Highly emissive conjugated polymer excimers

Youngmi Kim, Jean Bouffard, Steven E. Kooi, Timothy M. Swager

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conjugated polymers often display a decrease of fluorescence efficiency upon aggregation due in large part to enhanced interpolymer interactions that produce weakly emissive species generally described as having excimer-like character. We have found that poly(phenylene ethynylene)s with fused pendant [2.2.2] ring structures having alkene bridges substituted with two ester groups function to give highly emissive, broad, and red-shifted emission spectra in the solid state. To best understand the origin of this new solid-state emissive species, we have performed photophysical studies of a series of different materials in solution, spin-coated thin films, solid solutions, and Langmuir films. We conclude that the new, red-shifted, emissive species originate from excimers produced by interchain interactions being mediated by the particular [2.2.2] ring system employed. The ability to design structures that can reliably produce highly emissive conjugated polymer excimers offers new opportunities in the emission tailoring of electroluminescence and sensory devices.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)13726-13731
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume127
Issue number39
DOIs
StatePublished - 5 Oct 2005

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