Conjugated Polymer Network Films of Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) with Hole-Transporting Carbazole Pendants: Dual Photoluminescence and Electrochromic Behavior

A series of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) copolymers functionalized with hole-transport and electrochemically active carbazole units as pendant moieties is reported. These polymers exhibit photoluminescence properties by virtue of the PPV analogous backbone. They were also designed as precursor polymer bearing the electroactive carbazole group to form conjugated polymer network (CPN) films by electrodeposition. The electrochemical polymerization of the pendant units eventually lead to a dual property electro-optically active thin film  photoluminescence (PL) behavior that can be attenuated with CPN formation, and a reversible doping and dedoping processes at controlled potentials that lead to an electrochromic behavior. This reveals the ability to incorporate complementary optical and electro-optical properties within the same film using the CPN approach. It should be possible to design and synthesize other PPV π-conjugated polymers with efficient pendant hole-transport groups exhibiting tunable PL and electrochromism with cross-linking.