Excited state dynamics in π-conjugated polymers

Abstract

This contribution focuses on a survey of the most important advances in the photophysics of organic conjugated oligomers and polymers which occurred in the past year. We will focus particularly on the different contributions to the decay mechanisms, the relevance of the triplet state characterization and some relevant findings on water soluble derivatives of organic conjugated polymers. In section 1 we will cover an important issue related to the decay mechanisms in π-conjugated polymers. A topic in which we have been heavily engaged in recent years and that has also been addressed in our previous contributions to this series of special periodic reports in photochemistry. There has been a continuous effort to make use of the triplet states of conjugated polymers in various applications. In sections 2.1 and 2.2, we will highlight the most important contributions related to triplet states in conjugated polymers published in the last year, while in sections 3 and 4, we will present work on the applications of these in phosphorescent or white light emitting LEDs, and in photovoltaic systems, while in section 5 we discuss relevant aspects on the degradation of conjugated polymers. Finally, in section 6 we will present, in context, recent work and perspectives on a special class of organic conjugated polymers: water soluble systems, particularly conjugated polyelectrolytes.