Alkoxy-substituted poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene)s: synthesis, electroluminescence and photovoltaic applications

Abstract

Poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene)s (PAE-PAVs) combine the intrinsic features of both poly(arylene-ethynylene) (PAE) and poly(arylene-vinylene) (PAV) in a single polymeric backbone. They exhibit enhanced electron affinity, as compared to parent poly(p-phenylene-vinylene) (PPV), making electron injection easier, placing them as potential candidates for low turn-on voltage organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Depending on the chemical structures, PAE-PAVs have been efficiently used either as donor materials in polymer-PCBM (phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methylester) or polymer-Vinazene (2-vinyl-4,5-dicyanoimidazole) bulk heterojunction solar cells or as acceptor materials in polymer-polymer bilayer and blend solar cells. This article reviews the synthesis and properties (electroluminescence and photovoltaic) of π-conjugated alkoxy-substituted PAE-PAVs, designed by us, and which were obtained either by Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination reaction of luminophoric dialdehydes with bisphosphonate esters, or Knoevenagel reaction of the same dialdehydes with dinitriles.