Producing patterns by changing the dopability of polymers is the approach presented here. The authors produced the image shown on an anthracene‐based polymer film by illumination of the film through a mask, which destroys the dopability and conductivity. Exposure of the film to iodine renders the rest of the film dark and more conductive by ten orders of magnitude.

Four poly(oxymethyleneanthrylene)s were prepared by polycondensation of 9,10‐diacetoxyanthracene (and a substituted analogue) with α,ω‐dibromoalkanes. Two model compounds were also synthesized by the same procedure. Although non‐conjugated the polymers could be doped with iodine. The redox reaction of doping was confirmed by the changes in the electronic and fluorescence spectra as well as by the appearance of paramagnetism and enhanced electrical conductivity. In comparison, the model compounds could not be doped. Doping with iodine occurs only when the polymers are in the solid state. This solid state polymer effect, reported also in previous publications, is explained by collective interactions of several anthracene units with the dopant.

No abstract