Electropolymerizable N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of Rh and Ir with enantiotropic polymorphic phases

Abstract

New Rh (1) and Ir (2) complexes of an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) featuring a terthiophene backbone were synthesized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of 1 and 2 at 100 K and 298 K respectively, revealed two enantiotropic polymorphic phases with similar lattice parameters for each compound. The transition temperature between two crystalline forms for each compound was determined by measuring the percentage of reflections with a different space group ranging from 100 K to 298 K. Both 1 and 2 were also found to catalyze the hydrogen transfer reaction. The conducting metallopolymers poly-1 and poly-2 were synthesized from oxidative electropolymerization of 1 and 2, respectively, in CH₂Cl₂ electrolyte solution on indium tin oxide-(ITO) coated glass. The electrochromic properties of synthesized conducting metallopolymers were studied by UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry.