New light-emitting functionalized oligothiophenes

We present a new class of highly photo and electroluminescent oligomers bas ed on the presence of one inner thienyl-S,S-dioxide unit as the luminophore . The light emission frequency of the new compounds, which are characterize d by greater electron affinities than the corresponding oligomers bearing a n unmodified thienyl ring, was tuned over the entire visible range by chang ing the nature of the alkyl or aryl groups attached in the alpha- and/or in the beta -positions of the thienyl-S,S-dioxide moiety. A few aspects of th e solid state supramolecular organization of the new compounds are reported . (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.