Synthesis and Characterization of Soluble Conjugated Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) Derivatives Constituted of Alternating Pyrazole and 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Moieties

Abstract

New soluble poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives with 1,3,4-oxadiazole and pyrazole rings along the main chain were synthesized by Heck coupling. The new conjugated polymers are soluble in common organic solvents as a result of the fully conjugated backbone with dodecyloxy side groups. The polymers show relatively high glass-transition temperatures (up to 160°C) and good satisfactory thermal stability. Solutions of the polymers emit blue-greenish light with photoluminescence (PL) emission maxima around 490–500 nm. The PL spectrum of the polymer’s thin films, with a maximum at 515 nm, shows a red-shift (~20 nm), with respect to the solution spectrum. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that both conjugated polymers have reversible oxidation and irreversible reduction, making them n-type electroluminescent materials. The electron affinity of the new polymers was estimated as 2.73–2.74 eV. The weight-average molecular weights (M w) of the new soluble polymers were in the range of 4790–4950.