Polymers composed of macromolecules containing exclusively alternating phenylene or substituted phenylene and ethene-1,2-diyl (formerly vinylene) or substituted ethene-1,2-diyl constitutional repeating units in the backbone:
where
\(\ce{R^{1}}\),
\(\ce{R^{2}}\),
\(\ce{R^{3}}\),
\(\ce{R^{4}}\),
\(\ce{R^{5}}\) and
\(\ce{R^{6}}\) are each hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, halogen, trialkylsilyl, etc. (structure-based polymer class name).
Notes: - Polyphenylenevinylenes are a subclass of polyarylenevinylenes and also a subclass of conjugated polymers.
- PPVs found applications mainly in the fields of photovoltaic cells and electroluminescent devices.
Source:
PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 59 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)