Thermoluminescence of N-carbazolyl-substituted polysilanes

The thermoluminescence (TL) studies of photoconducting N-carbazolyl-substituted silane co- and homopolymers carried out in 15–325 K temperature range after photoexcitation at 15 K are reported. Spectral analyses of the isothermal phosphorescence and of the TL at different temperatures are discussed and compared with the analogous results for poly(N-vinylcarbazole). It was found, that the N-carbazolyl side-groups introduce to polysilanes form new photogeneration/recombination centres and they act also as trapping sites. Higher density of N-carbazolyl groups results in increasing population of deep traps. It is concluded that monomeric mechanism of luminescence dominates at low temperatures and excimeric mechanism dominates at higher temperatures.