Tailoring Charge Transport Properties of Anthracene-Based Polymers by Modification of Thiophene-Based Comonomers

Anthracenes have become a rising star in organic semiconducting materials owing to the high stability and superior mobility. In spite of solution processability for large area fabrication, anthracene-based polymers lag far behind small-molecule counterparts in terms of molecular diversity and carrier mobility. Herein, we synthesized two anthracene-based polymers via Stille reaction by incorporation of two structurally similar units bithophene and cyclopentadithiophene. Anthracene-bithophene alternating polymer (PAnBT) polymer was calculated to take a twisted backbone conformation, showing very poor mobility of 3.6×10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 with relatively low crystallinity and coarse film morphology. In contrast, anthracene-cyclopentadithiophene alternating polymer (AnCPDT) polymer was calculated to adopt a planar backbone conformation and displayed significantly improved mobility up to 2.2×10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 with relatively high crystallinity and smooth film morphology, which is one of the highest mobilities for anthracene-based polymers. The different substitution positions of alkyl chains account for the varied polymer backbone conformations, resulting into a big discrepancy in film microstructures and charge carrier mobilities. This work demonstrates that design of planar backbone conformation is beneficial to improve charge transport characteristics for anthracene-based polymers.

A Fluorescent Linear Conjugated Polymer Constructed from Pillararene and Anthracene

Over the past few years, conjugated polymers (CPs) have aroused much attention owing to their rigid conjugated structures, which can perform well in light harvesting and energy transfer and offer great potential in materials chemistry. In this article, we fabricate a new luminescent linear CP p(P[5](OTf)₂-co-9,10-dea) via the Sonogashira coupling of 9,10-diethynylanthracene and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (OTf) modified pillar[5]arene, generating enhanced yellow-green fluorescence emission at around 552 nm. The reaction condition was screened to get a deeper understanding of this polymerization approach, resulting in an excellent yield as high as 92% ultimately. Besides the optical properties, self-assembly behaviors of the CP in low/high concentrations were studied, where interesting adjustable morphologies from tube to sheet were observed. In addition, the fluorescence performance and structural architecture can be disturbed by the host–guest reorganization between the host CP and the guest adiponitrile, suggesting great potential of this CP material in the field of sensing and detection.

Selective dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes with electron-rich fluorene-based copolymers

We report novel π-conjugated copolymers containing electron-donating dithiafulvene (DTF) and π-extended tetrathiafulvalene (exTTF) repeat units for selective dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Triisopropylsilylacetylene-functionalised anthracene-alt-benzothiadiazole copolymers for application in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Triisopropylsilylacetylene-functionalised anthracene-based donor–acceptor polymers are presented along with their optical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties in bulk heterojunction solar cells.