and the conversion reaction or elimination reaction may be performed in solution ( e.g. by thermal treatment) under inert or controlled atmosphere to lead to a soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer. This method may in general be used when the conjugated polymer is expected to be soluble in organic and/or non-organic solvents. Ina further embodiment according this sixth aspect the precursor polymer may be in the form of a thin film precursor polymer layer and the con› version or elimination reaction step may be performed under inert or controlled atmosphere or under vacuum (e.g. by in situ thermal treatment, or in the second embodiment by acid treatment). 

In any embodiment of the sixth aspect, the precursor poly› mer may be dissolved in a common organic solvent (such as specified above), followed by a degassing step. 

In the first embodiment of the sixth aspect, and depending upon the presence and type ( especially chemical class and boiling point) of organic solvent, the thermal conversion step may be performed at a temperature above 30° C. or above 80° C., or above 110° C. The thermal conversion step may be 20 performed at a temperature below 300° C., or below 250° C., or below 200° C. The thermal conversion step may be per› formed at constant temperature or at gradually changing tem› peratures, according to a specific temperature/time profile. 

An illustration of this aspect is the embodiment presented in examples 1.6 and 7-11 of the preferred embodiments. 

In a seventh aspect, the preferred embodiments relate to an opto-electronic device comprising at least a layer (preferably a thin layer having e.g. from 20 to 500 nm) of a polymer according to any embodiments of the third or the fifth aspect. In embodiments of the seventh aspect, an electronic device comprising a polymer according to formula (XXIII) is dis› closed. An aspect is the electronic device made from the precursor polymer followed by its conversion reaction towards the conjugated polymer as pristine material or in blend. 

The device ( e.g. an electronic device) according to the seventh aspect is advantageous among others due to the lesser number of structural defects when compared with conjugated polymers obtained via other methods. As a result, the poly› mers have better properties, resulting in better electronic devices. 

Such devices ( e.g. integrated circuits) have the advantage of having a lower cost price than corresponding inorganic devices. 

The devices may be, but are not limited hereto, for example organic field effect transistors, circuits, electroluminescent devices, organic solar cells or sensors. In a further embodi› ment of the seventh aspect, the device may be organic sensors such as a chemical sensor or a biological sensor. The rigid three-dimensional iptycene units can be interesting electron donor which can induce a porous structure in the bulk conju› gated polymer. The conjugated polymers according to embodiments of the fifth aspect exhibit a drastic reduction in fluorescence when an electrostatic interaction occurs in pres› ence of some specific analyte, such as for example but not limited to electron deficient nitroaromatic vapors or other RDX or other explosive tracers ( e.g. TNT or DNT). Therefore those polymer materials are of interest for sensor applica› tions. This principle is illustrated in example 6. 

In any embodiments of the seventh embodiment, the pre› cursor polymers with leaving groups ( e.g. dithiocarbamate) are compatible with a device application. The lifetime of the device is not influenced by remaining traces ofleaving groups in the active layer after the conversion reaction. 

In an eighth aspect, a method for manufacturing an elec› tronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a 

polymer layer. In the method according to the preferred embodiments, a layer comprising the soluble precursor poly› mer (IV) is deposited. In a next step, the conjugated polymer (XXIII) layer is obtained by carrying out the conversion reac- tion of the coated soluble precursor polymer layer towards the active soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer by elimina› tion of the leaving groups and formation of the vinylene doubled bonds induced by e.g. heat treatment. 

In the eighth aspect, the preferred embodiments relate to the manufacturing of a device according to any embodiment of the seventh aspect. 

During the manufacturing of an opto-electronic device according to the preferred embodiments, a precursor polymer (IV) according to any embodiment may be deposited and subsequently subjected to a thermal conversion step (accord› ing to the first embodiment of the sixth aspect) or to an acid conversion step (according to the second embodiment of the sixth aspect) such that an active layer may be formed. 

In an embodiment of the eight aspect, the preferred embodiments further relate to a method of manufacturing bilayer heterojunction organic solar cells using a soluble pre› cursor polymer according to any embodiments of the third aspect. The layer made from the soluble precursor polymer may become effectively active only after conversion reaction towards the related soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer by an elimination reaction ( e.g. under heat treatment) in situ in thin film. 

This embodiment of the eighth aspect is advantageous over prior art methods, where the conjugated polymer is the start› ing compound and hence must be soluble in common organic solvents ( as defined above) to be mixed with e.g. a soluble C$_{60 }$ derivative (for example PCBM in case of organic solar cells application). Since thermal conversion of the precursor poly› mer of formula (IV) starts at a relatively low temperature ( e.g. about 100-115° C.), it is possible to prepare a blend n-type/ p-type, used as active layer, by mixing the precursor polymer (IV) with PCBM and then carrying out the conversion reac- tion by heat treatment of a thin film whilst keeping the initial chemical structure of PCBM and simultaneously converting the soluble precursor polymer to the soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer. Furthermore, any other p-type material being a small molecule or an oligomer or a polymer other than C$_{60 }$ or PCBM and having a chemical structure stable at the temperature used during the conversion reaction of the pre› cursor polymer towards the conjugated polymer may be also considered. 

The preferred embodiments further relate to a method of manufacturing organic transistors or sensors using a precur› sor polymer according to any embodiment of the third aspect. The active layer made from a soluble precursor polymer may become effectively active only after a conversion reaction towards a soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer by elimi› nating leaving groups and forming vinylene double bonds, e.g. by heat treatment. 

Onto the active soluble or insoluble conjugated polymer layer, a further annealing treatment may be carried out in order to remove stresses of the polymer chains induced during deposition of the thin film layer and in order to induce a relaxation of the polymer chains and changes in the polymer film morphology. The annealing treatment may be carried out at a temperature of from 50 to 200° C., preferably around 100° C. ( e.g. from 80 to 130° C.) This annealing treatment may be carried out before or after the electrode deposition on top of the active conjugated polymer layer. 

