Patent ID: 8227567

Claim:
A precursor polymer, comprising: a polymer according to the structure: wherein Ar is a heteroaryl group; each occurrence of R 1 and R 2 is independently C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 1 -C 12 haloalkyl, or aryl; X is O, S, (YR 1 R 2 ) x , or (CR a R b ) x wherein x is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, and R a and R b are independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, or C 1 -C 12 haloalkyl; each occurrence of Y is independently Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb; and n is about 10 or greater; copolymers thereof or blends comprising at least one of the foregoing polymers, wherein when the polymer is according to structure and Ar is thiophene, bithiophene, or terthiophene, then Y is Ge, Sn, or Pb; wherein when the polymer is according to structure Y is Si, Ar is furan, pyrrole or (V), Q 2 is S, Q 3 is CH, and R 3 is hydrogen, the R 1 and R 2 are independently n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, 3-methylbutyl, t-butyl, n-pentyl, sec-pentyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, octyl, C 1 -C 12 haloalkyl, or aryl; wherein when the polymer is according to structure X is (YR 1 R 2 ) x , and Ar is thiopene, bithiophene, or terthiophene, then Y is Ge, Sn, or Pb; and wherein when the polymer is according to structure X is (YR 1 R 2 ) x , X is O, Y is Si, Ar is furan, pyrrole or (V), Q 2 is S, Q 3 is CH, and R 3 is hydrogen, then R 1 and R 2 are independently n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, 3-methylbutyl, t-butyl, n-pentyl, sec-pentyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, octyl, C 1 -C 12 haloalkyl, or aryl.