NOVEL SILICON-SUBSTITUTED, SOLUBLE POLY(PHENYLENEVINYLENE)S - ENLARGEMENT OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR BANDGAP

A poly(phenylenevinylene) with a silicon substituent and an epi-cholestanoxy substituent in the aromatic rings was prepared by a nonaqueous polymerization reaction. The polymer is soluble in most polymer solvents and can be processed to produce free-standing films. The silicon substituent has the effect of enlarging the semiconductor gap with a concomitant change in the polymer's color from orange [bis(3-epi-cholestanoxy)PPV] to yellow. The monomer was prepared by an unusual oxygen-to-carbon rearrangement of the silicon substituent.