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A series of poly(N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes in which the carbene functionalities are orthogonally connected to the main chains of the respective polymers are prepared by oxidative electropolymerization of various bis(bithiophene)-substituted monomers with appended transition metal or main group entities (M = Ir, Au, Ag, S). Electrochemical analyses of the polymer thin films have shown that they have displayed highly reversible electrochromic phenomena.

The first example of a polymer is described in which each monomer has an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) that is orthogonally connected to its main chain. Oxidative electropolymerization of monomer has produced the desired polymer ([(Au[NHC]Cl).sub.n], which is studied by electrochemical studies, X-ray photoelectron and UV-vis spectroscopy.

Four novel N-aryl-2-thienyl substituted 1,4-diazabutadiene (alpha-diimine) ligands 5-8 have been prepared by cyanide ion-catalyzed intermolecular coupling of the appropriate aromatic aldimines. A ligand featuring a phenyl spacer moiety between a thiophene carbon atom and each imino nitrogen atom (12) has been prepared by a similar synthetic route. Ligands 5-8 and 12 were characterized on the basis of 1H and 13C NMR, IR and MS-CI spectroscopy. Upon treatment with PI3 in CH2Cl2 solution, ligands 5-8 undergo redox reactions to furnish the triiodide salts of the corresponding phosphenium cations 13-16 which were characterized by 1H, 13C and 31P NMR, and MS-CI spectroscopy. The phosphenium triiodide salt 15, and ligands 5-7 and 12 were also structurally authenticated.