Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Minor changes to side chains in conjugated polymers can have pronounced effects on polymer properties by altering backbone planarity, solubility, and interaction with ions. Here, we report the photocontrolled synthesis of hydrophilic CPs from Grignard monomers and find that switching from alkyl to oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains changes their photoreactivity. Specifically, installing hydrophilic side chains on the same monomer core yields higher molecular weight polymers and allows polymerization to proceed with lower-energy red light. Additionally, we discover a side chain decomposition pathway for N-OEG monomers, which are prevalent in CP research. Decomposition can be overcome by adding an extra methylene unit in the side chains without compromising polymer molecular weight or hydrophilicity. Importantly, this polymerization does not require transition metal catalysts and is a promising approach to the preparation of n-type conjugated block copolymers.
Source: ACS Macro Letters
Institution: Northwestern University
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Northwestern University, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Division of Materials Research, Division of Graduate Education, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, Division of Chemistry, Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Awards: G1169090945, NNCI: Soft Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource, G1276186940, G1329306526, G1523888516, G1541189025, Acquisition of a 500 MHz NMR Spectrometer for Chemical Research, G2137585358, G2233802770, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G3010471893, G316399430, G336680401, G3454132534, G4120964173, G4285583887, G4289625387, G4433393426, MRSEC: Center for Multifunctional Materials, G4912152698, G4958141111, G5218300437, G5306386714, NNCI: Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource, G6320523719, G6360741456, G6386240557, G6540817556, G6627702815, G7304483037, G7461832402, G7570481651, G801469781, G8073314406, G8230932042
OpenAlex ID: W4362522112