Tunable optical properties of chromophores derived from oligo(p-phenylene vinylene). 
A series of 11 symmetric push-pull chromophores consisting of electron-accepting groups connected through a central pi-conjugated system derived from oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) were designed and synthesized.  Electronic and spectroscopic properties were investigated by UV-visible absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry.  By finely tuning the electron-withdrawing ability of the acceptors as well as the length of the pi-conjugated spacer, a wide range of dyes exhibiting strong absorption and emission were obtained.