Synthesis, electronic, and photophysical properties of cruciform OPE/OPV hybrid oligomer bridged bisfullerene triads

A series of cruciform-shaped phenyleneethynylene and phenylenevinylene hybrid oligomers was prepared via a sequence of Sonogashira reactions. Using an in situ ethynylation protocol, these oligomers were end-functionalized with bis(fullerenyl) groups at the termini of the oligomers. Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of these novel bisfullerene triads were studied in detail by UV–vis, fluorescence, and cyclic voltammetric analyses, and the results of these investigations are reported.