Synthesis of poly[(4,4′-(dihexyl)dithieno( 3,2-b;2′,3′-d)-silole)] and copolymerization with 3-hexylthiophene: new semiconducting materials with extended optical absorption

The synthesis of poly[(4,4'-(dihexyl)dithieno(3,2-b;2',3'-d)silole)] has been carried out through Kumada catalyst transfer polycondensation and its copolymerization with 3-hexylthiophene (3HT) leads to well-defined diblock copolymers in terms of molecular characteristics. These copolymers show a wider absorption window than P3HT, which is of potential interest for photovoltaic applications.