ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDIES OF CONJUGATED POLYROTAXANES AND THEIR UNTHREADED ANALOGS Aurica Farcas Supramolecular Chemistry Group, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania Pierre-Henri Aubert Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Institut des Matériaux, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France 1 INTRODUCTION Conjugated polymer materials, also known as conducting polymers, have attracted consid- erable interest from both an academic and industrial perspective, owing to their potential as next generation organic electronic devices. Despite the enormous interest in the con- ducting polymer systems, many aspects remain poorly understood, especially their strong tendency to aggregate that result in diminished photophysical properties. In addition, the presence of strong intermolecular interactions gives rise to an undesired long wavelength emission band during heat treatment or photoirradiation and device operation, which result in red-shifted emission spectra and reduced device effciency. Consequently, many efforts are being made in this direction to overcome these defects, including (i) addition of side chains to enhance the solubility and processibility, (ii) synthesis of high-molecular-weight polymers, (iii) modifcation of band gap and absorption behavior, (iv) adjustment of high- est occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, and (v) enhancement of optimal morphology to facilitate charge transfer and transport properties. Although modern organic synthesis tools have made it possi- ble for achieving signifcant progress in new conjugated polymers with improved pho- tophysical and electronic properties, attention over the past two decades has focused on the possibility of controlling intermolecular interactions by insulating conjugated poly- mer backbones. The control of intermolecular interactions leads to produce new organized Encyclopedia of Physical Organic Chemistry, First Edition. Edited by Zerong Wang. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1-118-46858-6.