Synthesis and polymerization of methacrylates with carbazolyl and fluorescent pendant groups

2-(9-Carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate (CEM) and 3-phenyl-7-methacryloyloxyethoxy-1-methyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline (MEPQ) were synthesized [4, 7] and then copolymerized to produce (99:1), (98:2), (95:5) and (92:8 mol/mol) CEM/MEPQ copolymers. Number and weight-average molecular weights of the copolymers were determined (Table 1). The copolymers were spin-cast from THF solutions at room temperature and dried at 40C for 24 hours to yield films, a few mu m thick, used in light-emitting diodes. Electroluminescent (Fig. 3) and photoluminescent emission spectra (Fig. 2) were recorded and the emission bands in the former were found to have been blue-shifted by 11 nm with respect to those in the latter. As the MEPQ content was increased, the emission peaks red-shifted in either type of spectra by about 6 nm.