Abstract Soluble polythiophenes bearing strong electron withdrawing groups, dicyanoethenyl [[BOND] CH [DOUBLE BOND] C (CN) 2](PTDCN) and cyano- methoxycarbonylethenyl [[BOND] CH [DOUBLE BOND] C (CO 2 Me) CN](PTCNME), in the side chains have been prepared. Optical band gaps calculated from onset absorption were 1.70 eV and 1.73 eV for PTDCN and PTCNME, respectively. Highest occupied molecular ...