Synthesis and characterization of a new ethynyl‐linked alternating anthracene/fluorene copolymer for organic thin film transistor

A new p‐type conjugated copolymer, poly(9,10‐diethynylanthracene‐alt‐9,9‐didodecylfluorene) (PDADF), which is composed of ethynyl‐linked alternating anthracene/fluorene, is synthesized via a palladium(II)‐catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction with 9,10‐diethynylanthracene and 2,7‐diiodo‐9,9‐didodecyl‐fluorene. The obtained polymer is confirmed by FTIR, 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR and elemental analysis. The PDADF had very good solubility in organic solvents such as chloroform and had a weight average molecular weight of 29,300 with a polydispersity index of 1.29. The PL maximum of the polymer was found at 533 and 568 nm for a solution and 608 nm for film, respectively. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy of the polymer is −5.62 eV as measured via cyclic voltammetry (CV). A solution‐processed thin film transistor device showed a carrier mobility value of 6.0 × 10−4 cm2/Vs with a threshold voltage of −17 V and a capacitance (Ci) of 10 nF/cm2. The out‐of‐plane and in‐plane GIXD pattern of spin‐coated polymer on SiO2 dielectric surfaces showed an amorphous halo near 2θ = 20°.