Preparation, characterizations and electrochromic properties of copolymers containing 5, 10, 15, 20-tetra(thienyl) porphyrin and thiophene derivatives

[Display omitted] •Four meso-tetrakis (thienyl)porphyrin monomers have been successfully copolymerized with thiophenes in BFEE.•The copolymer films exhibit multicolor electrochromism and tunable color change.•The Zn(II) complexing takes a deep influence on the spectroelectrochemical properties of the copolymers.•Porphyrin macrocycle can be a good embedding unit for preparing electrochromic polymers. Four meso-tetrakis (thienyl)porphyrin (Por) monomers, either free or complexed with Zn(II), have been copolymerized with thiophene or 3,4-ethyldioxythiophene (EDOT) for preparation of multielectrochromic polymers in boron fluoride ethyl ether (BFEE). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) confirm the formation of these copolymers. Due to the deep coloration, distinctive electronic spectra and large conjugated characteristics of porphyrins, the prepared copolymers possess multielectrochromic properties with fast switching response and good stability, which can be tuned by the comonomers, and complexing of porphyrin with Zn(II). Although the Zn(II) derivatives can act as a donor molecule, the Zn(II) complexing is still difficult to electrochemically polymerize as polymer films in comparison with their porphyrin monomers such as 5, 10, 15, 20-tetra(3-thienyl) porphyrin, which may take a deep influence on the structure of the resultant copolymers, then the spectroelectrochemical properties. Finally, our work indicates that porphyrin macrocycle can be a good embedding unit for preparing electrochromic polymers.