Tuning of photo- and electroluminescence of new soluble, PPV-analogous short-chain compounds with naphthalene moieties

A series of oligomers analogous to poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV), combining naphthalene and benzene as aromatic units, have been synthesized by a Knoevenagel reaction. By measuring UV/Vis spectra, photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL), we studied the influence of the position of the naphthalene unit as well as the steric and electronic influences of cyano and alkyloxy substituents on the luminescent properties of these compounds.