Poly(dialkyl fluorene)s have been extensively investigated for use in polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) applications due to their blue emission, chemical and thermal stability, and efficient photoluminescence.  One drawback of poly(fluorene)s is exhibition of a broad green emission band, attributed to aggregation and/or ketone defects.  Cross-linking of poly(fluorene) films has been shown to stabilize emission due to polymer chains being �locked� into position as well as to enable multi-layer solution-processable electronic polymer devices.  Despite its recent surge in popularity, thiol-ene click chemistry has not been extended to the cross-linking of conjugated polymers.  In this work, we investigate the thiol-ene reaction for cross-linking poly(fluorene) due to its low curing temperatures and quick processing time.  Photo-chemically cured thin films of styrene-functionalized poly(fluorene) via thiol-ene reaction were observed to form networks rapidly and retain their blue color even after high-temperature annealing.  Finally, patterned films and multilayer PLEDs were fabricated via the thiol-ene route.

Thiol-ene cross-linking of poly(fluorene) films with enhanced color stability

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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