The
Gewald reaction was used to make a 2,5-diaminothiphonene that
was functionalized with two styrene monomers. It was condensed with
2,5-thiophene dicarboxaldehyde to afford a conjugated azomethine triad.
The X-ray crystallographic structure of the red-colored azomethine
confirmed the antiparallel arrangement and the near-coplanarity of
the three thiophenes. The terminal amines were also found to undergo
both intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding with its ester carbonyl.
Polymerization of the styrene functionalized azomethine was done in
the solid state as thin films on glass substrates. The resulting red-colored
film was electroactive and it changed to purple upon electrochemical
oxidation. The reversible bonds in the cross-linked film retained
their intrinsic dynamic character. They could be hydrolyzed to both
their corresponding amine and aldehyde constitutional components,
while also undergoing component exchange with aniline. These dynamic
covalent bond forming reactions could be spectroscopically tracked
courtesy of the intrinsic red color of the film.