Solution versus solid-state electropolymerization of regioregular conjugated fluorenone–thienylene vinylene macromonomers—voltammetric and spectroelectrochemical investigations

We present detailed voltammetric and spectroelectrochemical studies of poly(2,7-bis(5-(E)-1,2-bis(3-octylthien-2-yl)ethylene])-fluoren-9-one) (PTVF)—a conjugated polymer consisting of thienylene, vinylene, and fluorenone subunits. PTVF can be easily obtained either by electropolymerization of its monomer ((2,7-bis(5-(E)-1,2-bis(3-octylthien-2-yl)ethylene])-fluoren-9-one) TVF]) dissolved in the electrolytic solution or via solid-state electropolymerization of a thin film of the monomer deposited on the electrode. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopic data indicate that the latter method leads to a polymer of a smaller degree of polymerization (DP). The possibility of the formation of a polymeric conductor on a transparent conductive substrate such as indium tin oxide, in situ, via solid-state electropolymerization, combined with its postpolymerization transformation into an organic semiconductor by electrochemical dedoping, is technologically very attractive and makes TVF and its polymer very promising materials for applications in organic electronics. Contribution to the International Workshop on Electrochemistry of Electroactive Materials (WEEM-2006), Repino, Russia, 24–29 June 2006.