the present invention is directed to polymeric materials including a copolymer of at least a first and second monomer that have desirable electrical and optical properties , such as a low band gap and near infrared absorption , respectively . more specifically , the present invention is directed to polymeric materials with charge neutrality that display increased solubility in aqueous media while retaining their electrical and optical properties . the polymeric materials in accordance with the present invention can be modified with any desired functional group to tailor the polymer materials for a specific application . also described are methods of making the polymeric materials in accordance with the present invention .