Heteroaromatic semiconducting polymers

1. A polymer of the formula:

wherein:

M 1 has the formula:

each Ar 1 is an optionally substituted monocyclic aryl or heteroaryl group;

X a and X b are S or NR 1 , wherein R 1 , at each occurrence, independently is selected from H and a solubilizing group;

W a and W b are CH or C(O);

W c and W d are selected from a covalent bond, CH, C(O), and a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ;

W e and W f are CH or a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ;

provided that at least one of W a and W c and at least one of W b and W d are C(O), and only one of W c and W e and only one of W d and W f are a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; and

provided that when W c and W d are a covalent bond, X a and X b respectively are NR 1 , and W e and W f respectively are a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 , R 1 is a divalent bridging group bonded to one of the carbon ring atoms in the ring of Ar 1 forming an optionally substituted 5- or 6-membered ring; and

M 2 has a formula selected from:

wherein:

π-2 is an optionally substituted fused ring moiety;

Ar, at each occurrence, is independently an optionally substituted 5- or 6-membered aryl or heteroaryl group;

Z is a conjugated linear linker;

m, m′ and m″ independently are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6; and

n is an integer greater than 2.

2. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein W a and W b are CH or C(O); W c and W d are selected from CH, C(O), and a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; W e and W f are CH or a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; provided that at least one of W a and W c and at least one of W b and W d are C(O), and only one of W c and W e and only one of W d and W f are a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; and X a and X b are NR 1 , wherein R 1 is selected from a C 3-40 alkyl group, a C 3-40 alkenyl group, and a C 3-40 haloalkyl group.

3. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein W a and W b are C(O); W c and W d are a covalent bond; W e and W f are a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; and X a and X b are NR 1 , wherein each R 1 is a divalent bridging group bonded to one of the carbon ring atoms in the ring of Ar 1 forming an optionally substituted 5- or 6-membered ring.

4. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein W a and W b are C(O); W c and W d are a covalent bond; W e and W f are a carbon atom bonded to Ar 1 ; and X a and X b are S.

5. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein M 1 is selected from:

wherein:

R 1 is selected from a C 3-40 alkyl group, a C 3-40 alkenyl group, and a C 3-40 haloalkyl group; and

R a , R g , and R g′ , at each occurrence, independently are defined as R e , wherein R e , at each occurrence, is selected from a) halogen, b) —CN, c) —NO 2 , d) oxo, e) —OH, f) —O—C 1-20 alkyl, g) —O—C 6-14 aryl, h) —NH 2 , i) —NH(C 1-20 alkyl), j) —N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , k) —N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, l) —N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , m) —SH, n) —S—C 1-20 alkyl, o) —S(O) 2 OH, p) —S(O) 2 —OC 1-20 alkyl, q) —S(O) 2 —OC 6-14 aryl, r) —CHO, s) —C(O)—C 1-20 alkyl, t) —C(O)—C 6-14 aryl, u) —C(O)OH, v) —C(O)—OC 1-20 alkyl, w) —C(O)—OC 6-14 aryl, x) —C(O)NH 2 , y) —C(O)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, z) —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , aa) —C(O)NH—C 6-14 aryl, ab) —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, ac) —C(O)N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , ad) —C(S)NH 2 , ae) —C(S)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, af) —C(S)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , ag) —C(S)N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , ah) —C(S)N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, ai) —C(S)NH—C 6-14 aryl, aj) SiH 3 , ak) —SiH(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , al) —SiH 2 (C 1-20 alkyl), am) —Si(C 1-20 alkyl) 3 , an) a C 1-20 alkyl group, ao) a C 2-20 alkenyl group, ap) a C 2-20 alkynyl group, aq) a C 1-20 haloalkyl group, ar) a C 3-10 cycloalkyl group, as) a C 6-14 aryl group, at) a C 6-14 haloaryl group, au) a 3-12 membered cycloheteroalkyl group, and av) a 5-14 membered heteroaryl group.

6. The polymer of claim 5 , wherein R a , at each occurrence, independently is selected from halogen, —CN, —NO 2 , R b , OR b , and SR b ; and R g and R g′ , at each occurrence, independently are selected from R b , OR b , and SR b , wherein R b , at each occurrence, independently is selected from a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 1-40 alkenyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group.

7. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein Z is selected from:

8. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein (Ar) m , (Ar) m′ , and (Ar) m″ are selected from:

wherein R 4 , at each occurrence, independently is H or R 3 ; and R 3 is selected from a halogen, —CN, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group.

9. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein π-2 is selected from:

wherein R 2 is selected from a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group.

10. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein M 2 is selected from:

wherein R 2 is selected from a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; each R 3 independently is selected from a halogen, —CN, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; each R 4 independently is selected from H, a halogen, —CN, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; and R c , at each occurrence, independently is H or a C 1-6 alkyl group.

11. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a branched C 3-40 alkyl group or a branched C 3-40 alkenyl group.

12. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein n is an integer between 4 and 1,000.

13. An electronic, optical, or optoelectronic device comprising a thin film semiconductor layer comprising a polymer of claim 1 .

14. The device of claim 13 configured as a field effect transistor, and further comprising a dielectric layer in contact with the thin film semiconductor layer, a gate contact, and source and drain contacts.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises an organic dielectric material, an inorganic dielectric material, or a hybrid organic/inorganic dielectric material.

16. The device of claim 14 having a structure selected from top-gate bottom-contact structure, bottom-gate top-contact structure, top-gate top-contact structure, and bottom-gate bottom-contact structure.

17. The device of claim 13 configured as a photovoltaic device.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the thin film semiconductor layer is positioned between an anode and a cathode.

19. The device of claim 13 configured as an organic light emitting device.

20. The device of claim 19 selected from an organic light emitting diode and an organic light emitting transistor.