Metallo-homopolymer and metallo-copolymers containing light-emitting poly(fluorene/ethynylene/(terpyridyl)zinc(II)) backbones and 1,3,4-oxadiazole (OXD) pendants

A series of novel metallo-polymers containing light-emitting poly(fluorene/ethynylene/(terpyridyl)zinc(II)) backbones and electron-transporting 1,3,4-oxadiazole (OXD) pendants (attached to the C-9 position of fluorene by long alkyl spacers) were synthesized by self-assembled reactions. The integrated ratios of 1H NMR spectra reveal a facile result to distinguish the well-defined main-chain metallo-polymeric structures which were constructed by different monomer ligand systems (i.e. single, double, and triple monomer ligands with various pendants). Furthermore, UV-vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectral titration experiments were carried out to verify the metallo-polymeric structures by varying the molar ratios of zinc(II) ions to monomers. As a result, the enhancement of thermal stability (Td) and quantum yields were introduced by the metallo-polymerization, and their physical properties were mainly affected by the nature of the pendants. The photophysical properties of these metallo-polymers exhibited blue PL emissions (around 418 nm) with quantum yields of 34-53% (in DMF). In contrast to metallo-polymers containing alkyl pendants, the quantum yields were greatly enhanced by introducing 1,3,4-OXD pendants but reduced by carbazole (CAZ) pendants. Moreover, electroluminescent (EL) devices with these light-emitting metallo-polymers as emitters showed green EL emissions (around 550 nm) with turn-on voltages of 6.0-6.5 V, maximum efficiencies of 1.05-1.35 cd A−1 (at 100 mA/cm−2), and maximum luminances of 2313-3550 cd/m2 (around 15 V), respectively.