Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescent properties of new platinum-containing poly(fluorenyleneethynylene) anchored with carbazole pendants

A new luminescent and thermally stable platinum(II) polyyne polymer trans-[Pt(PBu₃)₂C≡CArC≡C-]_n (P1) containing the 2,7-fluorene chromophoric spacer substituted by pendant carbazolyl group via long alkyl bridges. The regiochemical structures of these compounds were studied by various spectroscopic analyses. We report the photophysical properties of this group 10 polymetallayne and a comparison was made to its binuclear model complex trans-[Pt(Ph)(PEt₃) ₂C≡CArC≡CPt(Ph)(PEt₃)₂] (M1) as well as to those with non-carbazole-containing fluorene spacer (P2 and M2). Upon photoexcitation, each of P1 and M1 emits an intense purple-blue fluorescence emission in the near-UV to visible region in dilute fluid solutions at room temperature. Harvesting of organic triplet emissions harnessed through the strong heavy-atom effects of platinum metal was examined and at 77 K, each of the metalated compounds displayed dual emission bands, viz. both the fluorescence and the lower-lying phosphorescence. Spectroscopic results revealed that the formation of excimers was suppressed by introducing carbazole side groups. The spatial extent of the lowest singlet and triplet excitons in P1 and M1 was fully elucidated. Such organometallic poly(fluorenyleneethynylene)s anchored with the carbazole pendants was found to have an improved thermal stability and suppressed aggregation.