Synthesis and photophysical properties of polyfluorenes bearing silicon‐based functional groups

Five polyfluorenes bearing bulky trimethylsilyl (PTMS1 and PTMS2), tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl (PTTMS1), and silsesquioxane groups (PPOSS1 and PPOSS2) were synthesized through palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions. In the solution state, every polymer showed comparable ultraviolet–visible spectra, and they emitted blue light with high quantum efficiency. In the solid state, however, three trimethylsilyl‐functionalized polyfluorenes indicated redshifts of the fluorescence peak. In particular, PTMS1 and PTTMS1, having a hydrogen at the C‐9 position of fluorene, also showed green‐light emissions. After the annealing of the spin‐coated films, the blue‐emissive peak decreased and the green‐emissive peak became stronger in the photoluminescence spectra of three trimethylsilyl‐functionalized polyfluorenes. In contrast, PPOSS2 showed a pure blue‐light emission in the film state and even after the thermal treatment, which could be accomplished by the encapsulation of the polymer chains by the large polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane molecule.