Development of novel processable electron accepting conjugated polymers containing fluoranthene units in the main chain

Considerable interest exists in the development of novel n-type conjugated polymers, since many currently available polymer systems have insufficient electron mobility and/or electron affinity. In this work, a universal synthesis route is presented towards a new class of n-type conjugated polymers, i.e. Poly(p-fluoranthene vinylene) (pfv) and its derivatives. This route is illustrated with three examples, i.e. Unsubstituted pfv and functionalized hexyl-pfv and dodecyl-pfv. All polymers have been synthesized via the dithiocarbamate precursor route. Solubility was introduced by incorporation of alkyl side chains, which leads to a significantly enhanced purity and processability as compared to unsubstituted pfv. Under the applied electrochemical conditions pfv-type polymers demonstrate typical n-type behavior. Additional celiv mobility measurements on dodecyl-pfv reveal an excellent electron mobility, µe = 1.4 × 10-4 cm2/vs. Hence, poly(p-fluoranthene vinylene) and its derivatives are promising n-type materials for organic optoelectronic applications.