Chemical insertion of anthracene moiety into the backbone of a newly synthesized oligophenylene (OMPA): effect on the photo-physical properties

The newly synthesized oligo[4-(methoxyphenyl) acetonitrile] (OMPA) was chemically modified by Knoevenagel condensation of OMPA oligomer with 9-anthraldehyde. The obtained oligomer is named OMPA-ANTH. Vibrational, optical, and thermodynamic properties of OMPA-ANTH oligomer were investigated using FT-IR, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The chemical insertion of the anthracene group into the OMPA backbone induces a decrease of the optical bandgap and the energy gap (E-g = E-HOMO-E-LUMO) with significant modification in their observed optical properties. The decay of modified OMPA (OMPA-ANTH) in solution or condensed state is slower than that of pure OMPA, showing a change of the photo-generated species with longer lifetime upon chemical modification.

Automated summary

The OMPA oligomer was chemically modified by Knoevenagel condensation with 9-anthraldehyde to form OMPA-ANTH, leading to significant changes in its optical and thermodynamic properties. The insertion of the anthracene group resulted in a decrease in the optical bandgap and energy gap, with the photo-generated species showing a longer lifetime upon chemical modification.