device is provided comprising at least a layer comprising a polymer according to any embodiments of the third or fifth aspect. 

In an eighth aspect, fabrication of such opto-electronic devices is provided, in particular including the deposition of at least one thin polymer layer according to the third or fifth aspect. In an embodiment of the eighth aspect, a method is provided of manufacturing an electronic device according to the seventh aspect, said method comprising the steps of applying a polymer according to third aspect on a substrate and subjecting said polymer to a heat treatment and/or an acid treatment so as to convert said polymer into a polymer accord› ing to the fifth aspect. 

In a nutshell, the various aspects of the preferred embodi› ments enable the use of poly(iptycenylene vinylene) deriva› tives in plastic electronics thanks to, among others, the easy synthetic availability of the polymers via a soluble precursor permitting their manufacture on a large scale. 

Embodiments present numerous advantages when com› pared to alternative solutions of the prior art. In particular, compared to a Gilch-like route, embodiments have the advan- tage ofleading to polymers that can also be insoluble in their conjugated form. A Gilch-like route is a one-pot polymeriza› tion process which only allows the synthesis of soluble con› jugated polymers; it is not a precursor route as is the case in the preferred embodiments. 

Compared to the method ofU.S. Pat. No. 5,817,430, which is a side chain approach like the Gilch route, the method according to the preferred embodiments does not require the use of chain end controlling additives to control the molecular weight in order to get soluble conjugated polymers. The method described according to various embodiments is a "precursor method" which does not require control of the polymer molecular weight. The resulting precursor polymers are always soluble polymers, whatever their molecular weight, and are soluble in common organic solvents (as defined above) even for very high molecular weights. The related soluble or insoluble conjugated polymers may easily be obtained in a second step by a conversion or elimination reaction under thermal treatment. When the conjugated poly› mer is insoluble in common organic solvents (as defined above), the elimination reaction may preferably be carried out on a thin film of the precursor polymer. When the conjugated polymer is soluble in common organic solvents (as defined above), the elimination reaction may be carried out either in solution or on thin polymer films. 

These and other characteristics, features and advantages of the preferred embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description. 

## BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 

FIG. 1 is the absorption (ab), excitation (ex) and emission (em) spectra of a polymer according to an embodiment in spin-cast film. 

FIG. 2 is the absorption (ab), excitation (ex) and emission (em) spectra of a polymer according to an embodiment in spin-cast film. 

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the time (T) dependence of the fluorescence intensity (IEM) of a thin film according to an embodiment upon exposure to an analyte. 

## DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 

As used herein and unless stated otherwise, the terms "C$_{1}$ _ 7 alkyl" and "aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon radicals with 1 to 

## Definitions 

7 carbon atoms" are broad terms, and are to be given their ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( and are not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refer without limitation to straight and branched chain saturated acyclic hydrocarbon monovalent radicals having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms such as, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, 1-methylethyl (isopropyl), 2-methylpropyl (isobutyl), 1,1-dimethylethyl (ter-butyl), 2-methylbutyl, n-pentyl, dimethylpropyl, n-hexyl, 2-methyl› pentyl, 3-methylpentyl, n-heptyl and the like; the term "C$_{1}$ -4 alkyl" designate the corresponding radicals with only 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the term "C$_{1}$ _ $_{10 }$alkyl" designate the corre› sponding radicals with only 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the term "C$_{1}$ _ $_{20 }$alkyl" designates the corresponding radicals with only 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and so on. 

As used herein with respect to a substituting radical, and unless otherwise stated, the term "C$_{1}$_ 7 alkylene" is a broad term, and is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( and is not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refers without limita› tion to the divalent hydrocarbon radical corresponding to the above defined C$_{1}$ _ $_{7 }$alkyl, such as methylene, bis(methylene ), tris(methylene ), tetramethylene, hexamethylene and the like. The terms "C$_{1}$ _ 10 alkylene" and "C$_{1}$ _ 20 alkylene", refer to alkylenes having 1-10 and 1-20 carbon atoms, respectively. 

As used herein and unless stated otherwise, the terms "C$_{3}$ _ 10 cycloalkyl", "cyclic C$_{3}$-C$_{10}$-alkyl group" and "cycloaliphatic saturated hydrocarbon radical with 3 to 10 carbon atoms" are interchangeable terminology, and are to be given their ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art (and are not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refer without limitation to a mono- or polycyclic saturated hydrocarbon monovalent radi› cal having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, such as for instance cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohep› tyl, cyclooctyl and the like, or a C$_{7}$ _ $_{10 }$polycyclic saturated hydrocarbon monovalent radical having from 7 to 10 carbon atoms such as, for instance, norbomyl, fenchyl, trimethyltri› cycloheptyl or adamantyl. Similarly, a cyclic C$_{3}$ -C$_{20}$-alkyl group designating a mono- or polycyclic saturated hydrocar› bon monovalent radical having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms. 

As used herein and unless provided otherwise, the term "arylalkyl" is a broad term, and is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( and is not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refers without limitation to an acyclic alkyl radical in which one of the hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom, typically a terminal or sp $^{3 }$carbon atom, is replaced with an aryl radical. Typical arylalkyl groups include, but are not limited to, ben- zyl, 2-phenylethan-1-yl, naphthylmethyl, 2-naphthylethan-1- yl, naphthobenzyl, 2-naphthophenylethan-1-yl and the like. The arylalkyl group can comprise 6 to 20 carbon atoms, e.g., the alkyl moiety, including alkanyl, alkenyl or alkynyl groups, of the arylalkyl group is 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the aryl moiety is 5 to 14 carbon atoms. 

As used herein and unless stated otherwise, the term "alky› laryl" is a broad term, and is to be given its ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( and is not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refers without limitation to an aryl group having one or more alkyl substituents attached to the aryl group. 

As used herein and unless stated otherwise, the terms "aryl" and "aromatic substituent" are interchangeable and are broad terms, and are to be given their ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art ( and are not to be limited to a special or customized meaning), and refer without limitation to any mono- or polycyclic aromatic 

