New Polyelectrolytes Based on Lateral Boryl-Substitution: Synthesis, Photophysical Characterization and Application in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

• Applicant: Dr. Mark Elbing
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2008 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 82476283

Research into Organic Light-Emitting Diodes has been growing steadily in recent years mainly due to the potential of easy processability, flexible device architectures, and low-production costs. Although new displays utilizing the concept of organic electronics have already entered the consumer market, device performance and stability need improvement. In particular, chemical tailoring of new materials to realize efficient electron transport and to reduce barriers for electron injection at the interfaces between the organic layer and the electrodes promises future progress. Conjugated polyelectrolytes, i.e., polymers with π-delocalized organic frameworks and ionic functionalities, have only recently been targeted as a new class of such electron transport/ electron injection layers.Within the proposed project a new type of conjugated polyelectrolyte based on lateral borylsubstitution will be synthesized. Nucleophilic attack on three-coordinate boron-centers provides an easy, new entry to conjugated polyelectrolytes and potentially a handle to fine-tune electron injection and emissive properties providing a multi-functional material. Following the synthesis the photophysical properties and the function of the new polyelectrolytes in electronic devices will be studied. For this purpose the proposer will learn the techniques of device fabrication and characterization. These investigations are of great interest to further evaluate the potential of conjugated polyelectrolytes in device applications.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Guillermo C. Bazan