3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT)-based π-conjugated oligomers: Facile synthesis and excited-state properties

A facile synthetic method to produce soluble 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) oligomers was developed by using iron (III) nitrate nonahydrate as the oxidizing reagent. Two EDOT oligomers, i.e. octomers and octodecamers were obtained as the major products. Their UV–vis absorption, fluorescence at room temperature and 77 K, and triplet transient difference absorption have been measured in CH2Cl2 solutions or glassy solutions. With increased conjugation length from EDOT octomers (A) to EDOT octodecamers (B), the UV–vis absorption, fluorescence and the triplet transient difference absorption band shift to longer wavelength. Both the oligomers also exhibit reasonably high efficiency to generate singlet oxygen.