Visible absorption of iodine‐doped polysilane with p‐N,N‐dialkylaminophenyl substituents

The doping effects on optical and electrical properties of polysilanes were investigated by in-situ measurement. When polysilanes bearing a p-N,N-dialkylaminophenyl substituent were doped with iodine vapor, drastic spectral changes were observed. The evolved visible absorption up to 700 nm was found to be strong and stable compared to that of iodine-doped polysilanes such as poly(methylphenylsilane). On the basis of the studies concerning iodine doping of the related p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl-substituted silane and disilane, and also theoretical calculations, this new absorption can be best interpreted by the result of charge transfer consisting of the strong interaction between iodine and dialkylamino substituents in the polysilanes.