Synthesis and characterization of poly(pyridinium salt)s with anthracene moieties exhibiting both lyotropic liquid-crystalline and UV light-emitting properties

Two poly(pyridinium salt)s with anthracene moieties in the main chain as well as tosylate and triflimide as counterions were prepared by either the ring-transmutation polymerization of phenylated bis(pyrylium tosylate) salt with 2,6-diaminoanthracene in dimethyl sulfoxide or the metathesis reaction of the corresponding tosylate polymer with lithium triflimide in acetonitrile. They were characterized for their lyotropic liquid-crystalline and UV light-emitting properties, with various experimental techniques. These ionic, conjugated anthracene polymers are the recent addition to the class of UV light-emitting polymers, since they emit UV light both in solution and in the solid state.