Poly(pyridinium phenylene)s: water-soluble N-type polymers.

Poly(pyridinium phenylene) conjugated polymers are synthesized by a cross-coupling and cyclization sequence. These polyelectrolytes are freely soluble in water and display high degrees of electroactivity. When reduced (n-doped) these materials display in situ conductivities as high as 160 S/cm. The high conductivity is attributed to the planar structure that is enforced by the cyclic structures of the polymer. The electron affinities are compared to PCBM, a C(60) based n-type material. We find that these polymers undergo excited state electron transfer reactions with other donor conjugated polymers and hence may find utility in photovoltaic devices.