Partially and fully fluorinated alkyl substituted thienothiophene monomers (and polymers thereof) wherein the monomers are represented by the formula: wherein R is a partially or fully fluorinated primary, secondary or tertiary alkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms; and X and X′ are independently selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, Br, I, MgCl, MgBr, Mgl, Sn(R′)3, CH═CHR″, —OR″, —COOR″, —S—COR″, —B(OR″)2, —COR″, —C≡CH, and a polymerizable cyclic pi-conjugated carbon-ring structure optionally comprising S, N or O heteroatoms; wherein R′ is a primary, secondary or tertiary alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and R″ is H or a primary, secondary or tertiary alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.