Optical and electrochemical properties of a new donor-acceptor type conjugated polymer derived from thiophene, carbazole and 1,3,4-oxadiazole units

Abstract

A new donor-acceptor type poly[3-{5-[3,4-didecyloxy-5-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2- yl)thiophen-2-yl]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}-9-dodecyl-9H-carbazole] (P) has been synthesized starting from thiodiglycolic acid and 9H-carbazole through multistep reactions. The polymer has been synthesized through precursor polyhydrazide route. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer was found to be 7210. The polymer exhibited intense green fluorescence in solid sate. Cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that the polymer has low-lying LUMO (-3.55 eV) and high lying HOMO (-5.77 eV) energy levels due to the presence of alternate donor and acceptor units. The optical and electrochemical studies reveal that the new polymer (P) is a promising material for the development of polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs). (2010) Trans Tech Publications.