The present invention relates to nanoparticles of π-conjugated polymers. The present invention also relates to an aqueous composition comprising these polymeric nanoparticles, to processes for making the nanoparticles, and to the use of these nanoparticles in the fabrication of electronic devices and components.

Systems and methods for sorting recyclable items and other materials are provided. In one embodiment, a system for sorting objects comprises: at least one imaging sensor; a controller comprising a processor and memory storage, wherein the controller receives image data captured by the image sensor; and at least one pusher device coupled to the controller, wherein the at least one pusher device is configured to receive an actuation signal from the controller. The processor is configured to detect objects travelling on a conveyor device and recognize at least one target item traveling on a conveyor device by processing the image data and to determine an expected time when the at least one target item will be located within a diversion path of the pusher device. The controller selectively generates the actuation signal based on whether a sensed object detected in the image data comprise the at least one target item.

An organic photovoltaic device comprising a polymer: ##STR00001##
and an acceptor. In this organic photovoltaic device, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are independently selected from the group consisting of: a halogen, a substituted alkyl, an unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted aryl, an unsubstituted aryl, a substituted heteroaryl and an unsubstituted heteroaryl.

An organic photovoltaic device includes an anode and a cathode. The organic photovoltaic device includes an active layer between the anode and the cathode. The active layer includes a p-type material. The p-type material includes a donor-acceptor (DA) polymer. An acceptor unit of the DA polymer includes a functionalized pyranopyran-dione compound or a functionalized naphthyridine-dione compound.

Polymers comprising at least one unit of formulae ##STR00001## and compounds of the formulae ##STR00002## wherein, in formulae 1, 1′, 2 and 2′ n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 m is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 M1 and M2 are independently of each other an aromatic or heteroaromatic monocyclic or bicyclic ring system; X is at each occurrence selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se or Te, Q is at each occurrence selected from the group consisting of C, Si or Ge R is at each occurrence selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1-100-alkyl, C.sub.2-100-alkenyl, C.sub.2-100-alkynyl, C.sub.5-12-cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-18-aryl, a 5 to 20 membered heteroaryl, C(O)—C.sub.1-100-alkyl, C(O)—C.sub.5-12-cycloalkyl and C(O)—OC.sub.1-100-alkyl. R.sup.2, R.sup.2′, R.sup.2″, R* are at each occurrence independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1-30-alkyl, C.sub.2-30-alkenyl, C.sub.2-30-alkynyl, C.sub.5-12-cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-18-aryl, 5 to 20 membered heteroaryl, OR.sup.21, OC(O)—R.sup.21, C(O)—OR.sup.21, C(O)—R.sup.21, NR.sup.21R.sup.22, NR.sup.21—C(O)R.sup.22, C(O)—NR.sup.21R.sup.22, N[C(O)R.sup.21][C(O)R.sup.22], SR.sup.21, halogen, CN, SiR.sup.SisR.sup.SitR.sup.Siu and OH, L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 are independently from each other and at each occurrence selected from the group consisting of C.sub.6-30-arylene, 5 to 30 membered heteroarylene, ##STR00003##

A polymer containing at least one unit of formula

##STR00001##

is prepared by treating a compound of formula

##STR00002##

wherein Y.sup.2 is I, Br, Cl or O—S(O).sub.2CF.sub.3,
with an S-donor agent, in order to obtain the compound of formula

##STR00003##

wherein Y.sup.2 is as defined for the compound of formula (5).

Provided is a conductor material having high conductivity. The conductor material according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a configuration in which a conjugated polymeric compound having an electron donating group containing a heteroatom in a side chain is doped with a dopant containing an anion selected from a nitrogen anion, a boron anion, a phosphorus anion and an antimony anion, and a counter cation. The anion is preferably an anion represented by Formula (1) below: where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different, and each represent an electron withdrawing group; and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring with an adjacent nitrogen atom.

##STR00001##

The invention relates to novel conjugated polymers containing one or more diindeno-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene based polycyclic repeating units, to methods for their preparation and educts or intermediates used therein, to polymer blends, mixtures and formulations containing them, to the use of the polymers, polymer blends, mixtures and formulations as organic semiconductors in organic electronic (OE) devices, especially in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices and organic photodetectors (OPD), and to OE, OPV and OPD devices comprising these polymers, polymer blends, mixtures or formulations.

There is provided p-type organic polymers of general formula I. The polymers may be useful as semi-conducting material. Thus, thin films and devices comprising such polymers are also provided.

A polymer compound comprising a structural unit represented by the formula (1): ##STR00001##
wherein Ring A and Ring B represent each independently a heterocyclic ring, and the heterocyclic ring may have a substituent, Ring C represents an aromatic hydrocarbon ring obtained by condensing two or more benzene rings, the aromatic hydrocarbon ring has at least one of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an amino group or a hydroxyl group, and these groups may have a substituent, Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 represent each independently a group represented by the formula (Z-1), a group represented by the formula (Z-2), a group represented by the formula (Z-3), a group represented by the formula (Z-4) or a group represented by the formula (Z-5), ##STR00002##
wherein R represents an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an aryl group or a mono-valent heterocyclic group, and these groups may have a substituent, and when there exist a plurality of R, these may be the same or different.