Polymer

Abstract

A polymer formed from optionally substituted first repeat units of formula (I) wherein Ar is selected from (a) aromatic hydrocarbon substituted with at least one electron withdrawing group or electron withdrawing heteroaryl. The polymers have application in electroluminescent devices.

1 . A polymer comprising optionally substituted first repeat units of formula (I): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein Ar is electron withdrawing heteroaryl. 
     
   
   
       2 . A polymer according to  claim 1  comprising repeat units of formula (II): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein each Ar is electron withdrawing heteroaryl. 
     
   
   
       3 . A polymer according to  claim 1  wherein Ar is selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted pyridines and optionally substituted triazines. 
   
   
       4 . A polymer according to  claim 1  comprising a second repeat unit. 
   
   
       5 . A polymer according to  claim 4  wherein the second repeat unit is selected from the group consisting of triarylamines and heteroaromatics. 
   
   
       6 . A polymer according to  claim 1  that is capable of transporting electrons. 
   
   
       7 . A polymer according to  claim 6  that comprises at least one segment capable of at least one of hole transport and hole emission. 
   
   
       8 . An optical device comprising a polymer according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       9 . An optical device according to  claim 8  that is an electroluminescent device. 
   
   
       10 . An electroluminescent device comprising:
 a first electrode for injecting charge carriers of a first type;   a second electrode for injecting charge carriers of a second type; and   an emissive layer comprising a polymer according to  claim 1  between the first and second electrodes.   
   
   
       11 . A monomer comprising an optionally substituted compound of formula (IV): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein each P independently represents a polymerizable group and Ar is electron withdrawing heteroaryl. 
     
   
   
       12 . A monomer according to  claim 11  comprising an optionally substituted compound of formula (V): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein each P independently represents a polymerizable group and each Ar is electron withdrawing heteroaryl. 
     
   
   
       13 . A monomer according to  claim 12  wherein each P is independently selected from the group consisting of reactive boron derivative groups and reactive halide functional groups. 
   
   
       14 . A monomer according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one P is a reactive boron derivative group selected from the group consisting of boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups. 
   
   
       15 . A process for preparing a polymer comprising a step of reacting a first monomer as defined in  claim 12  with a second monomer that may be the same or different from the first monomer under conditions so as to polymerize the monomers. 
   
   
       16 . A process for preparing a polymer according to  claim 15  which comprises polymerizing in a reaction mixture:
 (a) a monomer according to  claim 12  wherein each P is a reactive boron derivative group selected from the group consisting of boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups, and an aromatic monomer having at least two reactive halide functional groups; or   (b) a monomer according to  claim 12  wherein each P is a reactive halide functional group, and an aromatic monomer having at least two reactive boron derivative groups selected from the group consisting of boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups; or   (c) a monomer according to  claim 12  wherein one P is a reactive halide functional group and one P is a reactive boron derivative group selected from boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups,   wherein the reaction mixture comprises a catalytic amount of a catalyst suitable for catalyzing the polymerization of the aromatic monomers, and a base in an amount sufficient to convert the reactive boron derivative functional groups into boronate anionic groups.