A novel donor-acceptor-donor monomer combining ethylenedioxythiophene donor units with a dimethylisopyrazole acceptor unit was prepared. Trimethylsilyl protecting groups were necessary for the synthesis, but the protected monomer would not undergo electrochemical polymerization without removal of the protecting groups. The deprotected monomer can be electrochemically polymerized to yield an electroactive polymer with accessible p-doping and n-doping processes. Cycling to n-doping potentials during polymerization resulted in irreversible reduction processes and poor polymer growth rather than the anticipated enhanced n-doping response, but oxidative polymerization and re-neutralization without cycling to n-doping potentials produced a robust, electroactive polymer with easily accessible p-doping and n-doping processes. A polymer bandgap of 1.5 eV was estimated from the polymer electrochemistry, but an optical bandgap could not be determined.
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