Synthesis of fluorescent dendrimers with an oligo(phenylenevinylene) core

Novel fluorescent dendrimers of first, second, and third generation bearing a conjugated oligo(phenylenevinylene) (OPV) core and peripherial allyl chains as dendrons have been synthesized by a convergent method. The compounds have been fully characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, FTIR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF or FAB+ mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. All dendrimers showed in solution a blue fluorescence with a maximum wavelength at 444-446 nm and can be deposited as thin films emitting in the blue-green region. The most homogeneous films were obtained for the second generation dendrimer which also exhibits the higher quantum yield in solution. These properties make it a possible candidate for application in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).