α-Oligofurans

Abstract

A new type of organic electronic material, consisting of long alpha-oligofurans containing up to nine rings, was synthesized and characterized. alpha-Oligofurans are highly fluorescent, with a quantum yield in the range 58-74%. They are more rigid than the corresponding oligothiophenes, with tighter herringbone packing. The calculated twisting energy of oligofurans is significantly higher than that of other conjugated heterocycles. Despite their greater rigidity, oligofurans are more soluble than oligothiophenes. The introduced long oligofurans fulfill the most important requirements for a wide range of applications as organic electronic materials.