Polymeric semiconductors and related devices

1. A polymer comprising a repeating unit M 1 , wherein the repeating unit M 1 comprises a moiety of the formula:

wherein:

X is a chalcogen;

R 1 , at each occurrence, independently is selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, —CN, NO 2 , R 2 , -L-R 3 , OH, OR 2 , OR 3 , NH 2 , NHR 2 , N(R 2 ) 2 , NHR 3 , NR 2 R 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 , SH, SR 2 , SR 3 , S(O) 2 OH, —S(O) 2 OR 2 , —S(O) 2 OR 3 , C(O)H, C(O)R 2 , C(O)R 3 , C(O)OH, C(O)OR 2 , C(O)OR 3 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 2 , C(O)N(R 2 ) 2 , C(O)NHR 3 , C(O)NR 2 R 3 , C(O)N(R 3 ) 2 , SiH 3 , SiH(R 2 ) 2 , SiH 2 (R 2 ), and Si(R 2 ) 3 , wherein L is selected from the group consisting of a divalent C 1-40 alkyl group, a divalent C 2-40 alkenyl group, a divalent C 1-40 haloalkyl group, and a covalent bond; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, a C 2-40 alkynyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group; and R 3 is selected from the group consisting of a C 3-10 cycloalkyl group, a C 6-14 aryl group, a C 6-14 haloaryl group, a 3-12 membered cycloheteroalkyl group, and a 5-14 membered heteroaryl group, each of which optionally is substituted with 1-5 substituents selected from the group consisting of a halogen, —CN, NO 2 , R 2 , OR 2 , and SR 2 ; and

the polymer has a degree of polymerization (n) ranging from 3 to 1,000.

2. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the chalcogen is sulfur.

3. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the repeating unit M 1 has a formula selected from the group consisting of:

wherein:

pi-2 is an optionally substituted conjugated polycyclic moiety;

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

Z is a conjugated noncyclic linker;

m and m′ independently are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, provided that at least one of m and m′ is not 0; and

p and p′ independently are 0 and 1, provided that at least one of p and p′ is 1.

4. The polymer of claim 3 , wherein R 1 , at each occurrence, independently is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, —CN, —NO 2 , R 2 , OR 2 , and SR 2 , wherein R 2 is selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched C 1-40 alkyl group, a linear or branched C 2-40 alkenyl group, and a linear or branched C 1-40 haloalkyl group.

5. The polymer of claim 4 further comprising one or more repeating units other than M 1 , the one or more other repeating units (M 2 ) being selected from the group consisting of:

wherein:

pi-2 is an optionally substituted conjugated polycyclic moiety;

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

Z is a conjugated noncyclic linker;

m and m′ independently are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, provided that at least one of m and m′ is not 0;

m″ is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6; and

p and p′ independently are 0 and 1, provided that at least one of p and p′ is 1.

6. The polymer of claim 5 , wherein pi-2 is an optionally substituted C 8-26 aryl group or 8-26 membered heteroaryl group.

7. The polymer of claim 6 , wherein pi-2 is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein:

R a is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, —CN, R, —OR, —SR, —C(O)R, —OC(O)R, and —C(O)OR;

R b is selected from the group consisting of H, R, and -L′-R f ;

R c is H or R;

R d is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, —CN, R, —OR, —SR, —C(O)R, —OC(O)R, —C(O)OR, and -L′-R f ;

R e is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, —CN, R, —OR, —SR, —C(O)R, —OC(O)R, —C(O)OR, and R f ;

R f is a C 6-20 aryl group or a 5-20-membered heteroaryl group, each optionally substituted with 1-8 groups independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, —CN, R, —OR, and —SR;

L′ is selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, —C(O)—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)O—, and a covalent bond; and

R is selected from the group consisting of a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 1-40 haloalkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, and a C 2-40 alkynyl group.

8. The polymer of claim 5 , wherein Ar in (Ar) m , (Ar) m′ , and (Ar) m″ is represented by:

wherein each W independently is selected from the group consisting of N, CH, and CR 4 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, —CN, R 2 , OR 2 , SR 2 , C(O)R 2 , OC(O)R 2 , and C(O)OR 2 , and wherein R 2 is selected from the group consisting of a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, a C 2-40 alkynyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group.

9. The polymer of claim 8 , wherein (Ar) m , (Ar) m′ , and (Ar) m″ independently are selected from the group consisting of:

10. The polymer of claim 5 , wherein Z is selected from:

wherein R 4 is selected from F, Cl, —CN, R 2 , OR 2 , SR 2 , C(O)R 2 , OC(O)R 2 , and C(O)OR 2 , and wherein R 2 is selected from a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, a C 2-40 alkynyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group.

11. The polymer of claim 5 represented by the formula:

wherein n is an integer ranging from 3 to 1,000.

12. The polymer of claim 1 having the formula:

13. The polymer of claim 1 having the formula:

14. The polymer of claim 1 having the formula:

15. An electronic device, an optical device, or an optoelectronic device comprising a thin film semiconductor component, the thin film semiconductor component comprising one or more polymers of claim 1 .

16. The device of claim 12 configured as a thin film transistor, the thin film transistor comprising a substrate, a gate electrode, a gate dielectric component in contact with one side of the thin film semiconductor component, and source and drain electrodes in contact with an opposite side of the thin film semiconductor component.

17. The device of claim 12 configured as a photovoltaic device, the photovoltaic device comprising an anode, a cathode, optionally one or more anode interlayers, and optionally one or more cathode interlayers, wherein the thin film semiconductor component is disposed between the anode and the cathode.

18. The device of claim 12 configured as a light-emitting device, wherein the thin film semiconductor component comprising one or more polymers of claim 1 is photoactive.