Novel conjugated polymer poly(benzobisoxazole-2,6-diylvinylene): synthesis and evidence of aggregate formation in methanesulfonic acid

A new conjugated polymer poly(benzobisoxazole-2,6-diylvinylene) (PBOV) has been synthesized as an analogue of poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO). The comparison between PBOV and PBO has been carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, UV, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The UV absorption peaks, PL excitation and emission wavelengths of PBOV have a significant red-shift due to the better electronic delocalization. Similar to PBO, it can be observed in the PL spectra of PBOV at various concentrations in methanesulfonic acid (MSA) that the intensity of emission was depressed and the highly structured emission spectra gradually changed to featureless, red-shifted, and broad spectra with increasing concentration. The change in emission spectra can be attributed to the existence of the interchain aggregates, although PBOV does not show highly ordered structure as PBO does.