Analysis of the electronic, IR, and 1H NMR spectra of conjugated oligomers based on 4,4'-triphenylamine vinylene

Two types of conjugated oligomers based on 4,4'-triphenylamine vinylene have been synthesized and characterized by the methods of IR, UV–visible, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The corresponding spectra have also been simulated theoretically at the density functional theory level with application of the B3LYP and BMK hybrid exchange-correlation functionals. A comparative analysis of the experimental and theoretical spectra of polymers and oligomers has revealed regularities of the manifestation of spectral signals depending on the conjugation chain length and the presence of a substituent in the triphenylamine core. It has been established, in particular, that the absolute intensity of IR bands satisfies a linear dependence with increase in the degree of polymerization; however, no frequency shift is observed at the same time. The position of the main peak in electron absorption spectra demonstrates the bathochromic shift with an increase in the oligomeric chain length due to the narrowing of the energy gap between the boundary molecular orbitals. Based on the theoretical estimation of the hydrogen atoms chemical shifts, the signals of various protons types in the strongly broadened experimental 1H NMR spectra of the bis-(4-iodine phenyl)-phenylamine and N,N-bis-(4-iodine phenyl)-4'-(phenylethynyl)-phenylamine polymerization products have also been identified.