Semiconductive Conjugated Polymers

A review is given about the syntheses and electrical properties of conjugated poly(arylenevinylenes), poly(arylenebutadienylenes), poly‐(arylenepolyenylenes), polymeric cyanine dyes, polymeric azomethines, and polymeric azines. All these polymers are organic semiconductors and photoconductors. — Variations in chemical structure cause changes in the electrical conductivities: Electron donating substituents in aromatic units respectively heteroaromatic electron excess systems give rise to enhanced electrical conductivities whereas electron accepting substituents respectively heteroaromatic electron deficient systems effect in the opposite direction. Generally the nitrogen containing polymers have lower electrical conductivities. Surprisingly polymeric azomethines prepared from aromatic diamines with electron deficient systems respectively from aromatic diamines with electron accepting substituents have higher electrical conductivities than ordinary polymeric azomethines.