Silole-containing polymers , functional

2 Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China 

Macromolecules Containing Metal and Metal-like Elements, 

Volume 10 Photophysics and Photochemistry of Metal-Containing Polymers, 

Edited by Alaa S. Abd-El Aziz, Charles E. Carraher Jr., Pierre D. Harvey, Charles U. Pittman Jr., Martel Zeldin. Copyright 2010 John Wiley Sons, Inc. 

Many important photophysical properties, such as aggregation-induced emission (AIE),11,12 blue shift of PL emission in the crystal state relative to that of amorphous solid,13 extremely high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields 

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The incorporation of siloles in polymers is of interest and importance in chemistry and functionalities. Some optoelectronic properties, impossible to obtain in silole small molecules, may be realized with silole-containing polymers (SCPs). The first synthesis of SCPs was reported in 1992.21 Since then, different types of SCPs, such as main chain type 7r-conjugated SCPs catenated through the aromatic carbon of a silole, main chain type cr-conjugated SCPs catenated through the silicon atom of a silole, SCPs with silole pendants, and hyperbranched or dendritic SCPs (Fig. 2), have been synthesized.10 In this chapter, the functionalities of SCPs, such as band gap, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, bulk-heterojunction solar cells, field effect transistors, aggregation-induced emission, chemosensors, conductivity, and optical limiting, are summarized. 

In summary, a manifold of silole-containing polymers have been synthesized and studied. Especially polymers with TS and BS building blocks present an emerging class of functional materials, the electronic and optical properties of which open good perspectives for creation of highly thermal and environmentally stable organic electronics devices with outstanding performance. 

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