Study of the Electrochromism of Methoxyfluorene Compounds

The electrochemical and electrochromic properties of a variety of polysubstituted fluorene compounds have been studied. The 2,7- and 2,3-dimethoxy-, 2,3,6,7-tetramethoxy-, and 2,3,4,5,6,7-hexamethoxyfluorenes are highly reversible electrochromic materials. One-electron oxidation of these materials yields deeply colored, stable radical cations. The structure-property relationships observed for the electrochemical and absorption behavior of these materials are discussed. © 1980, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.