New luminescent polymers for LEDS and LEGS

Statistical copolymers 5 containing poly(2-dimethyloctylsilyl-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (DMOS-PPV) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) have been synthesized using the dehydrohalogenation condensation route. The copolymers show a shift of photoluminescence maxima to longer wavelengths as the proportion of the MEH-PV unit increases. This trend is accompanied by reduced efficiencies and lower turn-on voltages in single layer electroluminescent devices. Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) have been prepared using a blend of DMOS-PPV 1 with poly(ethylene oxide)/lithium triflate. and the homopolymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(triethoxymethoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MTEM-PPV) 9 with lithium triflate. In comparison with single-layer devices which were fabricated using the homopolymers 1 and poly[2,5-bis(triethoxymethoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (BTEM-PPV) 10, the LEC devices showed lower turn-on voltages.