White-light electrofluorescence switching from electrochemically convertible yellow and blue fluorescent conjugated polymers

Abstract

We report the study of the fluorescence switching properties of the conjugated copolymers containing triphenylamine, fluorene, benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole, and cyclic urea moieties. The copolymers show excellent thermal stability and good solubility in polar organic solvents. While the electrofluorescent device (EFD) of P1 emits yellow light under UV excitation, fluorescence intensity is switched off upon electrochemical oxidation. In addition, the fluorescent behavior of the EFD of P1 can be reversibly switched between the non-fluorescent (oxidized) state and the fluorescent (neutral) state with a superb contrast ratio (I_f/I_f0) of 21.4. Furthermore, a white-light electrochemical fluorescence switching device is achieved by blending of P1 (yellow) with P2 (blue). Since the fluorescent conjugated polymers of P1 and P2 have their emission simultaneously quenched under the low working potential, the EFD could show a white–dark state of fluorescence with a high contrast ratio (I_f/I_f0) of 14.6.