Patent ID: 7700787

Claim:
A small molecular thiophene compound consisting of a plurality of thiophene units and optionally at least one divalent linkage, each thiophene unit being represented by structure (A) wherein each thiophene unit is bonded at either or both of the second ring position and the fifth ring position, wherein m is 0, 1, or 2, wherein each thiophene unit is the same or different, wherein each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of: (a) a straight chain alkyl group, a branched alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylaryl group, an arylalkyl group, (b) cyano, nitro, an alkoxy group, a heterocyclic moiety, an alkoxyaryl, an arylalkoxy, and (c) a halogen, wherein there is at least one thiophene unit where R 1 is present at the third ring position or the fourth ring position, or at both the third ring position and the fourth ring position, wherein for any two adjacent thiophene units as represented by structure (A1): there is excluded the simultaneous presence of the same or different R 1 at the 3-position of one thiophene unit and at the 3′-position of the other thiophene unit where R 1 is not part of a cyclic ring structure fused to the thiophene unit; and wherein the at least one divalent linkage is selected from the group consisting of linkages (1)-(6):