The synthesis of new organic copolymers for applications as light-emitting diodes

Organic polymers such as poly[p-phenylene vinylene] and polythiophenes have become attractive alternatives to semiconductors as visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One important design criterion is the ability to tune the emission frequency within the red, blue and green portions of the spectrum. Copolymers have now been synthesized which allow the conjugation length of the emitting segments to be tightly controlled. When this is coupled with various substituent effects, the emission can be fine-tuned within any given frequency range.