Preparation of a germole-containing pi-conjugated polymer by the Te-Li exchange reaction of a tellurophene-containing polymer

The synthesis and optoelectronic functions of a germole-containing -conjugated polymer prepared by the reaction of a lithiated polymer precursor are described. A regioregular organometallic polymer having 1,4-dilithio-1,3-butadiene and 9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl units was generated by the reaction of a tellurophene-containing polymer having a number-average molecular weight (M-n) and molecular weight distribution (M-w/M-n) of 5900 and 1.9, respectively, with n-butyllithium (2.4 equiv) at -78 to -60 degrees C for 3h. The prepared lithiated polymer was reacted with dimethylgermanium dichloride (1.5equiv) at -60 degrees C to ambient temperature for 12h in tetrahydrofuran to produce a -conjugated polymer possessing 1,1-dimethylgermole-2,5-diyl units in 76% yield (M-n=4400 and M-w/M-n=1.7). The absorption maximum and onset of the obtained polymer were observed at 465 and 535nm, respectively, in the UV-vis spectrum, from which the optical band gap of the polymer was estimated to be 2.31eV. In the photoluminescence spectrum, the obtained polymer exhibits green fluorescence with an emission maximum of 547nm and a quantum yield of 0.04. The chemical interaction of the dimethylgermole-containing -conjugated polymer with fluoride was also examined in terms of the changes observed in the UV-vis absorption spectra. Organic electronics: Adding germanium into the mix A method for synthesizing a unique polymer with great potential for optoelectronic applications has been developed by researchers in Japan. Flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices are made possible by polymer materials that emit light when an electrical current is passed through them. Previous theoretical calculations have indicated that incorporating a molecular ring with a germanium atom, known as a germole, into a polymer can help optimize its electronic and optical properties. However, such a material has proven difficult to synthesize and characterize. Ikuyoshi Tomita and colleagues from the Tokyo Institute of Technology established a synthetic route for producing a germole-containing polymer. The team showed that their material luminesced in the green part of the visible spectrum, indicating its potential for organic light-emitting diodes and organic solar cells. A germole-containing pi -conjugated polymer is prepared from the corresponding tellurophene-containing polymer by its Te-Li exchange reaction using n-butyllithium followed by the reaction with dimethylgermanium dichloride. The low-lying LUMO energy level of the germole-containing pi -conjugated polymer is also described.