Triarylamine N‐functionalized 3,6‐linked carbazole main chain polymers and copolymers: Preparation and physical properties

The preparation of triarylamine N‐functionalized 3,6‐linked carbazole homopolymers as well as alternating copolymers with 2,5‐diphenyl‐[1,3,4]oxadiazole and benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole was undertaken using Suzuki cross‐coupling polymerization procedures associating 3,6‐bis(4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐[1,3,2]dioxaborolan‐2‐yl)‐9‐(bis[4‐(2‐butyl‐octyloxy)‐phenyl]‐amino‐phen‐4‐yl)‐carbazole and, respectively, 3,6‐dibromo‐9‐(bis[4‐(2‐butyl‐octyloxy)‐phenyl]‐amino‐phen‐4‐yl)‐carbazole, 2,5‐bis(4‐bromo‐phenyl)‐[1, 3,4]oxadiazole, and 4,7‐dibromo‐benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole. Both the carbazole homopolymer and alternating copolymer with 2,5‐diphenyl‐[1,3,4]oxadiazole were found as wideband gap materials emitting in the blue part of the electromagnetic spectrum while the carbazole alternating copolymer with 4,7‐benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole had a narrower band gap and emitted in the orange part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new polymers are thermally stable up to 300 °C. A discussion of the electrochemical and optical properties of the new polymers is presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5957–5967, 2007.     

Suppressing charge recombination by incorporating 3,6‐carbazole into poly[9‐(heptadecan‐9‐yl)‐9H‐carbazole‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐(5,6‐bis‐(octyloxy)‐4,7‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[1,2,5]‐thiadiazole)‐5,5‐diyl]

A series of poly[9‐(heptadecan‐9‐yl)‐9H‐carbazole‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐(5,6‐bis‐(octyloxy)‐4,7‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo‐[1,2,5]‐thia‐diazole)‐5,5‐diyl] compositions containing various ratios of 3,6‐carbazole was synthesized for testing in a polymer solar cell. An appropriate amount of 3,6‐carbazole units incorporated into the copolymer improved intermolecular charge transport, whereas excess amount of 3,6‐carbazole units temporarily seized on the partial negative charge generated in the conjugation breaks. We extensively studied the effects of the incorporated 3,6‐carbazole units on the intermolecular interactions, which can affect nongeminated recombination in bulk heterojunction‐polymer solar cells. These properties were investigated using photocurrent‐ and light intensity‐dependent measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2047–2056     

Heteroarene‐fused π‐conjugated main‐chain polymers containing 4,7‐bis(4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole or 2,5‐bis(4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole and their application to photovoltaic devices

Two conjugated main‐chain polymers consisting of heteroarene‐fused π‐conjuagted donor moiety alternating with 4,7‐bis(5‐bromo‐4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (P1) or 2,5‐bis(5‐bromo‐4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl) thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole (P2) units have been synthesized. They are intrinsically amorphous in nature and do not exhibit crystalline melting temperatures during thermal analysis. The effect of the fused rings on the thermal, optical, electrochemical, charge transport, and photovoltaic properties of these polymers has been investigated. The polymer (P1) containing 4,7‐bis(5‐bromo‐4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5] thiadiazole has a broad absorption extending from 300 to 600 nm with optical bandgaps as low as 2.02 eV. The HOMO levels (5.42 to 5.29 eV) are more sensitive to the choice of acceptor. The polymers were employed to fabricate organic photovoltaic cells with methanofullerene [6,6]‐phenyl C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM). As a result, the polymer solar cell device containing P1 had the best preliminary results with an open‐circuit voltage of 0.61 V, a short‐circuit current density of 6.19 mA/cm², and a fill factor of 0.32, offering an overall power conversion efficiency of 1.21%. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline acceptor‐based donor–acceptor–donor‐type polymers: Effect of strength and size of donors on the band gap

Electrochromic polymers based on [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline acceptor and thiophene, 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene and 3,3‐didecyl‐3,4‐proylenedioxythiophene donors, namely poly(6,7‐diphenyl‐4,9‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline) ( P1 ), poly(4‐(2,3‐dihydrothieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐5‐yl)‐9‐(2,3‐dihydrothieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐7‐yl)‐6,7‐diphenyl‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline) ( P2 ), and poly(4‐(3,3‐didecyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐thieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxepin‐6‐yl)‐9‐(3,3‐didecyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐thieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxepin‐8‐yl)‐6,7‐diphenyl‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline) ( P3 ), respectively, were electrochemically and/or chemically synthesized and characterized. Electrochemical and optical properties of the polymers were then investigated. The results, which were obtained electrochemically and optically, indicate that the polymers bearing the same acceptor and different donor units have a band gap range of 0.59–1.24 eV depending on the strength and size of the donor units and band gap determination method. A significant finding in this study was the phenomenon that when the acceptor is physically huge, the general rule that a weak donor would have a high band gap whereas a strong donor would have low band gap can be broken due to the torsional angles/steric hindrances involved with physically large donor molecules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3483–3493     

Donor–acceptor‐structured naphtodithiophene‐based copolymers for organic thin‐film transistors

New donor–acceptor (D‐A) polymers, poly(4,5‐bis(2‐octyldodecyloxy)naphto[2,1‐b:3,4‐b']dithiophenebenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (PNDT‐B) and poly(4,5‐bis(2‐octyldodecyloxy)naphto [2,1‐b:3,4‐b′]dithiophene‐4,7‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (PNDT‐TBT), with the extended π‐electron delocalization of naphtho[2,1‐b:3,4‐b']dithiophene, were successfully synthesized by Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions. The structure and physical properties of polymers were characterized by DFT calculation, UV–vis absorption, cyclovoltammetry, TGA and DSC analyses. X‐ray diffraction studies indicated a relatively highly ordered intermolecular structure in PNDT‐TBT after annealing. This high degree of molecular order resulted from the crystallinity and increasing planarity, provided by the thiophene linker groups and the interdigitation of the long alkoxy side chains. The new D‐A polymer, PNDT‐TBT, exhibited a p‐type carrier mobility of 0.028 cm²/Vs and an on/off ratio of 5.9 × 10³. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 525–531     

Synthesis and characterization of isoindigo‐based polymers using CH‐arylation polycondensation reactions for organic photovoltaics

A series of three new low bandgap donor–acceptor–donor–acceptor^/ (D–A–D–A^/) polymers have been successfully synthesized based on the combination of isoindigo as the electron‐deficient acceptor and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene as the electron‐rich donor, followed by CH‐arylation with different acceptors (4,7‐dibromo[c][1,2,5]‐(oxa, thia, and/or selena)diazole ( 4a‐c )). These polymers were used as donor materials for photovoltaic applications. All of the polymers are highly stable and show good solubility in chlorinated solvents. The highest power conversion efficiency of 1.6% was achieved in the bulk heterojunction photovoltaic device that consisted of poly ((E)?6‐(7‐(benzo‐[c][1,2,5]‐thiadiazol‐4‐yl)?2,3‐dihydrothieno‐[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐5‐yl)?6′‐(2,3‐dihydrothieno‐[3,4‐b][1,4]‐dioxin‐5‐yl)?1,1′‐bis‐(2‐octyldodecyl)‐[3,3′‐biindolinylidene]‐2,2′‐dione) as the donor and PC₆₁BM as the acceptor, with a short‐circuit current density (J_sc) of 8.10 mA/cm², an open circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.56 V and a fill factor of 35%, which indicates that these polymers are promising donors for polymer solar cell applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2926–2933     

The reaction of 3,4‐diamino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazoles with formaldehyde

The compounds 5,6‐dihydro‐4H‐imidazo[4,5‐c][1,2,5]oxadiazole ( 3a , R?H), 4,6,10,12‐tetramethyl‐5,6,11,12‐tetrahydro‐4H,10H‐bis(1,2,5)oxadiazolo[3,4‐d:3′,4′‐I][1,3,6,8]tetraazecine ( 4b , R?CH₃), N³,N³′‐methylenebis‐3,4‐diamino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole ( 5a , R?H) and N³,N³′‐methylenebis(N,N′‐dimethyl‐3,4‐diamino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazolee) ( 5b , R?CH₃) were synthesized from the reaction of formaldehyde with 3,4‐diamino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole and N,N′‐3,4‐dimethylamino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole in an acetonitrile.     

Three AgI,CuI and CdII coordination polymers based on the new asymmetrical ligand 2‐{4‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]phenyl}‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole: syntheses,characterization and emission properties

The new asymmetrical organic ligand 2‐{4‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]phenyl}‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole ( L , C₁₇H₁₃N₅O), containing pyridine and imidazole terminal groups, as well as potential oxdiazole coordination sites, was designed and synthesized. The coordination chemistry of L with soft Ag^I, Cu^I and Cd^II metal ions was investigated and three new coordination polymers (CPs), namely, catena‐poly[[silver(I)‐μ‐2‐{4‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]phenyl}‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole] hexafluoridophosphate], {[Ag( L )]PF₆}_n, catena‐poly[[copper(I)‐di‐μ‐iodido‐copper(I)‐bis(μ‐2‐{4‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]phenyl}‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole)] 1,4‐dioxane monosolvate], {[Cu₂I₂( L )₂]·C₄H₈O₂}_n, and catena‐poly[[[dinitratocopper(II)]‐bis(μ‐2‐{4‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]phenyl}‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole)]–methanol–water (1/1/0.65)], {[Cd( L )₂(NO₃)₂]·2CH₄O·0.65H₂O}_n, were obtained. The experimental results show that ligand L coordinates easily with linear Ag^I, tetrahedral Cu^I and octahedral Cd^II metal atoms to form one‐dimensional polymeric structures. The intermediate oxadiazole ring does not participate in the coordination interactions with the metal ions. In all three CPs, weak π–π interactions between the nearly coplanar pyridine, oxadiazole and benzene rings play an important role in the packing of the polymeric chains.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic performances of benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b']dithiophene‐alt‐2,3‐diphenylquinoxaline copolymers pending functional groups in phenyl rings

Two donor/acceptor (D/A)‐based benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene‐alt‐2,3‐biphenyl quinoxaline copolymers of P 1 and P 2 were synthesized pending different functional groups (thiophene or triphenylamine) in the 4‐positions of phenyl rings. Their thermal, photophysical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties, as well as morphology of their blending films were investigated. The poly(4,8‐bis((2‐ethyl‐hexyl)oxy)benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b'] dithiophene)‐alt‐(2,3‐bis(4′‐bis(N,N‐bis(4‐(octyloxy) phenylamino)‐ 1,1′‐biphen‐4‐yl)quinoxaline) ( P 2) exhibited better photovoltaic performance than poly(4,8‐bis((2‐ethylhexyl)oxy)benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b'] dithiophene)‐alt‐(2,3‐bis(4‐(5‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)phenyl)quinoxaline) ( P 1) in the bulk‐heterojunction polymer solar cells with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymers: [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM)/LiF/Al. A power conversion efficiency of 3.43%, an open‐circuit voltage of 0.80 V, and a short‐circuit current of 9.20 mA cm^?2 were achieved in the P 2‐based cell under the illumination of AM 1.5, 100 mW cm^?2. Importantly, this power conversion efficiency level is 2.29 times higher than that in the P 1‐based cell. Our work indicated that incorporating triphenylamine pendant in the D/A‐based polymers can greatly improved the photovoltaic properties for its resulting polymers.     

Parameters influencing the molecular weight of 3,6‐carbazole‐based D‐π‐A‐type copolymers

Condensation copolymerization reactions of carbazole 3,6‐diboronate with 4,7‐bis(5‐bromo‐2‐thienyl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (DTBT) only produce low‐molecular‐weight donor (D)‐π‐acceptor (A) copolymers. High‐molecular‐weight copolymers for use in optoelectronic devices are necessary for achieving extended π‐conjugation and for controlling the copolymer processibility. To elucidate the cause of the persistently low molecular weight, we synthesized three 3,6‐carbazole‐based D‐A copolymers using copolymerizations of N‐9′‐heptadecanyl‐3,6‐carbazole with DTBT, N‐9′{2‐[2‐(2‐methoxy‐ethoxy)‐ethoxy]‐ethyl}‐3,‐6‐carbazole with DTBT, and N‐9′‐heptadecanyl‐3,6‐carbazole with alkyl‐substituted DTBT. We investigated several parameters for their influence on molecular copolymer weight, including the conformation of the chain during growth, the solubility of the monomers, and the dihedral angles between the donor and acceptor units. Size exclusion chromatography, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, and computational studies revealed that the low molecular weights of 3,6‐carbazole‐based D‐A copolymers resulted from conjugation breaks and the resulting high coplanarity, which led to strong interactions between polymer chains. These interactions limited formation of high‐molecular‐weight‐copolymers during copolymerization. The strong intermolecular interactions of the 3,6‐carbazole moiety were exploited by incorporating 3,6‐carbazole units into poly[9′,9′‐dioctyl‐2,7‐flourene‐alt‐5,5‐(4′,7′‐di‐2‐thienyl‐2′,1′,3′‐benzothiadiazole)] prepared from 9′,9′‐dioctyl‐2,7‐flourene and DTBT. Interestingly, the number average molecular weight increased gradually with increasing 2,7‐fluorene monomer content but the number of conjugation breaks was a range of 6–7. The hole mobilities of the copolymers were studied for comparison purposes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Benzooxadiazaole‐based D–A–D co‐oligomers: Synthesis and electropolymerization

Four D–A–D type co‐oligomers have been synthesized by Stille condensation between monostannyl derivatives of furan/thiophene/selenophene/3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 4,7‐dibromo‐benzo[1,2,5]oxadiazole. All these co‐oligomers were successfully electrochemically polymerized in dichloromethane and characterized by spectroelectrochemistry. All four polymers possess narrow optical band gap. Spectroelectrochemical studies of polymer films on indium tin oxide revealed that the replacement of donor EDOT with furan/thiophene/selenophene has affected the low‐energy charge‐carrier (bipolaron) formation significantly. Kinetic studies based on chronoamperometry show that the polymer P5 (EDOT‐capped benzo[1,2,5]oxadiazole system) possess better electrochromic property with high transmittance (66%) in visible region than the other copolymers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Analysis of diverse direct arylation polymerization (DArP) conditions toward the efficient synthesis of polymers converging with stille polymers in organic solar cells

Despite the emergence of direct arylation polymerization (DArP) as an alternative method to traditional cross‐coupling routes like Stille polymerization, the exploration of DArP polymers in practical applications like polymer solar cells (PSCs) is limited. DArP polymers tend to have a reputation for being marginally inferior to Stille counterparts due to the increased presence of defects that result from unwanted side reactions in direct arylation, such as unselective C‐H bond activation and homocoupling. We report ten DArP protocols across the three major classes of DArP to generate poly[(2,5‐bis(2‐hexyldecyloxy)phenylene)‐alt‐(4,7‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole)] (PPDTBT). Through evaluation of the method and resulting photophysical and electronic properties, we show not all DArP methods are suitable for generating device‐quality alternating copolymers. When DArP PPDTBT was synthesized in superheated THF with Cs₂CO₃, neodecanoic acid, and P(o‐anisyl)₃, it generated polymers of exceptional quality that performed comparably to Stille counterparts in both roll coated ITO‐free and spin‐coated ITO devices. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2907–2918     

Variable‐Temperature Resonance Raman Studies to Probe Interchain Ordering for Semiconducting Conjugated Polymers with Different Chain Curvature

The morphology and crystallinity of the polymers used to fabricate bulk heterojuction (BHJ) solar cells significantly influences the efficiency of the cells. We have used variable‐temperature (VT) spectroscopy techniques, namely VT emission and VT resonance Raman spectroscopy (VT‐RRS), to examine how the backbone linearity of a conducting polymer affects its electronic response to temperature and variations in solution behavior. We have studied two types of donor–acceptor polymers used in BHJ cells with differing backbone structures; they are poly‐{5,6‐bis(tetradecyloxy)‐4‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c]‐1,2,5‐thiadiazole} (PTBT) which has a curved backbone and poly‐{5,6‐bis(tetradecyloxy)‐4‐(thieno[3,2‐b]‐thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c]‐1,2,5‐thiadiazole} (PTTBT) which has a linear chain structure. Time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) calculations and resonance Raman spectra (RRS) of PTTBT revealed the presence of three electronic transitions, with character that varies between π to π*, mixed π to π*/charge transfer and pure charge transfer in nature. Emission spectra of PTTBT showed spectral changes at 650 and 710 nm with varied temperature (?10 to 60 °C). Variable‐temperature RRS was measured in resonance with the lowest and highest energy electronic transitions. The changes were interpreted using two‐dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) analysis. PTTBT showed gradual shifts to lower wavenumbers of modes at around 1425, 1450 and 1500 cm^?1. For PTBT larger and more rapid spectral changes are observed at 1440 and 1460 cm^?1 consistent with greater variation in the electronic nature upon heating. Further study into the influence of polymer linearity on crystallinity and long range order was carried out using low‐frequency Raman (LFR) to examine drop cast films under a variety of different conditions. LFR spectra showed that PTTBT has a band at 73 cm^?1. This is observed under a variety of film‐forming conditions. PTBT does not show distinct low frequency modes, consistent with its low crystallinity.     

Synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic properties of a low-bandgap copolymer based on 2,1,3-benzooxadiazole

PBDTBO, a conjugated polymer comprising benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) and 5,6-bis(octyloxy)benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole (BO) units, exhibits a deep HOMO energy level of -5.27 eV and excellent solubility. A device incorporating PBDTBO and [6,6]-phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (1:1, w/w) exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 5.7%.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 4,4′‐(Methylenediimino)bis‐1,2,5‐Oxadiazole‐3‐carboxylic Acid and Carboxamide

4,4′‐(Methylenediimino)bis‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxylic acid and 4,4′‐(methylenediimino)bis‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxamide have been synthesized by the acid‐catalyzed condensation of 4‐amino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxylic acid and 4‐amino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxamide with formaldehyde. The crystal and molecular structures of the compounds have been determined by X‐ray crystallography. 4,4′‐(Methylenediimino)bis‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxylic acid crystallizes in space group C2/c, and its measured density is 1.800 g/mL, significantly above the calculated value of 1.68 g/mL. 4,4′‐(Methylenediimino)bis‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxamide crystallizes in space group P2₁/c, and its measured density is 1.623 g/mL, in close agreement with the calculated value of 1.64 g/mL. The structure of the starting amide 4‐amino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazole‐3‐carboxamide has also been determined. These data, combined with literature data, suggest that ortho‐aminocarboxylic acids have unusually high densities, but the reasons for this are unclear.     

Synthesis and electrochromic properties of triphenylamine containing copolymers: Effect of π‐bridge on electrochemical properties

In this study, a series of benzotriazole (BTz) and triphenylamine (TPA)‐based random copolymers; poly4‐(5‐(2‐dodecyl‐7‐methyl‐2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol‐4‐yl)thiophen‐2‐yl)‐N‐(4‐(5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)phenyl)‐N‐phenylaniline ( P1 ), poly4′‐(2‐dodecyl‐7‐methyl‐2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol‐4‐yl)‐N‐(4′‐methyl‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)‐N‐phenyl‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐amine ( P2 ), and poly4‐(5′‐(2‐dodecyl‐7‐(5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)?2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol‐4‐yl)‐[2,2′‐bithiophen]‐5‐yl)‐N‐(4‐(5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)phenyl)‐N‐phenylaniline ( P3 ) were synthesized to investigate the effect of TPA unit and π‐bridges on electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties of corresponding polymers. The synthesis was carried out via Stille coupling for P1 , P3 , and Suzuki coupling for P2 . Electrochemical and spectral results showed that P1 has an ambipolar character, in other words it is both p‐type and n‐type dopable, whereas P2 and P3 have only p‐doping property. Effect of different π‐bridges and TPA unit on the HOMO and LUMO energy levels, switching time, and optical contrast were discussed. All polymers are promising materials for electrochromic devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 537–544     

Synthesis,properties, and field effect transistor characteristics of new thiophene‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline‐thiophene‐based conjugated polymers

Four new conjugated copolymers based on the moiety of bis(4‐hexylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐6,7‐diheptyl‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline (BTHTQ) were synthesized and characterized, including poly(6,7‐diheptyl‐4,9‐bis(4‐hexylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline) (PBTHTQ), poly‐(6,7‐diheptyl‐4,9‐bis(4‐hexylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo‐[3,4‐g]quinoxaline‐alt‐2,5‐thiophene) (PTTHTQ), poly(6,7‐diheptyl‐4,9‐bis(4‐hexylthiophen‐2‐yl) [1,2,5]‐thiadiazolo‐[3,4‐g]quinoxaline‐alt‐9,9‐dioctyl‐2,7‐fluore‐ne) (PFBTHTQ), and poly(6,7‐diheptyl‐4,9‐bis(4‐hexylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐g]quinoxaline‐alt‐1,4‐bis(decyloxy)phenylene) (PPBTHTQ). The λ_max of PBTHTQ, PTTHTQ, PFBTHTQ, and PPBTHTP thin films was shown at 780, 876, 734, and 710 nm, respectively, with the corresponding optical band gaps (E) of 1.31, 1.05, 1.40, and 1.43 eV. The relatively small band gaps of the synthesized polymers suggested the significance of intramolecular charge transfer between the donor and TQ moiety. The estimated hole mobilities of PBTHTQ, PTTHTQ, and PFBTHTQ‐based field effect transistor devices using CHCl₃ solvent were 8.5 × 10^?5, 8.5 × 10^?4, and 2.8 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1, respectively, but significantly enhanced to 1.6 × 10^?4, 3.8 × 10^?3, and 1.5 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1 using high boiling point solvent of chlorobenzene (CB). The higher hole mobility of PTTHTQ than the other two copolymers was attributed from its smaller band gap or ordered morphology [wormlike (chloroform) or needle‐like (CB)]. The characteristics of small band gap and high mobility suggest the potential applications of the BTHTQ‐based conjugated copolymers in electronic and optoelectronic devices. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6305–6316, 2008     

Synthesis and Photovoltaic Properties of Thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione‐based donor–acceptor Copolymers

Three donor–acceptor (D–A) 1,3‐di(thien‐2‐yl)thieno [3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione‐based copolymers, poly{9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐1,3‐bis(4‐hexylthien‐2‐yl)‐5‐octylthieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione}, poly{N‐(1‐octylnonyl)carbazole‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐1,3‐bis(4‐hexylthien‐2‐yl)‐5‐octylthieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione}, and poly {4,8‐bis(2‐ethylhexyloxyl) benzo[1,2‐b:3,4‐b′]dithiophene‐alt‐1,3‐bis(4‐hexylthien‐2‐yl)‐5‐octylthieno[3,4‐c] pyrrole‐4,6‐dione} were synthesized by Suzuki or Stille coupling reaction. By changing the donor segment, the bandgaps and energy levels of these copolymers could be finely tuned. Cyclic voltammetric study shows that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of the three copolymers are deep‐lying, which implies that these copolymers have good stability in the air and the relatively low HOMO energy level assures a higher open‐circuit potential when they are used in photovoltaic cells. Bulk‐heterojunction photovoltaic cells were fabricated with these polymers as the donors and PC₇₁BM as the acceptor. The cells based on the three copolymers exhibited power conversion efficiencies of 0.22, 0.74, and 3.11% with large open‐circuit potential of 1.01, 0.99, and 0.90 V under one sun of AM 1.5 solar simulator illumination (100 mW/cm²). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Novel Donor–Acceptor Polymer Containing 4,7‐Bis(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole for Polymer Solar Cells with Power Conversion Efficiency of 6.21%

In order to improve the solution processability of 4,7‐bis(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (DTBT)‐based polymers, novel donor–acceptor polymer PTOBDTDTBT containing DTBT and benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BDT) with conjugated side chain is designed and synthesized with narrow band gap 1.67 eV and low lying HOMO energy level −5.4 eV. The blend film of PTOBDTDTBT and PC₇₁BM exhibits uniform and smooth film with root‐mean‐square (RMS) surface roughness 1.15 nm because of the excellent solubility of PTOBDTDTBT when six octyloxy side chains are introduced. The hole mobility of the blend film is measured to be 4.4 × 10⁻⁵ cm² V⁻¹s⁻¹ by the space‐charge‐limited current (SCLC) model. The optimized polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on PTOBDTDTBT /PC₇₁BM exhibits an improved PCE of 6.21% with V_oc = 0.80 V, J_sc = 11.94 mA cm⁻² and FF = 65.10%, one of the highest PCE in DTBT containing polymers.

     

Conjugated Polymers Via Direct Arylation Polymerization in Continuous Flow: Minimizing the Cost and Batch‐to‐Batch Variations for High‐Throughput Energy Conversion

Continuous flow methods are utilized in conjunction with direct arylation polymerization (DArP) for the scaled synthesis of the roll‐to‐roll compatible polymer, poly[(2,5‐bis(2‐hexyldecyloxy)phenylene)‐alt‐(4,7‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole)] (PPDTBT). PPDTBT is based on simple, inexpensive, and scalable monomers using thienyl‐flanked benzothiadiazole as the acceptor, which is the first β‐unprotected substrate to be used in continuous flow via DArP, enabling critical evaluation of the suitability of this emerging synthetic method for minimizing defects and for the scaled synthesis of high‐performance materials. To demonstrate the usefulness of the method, DArP‐prepared PPDTBT via continuous flow synthesis is employed for the preparation of indium tin oxide (ITO)‐free and flexible roll‐coated solar cells to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 3.5% for 1 cm² devices, which is comparable to the performance of PPDTBT polymerized through Stille cross coupling. These efforts demonstrate the distinct advantages of the continuous flow protocol with DArP avoiding use of toxic tin chemicals, reducing the associated costs of polymer upscaling, and minimizing batch‐to‐batch variations for high‐quality material.