Synthesis, photophysical and electropolymerization properties of thiophene-substituted 2,3-diphenylbuta-1,3-dienes

International audience; A series of 2,3-diphenylbuta-1,3-dienes (DPBs) bearing thiophene (T-DPB), bithiophene (BT-DPB) and ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT-DPB) electropolymerizable units were prepared through desilylation reactions of the corresponding 3,4-diphenylsiloles derivatives. These DPBs derivatives exhibit remarkable different aggregation induced emission (AIE) or aggregation enhanced emission (AEE) behaviour depending on the strength of the molecular interactions occuring in the solid state. Indeed, T-DPB and EDOT-DPB were found to be good AIEgens while BT-DPB exhibited AEE behaviour. Finally, the electrochemical properties of these new materials were investigated revealing for all DPBs the occurrence of electropolymerization processes leading potentially to low band gap polymers.