Synthesis and Characterization of a Conjugated Copolymer of Poly(phenylenevinylene) Containing a Metalloporphyrin Incorporated into the Polymer Backbone

A chlorine precursor copolymer was synthesized from the monomers 1,4-bis(chloromethyl)-2,5-(dihexyloxy)benzene and the metal complexes [5,15-bis(mesityl)-10,20-bis(4-(chloromethyl)phenyl)porphyrin] in different ratios with potassium tert -butoxide. The precursor copolymers were readily soluble in common organic solvents and were characterized by NMR, IR, UV−vis, elemental analysis, and TGA. A relatively high molecular weight of the precursor copolymer was determined by GPC with a polydispersity of about ∼3. The arylenevinylene copolymer film was formed by thermal conversion and demonstrated higher thermal stability as compared to typical poly(phenylenevinylene)-type polymers. Doping of undrawn films of the copolymer with iodine vapor led to conductivities as high as 2 S cm -1 .