Synthesis and voltage-controlled multicolor electroluminescent property of copolyfluorenes containing a pendent anthraquinone-2,3-dicarboxylic imide

A new series of four fluorene-thiophene copolymers, PF-co-2%TAQI, PF-co-5%TAQI, PF-co-10%TAQI and PF-co-15%TAQI, were synthesized by the Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization of 9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-dibromofluorene and N-butyl 6-3-(2,5-dibromothienyl)]anthraquinone-2,3-dicarboxylic imide. The polymers have good solubility in common organic solvents and can form thin films by spin coating or casting. The UV–vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectra for the copolymers in dilute solution are similar to those of polyfluorene, i.e. maximum absorption at 381 nm and 417 nm and PL at 439 nm. The UV–vis spectra of the polymer films also exhibit a single peak at 378 nm, while an extra emission peak was found at 612 nm, 618 nm, 628 nm and 626 nm for PF-co-2%TAQI, PF-co-5%TAQI, PF-co-10%TAQI and PF-co-15%TAQI, respectively, presumably resulting from the excimer of anthraquinone imide groups. The electroluminescent properties of the copolymers were investigated using single-layer (ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/LiF/Al) and double-layer (ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/TPBi/LiF/Al) (TPBi, 1,3,5-Tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)benzene) LED devices. The double-layer devices based on copolymers emit multicolors under different voltages. The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of PF-co-2%TAQI are (0.356, 0.249), (0.285, 0.210), (0.264, 0.277) and (0.240, 0.250) under 12 V, 14 V, 16 V and 18 V, respectively.