Modular Approach to Chromophore Encapsulation in Fluorinated Arylene Vinylene Ether Polymers Possessing Tunable Photoluminescence

New fluorinated arylene vinylene ether (FAVE) polymers were prepared by a facile, metal-free condensation polymerization of fluorene, phenylenevinylene, dithiophene, or thiadiazole chromophore-containing bisphenols with bis(trifluorovinyloxy)biphenyl. The addition of chromophores encapsulated into the polymers were prepared in good yields and characterized by 1H and 19F NMR and GPC. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the polymers are entirely amorphous and are easy to solution process, producing optically transparent, flexible films. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed they possess high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures of 340−387 °C and 308−443 °C in nitrogen and air, respectively. Chromophore inclusion was confirmed by ultraviolet−visible (UV−vis) spectroscopy, which demonstrated tailorable photoluminescence (PL) in both the solution and the solid state by selective substitution of the chromophore. Polymer thin film PL studies revealed notable red-shifts compared with polymer solutions presumably attributable to aggregation in the solid state. Solution quantum yields of the polymers were comparable to those reported for the single chromophores used in this study.