π-Conjugated Donor and Donor-Acceptor Metallo-Polymers

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. 2010-05, Vol.31 (9-10), p.868-874
• Main Authors: Wild, Andreas, Schlütter, Florian, Pavlov, Georges M., Friebe, Christian, Festag, Grit, Winter, Andreas, Hager, Martin D., Cimrová, Vera, Schubert, Ulrich S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: analytical ultracentrifugation; conducting polymers; metallo-polymers; solar cells; supramolecular structures
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200900889

Two zinc(II)‐ and two ruthenium(II) containing π‐conjugated metallo‐polymers were synthesized and characterized in detail. We could prove by SEC, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and viscosimetry the ruthenium(II) metallo‐polymers to be high molar mass materials (Mfs = 20 000 g · mol−1 Ru1‐2; Mfs = 34 000 g · mol−1 Ru1) exhibiting intrinsic viscosities of up to [η] = 192 · cm3 · g−1. Applying spin‐coating we produced homogeneous films of the polymers and could, subsequently, investigate the photophysical properties in the solid state. Introducing the Ru(II) metallo‐polymers mixed with PCBM[60] as photoactive layer in bulk‐heterojunction solar cells resulted in very low efficiencies due to morphology problems. The reaction of donor and/or acceptor containing π‐conjugated bisterpyridines with zinc(II) and ruthenium(II) ions results in a series of metallo homo and copolymers. The characterization using SEC, analytical AUC, and viscosimetry prove the ruthenium(II) metallo‐polymers to be high molar mass materials (Mfs = 20 000 g · mol−1, $\overline{M_{\rm n,SEC}}$ = 38 000 g · mol−1 Ru1‐2; Mfs = 34 000 g · mol−1, $\overline{M _{\rm n,SEC}}$ = 88 000 g · mol−1 Ru1) exhibiting intrinsic viscosities of up to [η] = 192 cm3 · g−1.