Synthesis and near-infrared electrochromic properties of a novel chiral polyacetylene containing anthraquinone imide as the pendant group are reported.The monomer precursor

6-bromoanthraquinone-2

3-dicarboxylic anhydride

has been synthesized in a good yield via an improved synthetic route.The monomer N'-(1-hexylheptyl)-6-ethynylanthraquinone-2

3-dicarboxylic imide was converted to the polymer by the catalysis of chloronorbornadiene rhodium (I) dimer.Chiral polymers based on achiral monomers could be achieved by using chiral (R)/(S)-phenylethylamine as the cocatalyst

which have obvious Cotton effects in the ultraviolet-visible region.Properties of polymers

such as chirality and solubility could be modulated easily by changing the imide group.The novel polymers have electrochromic properties similar to those of the small anthraquinone imide molecule.Intense absorption peaked at 820 nm in the visible-near infrared range of 500~1200 nm has been observed in the single electron reduction state.