Optical absorption and emission of fully conjugated heterocyclic aromatic rigid-rod polyelectrolytes containing sulfonated pendants

Fully conjugated and rodlike poly[(1,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d′]diimidazole-2,6-diyl)-2-(2-sulfo)-p-phenylene] (sPBI) was synthesized and fabricated for monolayer light emitting diodes showing a threshold voltage of 4.5 V and an emission λmax of 530 nm. Intractable sPBI was derivatized for a fully conjugated water soluble rigid-rod polyelectrolyte sPBI-PS(Li+) which was doped with LiCF3SO3 or LiN(CF3SO2)2 for optical absorption, electrical conductivity, and luminescent emission. sPBI-PS(Li+) light emitting electrochemical cells doped with 0.41 and 1.01 wt % of LiN(CF3SO2)2 showed a threshold voltage of 2.8 V and a tenfold increase in electroluminescence intensity (at λmax=514 nm) which did not increase with its conductivity.