same connecting unit as X" or a different connecting unit; and M is a charge-compensating ionic dopant of opposite electrical charge to the charge of the polymer backbone, wherein said X" or Y" connecting unit is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR29## wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cyclo alkyl, and alkoxy, and R v , R vi and R vii are H, methyl, methoxy, halogen and mixtures thereof; Ar is phenylene or biphenylene, and R 2 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 4 .

Claim 15

The electroactive polymer according to claim 12 wherein R and R' are 2,7 diradicals of the formula: ##STR30## wherein X and X' positions or Z and Z' positions are N, and the other position is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, or N--R 1 , wherein R 1 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cyclo alkyl and alkoxy.

Claim 16

The electroactive polymer according to claim 13 wherein R and R' are 2,7 diradicals of the formula: ##STR31## wherein X, X' and Z are selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, and N--R 1 wherein R 1 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cycloalkyl, and alkoxy.

Claim 17

The electroactive polymer according to claim 12 wherein R and R' are 2,6 diradicals of the formula: ##STR32## wherein X and X' positions or Z and Z' positions are N, and the other position is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, or N--R 1 , wherein R 1 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cyclo alkyl and alkoxy.

Claim 18

The electroactive polymer according to claim 15 wherein R and R' are 2,6 diradicals of the formula: ##STR33## wherein X, X' and Z are selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, and N--R 1 , wherein R 1 is lower alkyl C 1 -C 6 , aryl, cycloaryl and alkoxy.

Claim 19

The electroactive polymer according to claim 16 wherein a is 1, b and c are zero, and the polymer has the formula: ##STR34##

Claim 20

The electroactive polymer according to claim 17 wherein the charge-compensating ionic dopant M is a cation selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal ions, alkali earth metal ions, Group III metal ions, and ##STR35## wherein R xi is a straight- or branched-chain alkyl of C 1 -C 6 groups, or mixtures of said cations.

Claim 21

The electroactive polymer according to claim 18 wherein the polymer has the formula: ##STR36##

Claim 22

The electroactive polymer according to claim 18 wherein the polymer has the formula: ##STR37##

Claim 23

The electroactive polymer according to claim 18 wherein the polymer has the formula: ##STR38##

Claim 24

The electroactive polymer according to claim 18 wherein the polymer has the formula: ##STR39##

Claim 25

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein a, b and c are zero, and the polymer has the formula: ##STR40##

Claim 26

The electroactive polymer according to claim 23 where the polymer is poly2,6 benzo[1,2-d:5,4-d']bisoxazole plus an anionic charge compensating dopant.

Claim 27

The electroactive polymer according to claim 1 wherein the polymer has a molecular weight of between about 500 and 100,000.

Claim 28

The electroactive polymer according to claim 17 wherein n is from 5 to equal to or less than 1,000.