Aldol condensation-polymerized semiconducting polymers based on a BDOPV unit with near infrared absorption and better n-doped ability

Abstract

Development of semiconducting polymers with a low bandgap is essential for organic electronic devices. However, most of the currently reported organic semiconductors possess absorption edges of less than 1000 nm. Herein, a series of novel semiconducting polymers with a low bandgap and better n-doping behavior were synthesized. These semiconducting polymers based on a benzodifurandione-centered oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (BDOPV) unit and various copolymerization units were synthesized via a modified aldol condensation protocol from bis-isatin and bis-oxindole monomers. As a result, the polymers with different constitutional units present various charge transfer characteristics, from the n-type character for PFBP switched into an ambipolar and even p-type character for PBBP. In addition, these semiconducting polymers can be easily doped with an n-type dopant, such as N-DMBI. We believe that this BDOPV-based polymer is a potential candidate for the development of low bandgap semiconducting polymers.