Syntheses and optical properties of triphenylene-containing conjugated polymers

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 130; no. 6; pp. 986 - 994
• Main Authors: Chou, Ching-En, Wang, Degang, Bagui, Mahuya, Hsu, Jeffrey, Chakraborty, Sanjiban, Peng, Zhonghua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acetonitrile; Aggregates; Applied sciences; Conjugated polymers; Exact sciences and technology; Flexibility; Fluorescence; Folding; Luminescence; Optical properties; Organic polymers; Photoluminescence; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Solvents; Triphenylene; Conjugated polymers; Folding; Photoluminescence; Triphenylene; Phenylenevinylene derivative copolymer; Fluorescence; Arylene copolymer; Condensation polymerization; Experimental study; Quantum yield; Conjugated copolymer; Polyynic compound; Optical properties; Preparation; Conformation
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2010.01.010

In this paper, we report the detailed synthesis and optical properties of three new conjugated polymers containing triphenylene units in the backbone. Polymer PTPT exhibits strong folding propensity and forms foldamers in both polar and nonpolar solvents. PTPA, with two long alkyl chains attached to the bridging phenyl ring, exhibits mainly as interchain aggregates in “poor” solvents (DMSO and acetonitrile), but adopts a folding conformation in solvent mixtures with a high poor solvent content. PTPV, on the other hand, adopts a random nonfolding conformation in both polar and nonpolar solvents. The low folding propensity of PTPV is likely due to the added geometrical flexibility of the vinyl bonds. Among the three polymers, PTPV is most fluorescent with a fluorescence quantum yield as high as 0.87, suggesting its potential applications as light-emitting materials or fluorescence-based sensors. PTPT, on the other hand, with its strong folding property, may find applications as efficient charge-transporting materials.