Organic optoelectronic polymers have evolved to the point where fine structural control of the conjugated main chain, coupled with solubilizing and property-modifying pendant substituents, provides an entirely new class of materials. Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) provide a unique set of properties, including water solubility and processability, main-chain-controlled exciton and charge transport, variable band gap light absorption and fluorescence, ionic interactions, and aggregation phenomena. These characteristics allow these materials to be considered for use in applications ranging from light-emitting diodes and electrochromic color-changing displays, to photovoltaic devices and photodetectors, along with chemical and biological sensors. This Review describes the evolution of CPE structures from simple polymers to complex materials, describes numerous photophysical aspects, including amplified quenching in macromolecules and aggregates, and illustrates how the physical and electronic properties lead to useful applications in devices.

A family of multi-heterocycle donor–acceptor–donor (DAD) telechelic conjugated oligomers designed for two-photon absorption (2PA) and emission in the near-infrared (near-IR) were prepared, and the relationship between their spectral, structural, and electrochemical properties were investigated. These oligomers, based on electron-rich thiophene, phenylene, and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) units as donors along with electron-deficient benzothiadiazole or its derivative units as acceptors, have been characterized through linear absorbance and fluorescence measurements, nonlinear absorbance, cyclic voltammetry, and differential pulse voltammetry to demonstrate the evolution of narrow HOMO–LUMO gaps ranging from 1.05 to 1.95 eV, with the oligomers composed of EDOT and benzo[1,2-c,3,4-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (BBT) exhibiting the narrowest gap. The absorption maxima ranges from 517 to 846 nm and the fluorescence maxima ranges from 651 to 1088 nm for the different oligomers. Z-scan and two-photon fluorescence were used to measure the frequency degenerate 2PA of the different oligomers. The oligomer’s 2PA cross sections ranged from 900–3500 GM, with the oligomer containing EDOT donor units and a BBT acceptor unit exhibiting the largest 2PA cross section. The use of these oligomers in red to near-IR emitting polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) was demonstrated by blending the soluble emitting oligomers into a suitable host matrix. Energy transfer from the matrix to the emitting oligomer can be achieved, resulting in PLEDs with pure oligomer emission.

Precursor carbazole terminated dendrons and dendrimers up to generation four (G4-D) were synthesized using a convergent approach. Sonication as a means of facilitating organic reactions in dendrimer chemistry was explored resulting in very facile and very fast (up to 50x) reaction times compared to those using traditional reflux conditions. The limits of peripheral group functionality were explored as a function of generation. The electrochemical cross-linking of the dendrimers as thin films revealed unusual cyclic voltammetry (CV) behavior depending upon the generations, which were significantly different from their linear counterpart, Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK). G1-D showed a higher extent of intermolecular cross-linking while G4-D showed a higher extent of intramolecular cross-linking. The formed films were optically clear and possess superior energy band gap properties making them an alternative candidate over PVK for future hole-transport layer materials in electro-optical devices.

Cationically and anionically charged hyperbranched conjugated polyelectrolytes (HB-CPEs) PNMe3 + and PSO3 - have been synthesized via the Heck coupling method using A3 + B2 type approach. Both HB-CPEs are highly fluorescent and soluble in polar organic solvents allowing processing to electrostatic adsorption. TiO2 hybrid solar cells have been fabricated with the HB-CPEs as sensitizers. The self-assembled bilayer HB-CPE films show higher overall efficiencies when compared to their respective monolayers

We report the synthesis and electropolymerization of a precursor polymer with a binary molecular composition of thiophene and carbazole electroactive groups to form ultrathin films of conjugated polymer networks (CPN) on flat indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. In the past we have demonstrated the precursor polymer approach based on a single pendant electroactive group. In this work, we describe the interesting electrocopolymerization mechanism and properties of precursor polymers prepared with two different types of pendant electroactive groups (statistical copolymer) and compared behavior to their respective homopolymers. The presence of a smaller amount of carbazole induces the electropolymerization of the higher oxidation potential thiophene units via the reaction of a radical cation and a neutral molecule pathway. These electrochemically generated thin films gave unique optical, electrochemical, and morphological properties as a function of composition. The film properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), spectroelectrochemistry, EQCM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

A comparative analysis of the copolymerization behavior between an electro-active terthiophene and a carbazole moiety of a conjugated polymer precursor was investigated using electrochemical and hyphenated electrochemical methods. Five different precursor polymers were first synthesized and characterized using NMR, IR, and GPC. The polymers include homopolymers of individual electro-active groups (P3T, P-CBZ) and different compositions of 25, 50, and 75% (P3TC-25, P3TC50, and P3TC-75) with respect to the two electro-active groups. Since the oxidation potentials of terthiophene and carbazole lie very close to each other, highly cross-linked copolymer films of varying extent were produced depending on the composition. The copolymerization extent was found to be dependent primarily on the amount of the terthiophene, which in this case provided for a more efficient carbazole polymerization and copolymerization than with just carbazole alone (homopolymer). The extent of copolymerization, electrochromic properties, and viscoelastic changes was quantitatively investigated using a number of hyphenated electrochemistry techniques: spectro-electrochemistry, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance studies (EC-QCM), and electrochemical surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (EC-SPR). Each technique revealed a unique aspect of the electrocopolymerization behavior that was used to define structure-property relationships and the deposition/copolymerization mechanism.

In this work, we describe the synthesis and electropolymerization of conjugated substituted polyacetylenes, poly(N-alkoxy-(p-ethynylphenyl)carbazole) or PPA-Cz-Cn with electropolymerizable carbazole side groups to form conjugated polymer network (CPN) films. The phenylacetylene monomer was functionalized with a carbazole group separated by an alkylene spacer. Polymerization of the monomer in solution is accomplished using a Rh catalyst to form a “precursor polymer”. The electrochemical behavior and cross-linking of the carbazole side group was then investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and spectroelectrochemistry. A trend in the redox electrochemical behavior was observed with varying alkyl spacer length between the poly(phenylacetylene) backbone and carbazole side-group. The resulting film combines the electrooptical properties of the conjugated poly(phenylacetylene) polymer with polycarbazole units in a cross-linked electropolymerized film as evidenced by the CV and spectroelectrochemical behavior. This study emphasizes the preparation of polymer materials with mixed π-conjugated species arising from the electrochemical cross-linking of a designed precursor polymer.

In this work, we report an electrochemical surface plasmon resonance/waveguide (EC-SPR/waveguide) glucose biosensor, which could detect enzymatic reactions in a conducting polymer/glucose oxidase (GOx) multilayer thin film. In order to achieve a controlled enzyme electrode and waveguide mode, GOx (negatively charged) was immobilized with a water-soluble conducting N-alkylaminated polypyrrole (positively charged) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic self-assembly technique. The electrochemical and optical signals were simultaneously obtained from the composite LbL enzyme electrode upon addition of glucose as mediated by the electroactivity and electrochromic property of the polypyrrole layers. The signal enhancement in the EC-SPR detection is obtained by monitoring the doping-dedoping events on the polypyrrole. The real time optical signal could be distinguished between the change in the dielectric constant of the enzyme layer and other non-enzymatic reaction events such as adsorption of glucose and change of refractive index of solution. This was possible by a correlation of both the SPR mode, m=0, and m=1 mode of the waveguide in an SPR/waveguide spectroscopy experiment.