Preparation and characterization of conjugated polymers made by postpolymerization reactions of alternating polyketones

Conjugated polymers possessing a poly(2,5-dimethylene-2,5-dihydrofuran) backbone were prepared through postpolymerization reaction of styrenic polyketones with bromine in one-pot reactions. The modification is proposed to proceed via condensation of two repeating units to form a fully characterized polymer with a poly(2,5-dimethylenetetrahydrofuran) backbone. Subsequent bromination and elimination of HBr yield a polymer with a fully conjugated carbon backbone. The new conjugated polymers were characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopies and by CV. These polymers have strong absorption in the visible region, with the absorption peaks shifted to the NIR region upon doping with acids. The ease of the synthesis of the starting polyketone and of the modifications allows large-scale preparation of those conjugated polymers.     

Structural control in thin layers of poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s: photophysical studies of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

We present the relationship between the spatial arrangement and the photophysical properties of fluorescent polymers in thin films with controlled structures. Eight surfactant poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s were designed and studied. These detailed studies of the behavior of the polymers at the air-water interface, and of the photophysical properties of their transferred LB films, revealed key structure-property relationships. Some of the polymers displayed pi-aggregates that are characteristic of an edge-on structure at the air-water interface. Monolayer LB films of these polymers showed greatly reduced quantum yields relative to solution values. Other polymers exhibited a highly emissive face-on structure at the air-water interface, and did not form pi-aggregates. The combination of pressure-area isotherms and the surface pressure dependent in situ UV-vis spectra of the polymers at the air-water interface revealed different behavioral details. In addition, the UV-vis spectra, fluorescence spectra, and quantum yields of the LB films provide design principles for making highly emissive films.     

Halogen bonding as a new driving force for layer-by-layer assembly

A new approach for fabricating a layer-by-layer polymer film was explored, which was based on the halogen bonding between poly(4-(4-iodo-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenoxy)-butyl acrylate) and poly(4-vinylpyridine). Layer-by-layer assembly of two polymers was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance measurements. The interaction between the two polymers was identified as halogen bonding by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface of the multilayer film is flat, and the thickness of one bilayer is about 1.3 nm. We also compared the stability of a halogen-bonded multilayer film in methanol with that of a hydrogen-bonded multilayer film.     

New terpyridine macroligands as potential synthons for supramolecular assemblies

A Williamson type etherification approach was applied for the reaction of 4′-chloro-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine with a number of well-defined mono- and bis-hydroxy functionalized polymers, namely poly(tetrahydrofuran), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and Pluronics®. The resulting terpyridine functionalized polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and SEC, as well as MALDI-TOF-MS demonstrating the successful functionalization. This type of end-functionalized chelating macromolecules could be considered as key candidates for the preparation of metallo-supramolecular polymers via metallo-terpyridine complexation; the principle feasibility was demonstrated by UV-vis titration of iron(II) chloride to bis-terpyridine functionalized poly(tetrahydrofuran).     

Water-soluble porphyrins appending platinum(II) complexes as binders for synthetic nucleic acid polymers

Water-soluble porphyrins containing four platinum(II) complexes per molecule, [5alpha,10beta,15alpha,20beta-tetrakis(2-trans-(alpha,beta,alpha,beta-trans-Pt) and cis-(alpha,beta,alpha,beta-cis-Pt) [PtCl(NH(3))(2)]N-2-aminophenylporphyrin)], were synthesized and characterized. The binding of synthetic nucleotide polymers (poly(dG)-poly(dC), poly(dA)-poly(dT)) to the porphyrins was examined spectrophotometrically in aqueous solution. UV-vis spectral data suggested that these porphyrins bind to the nucleic acids by coordinative and Coulomb interactions.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a Series of New Functional Poly(ferrocenylenesilanes) for Nonlinear Optics

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Conjugated polyelectrolytes with pH-dependent conformations and optical properties

We report here the synthesis and characterization of two new conjugated polymers: poly{2,5-bis[3-(N,N-diethylammonium acetate)-1-oxapropyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene} (P1') and poly{2,5-bis[3-(N,N,N-triethylammonium bromide)-1-oxapropyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene} (P2). Both polymers exhibit unique pH-dependent optical properties in aqueous solution. These pH-dependent optical properties are attributed to the mutual electrostatic repulsions of positive charges pendent on the benzene rings. This electrostatic repulsion leads to an increased or decreased torsional angle in the conjugated backbone, thus affecting the effective conjugation length of these polymers. The UV-vis spectra of P1 in various pH solutions exhibit a near-isosbestic point, which indicates changes in the composition of the two distinct conformations (the charged and the neutral forms). The transition between the highly charged state and the neutral state was clearly observed in the UV-vis and photoluminescence studies on both P1 and P2. This transition is particularly sensitive in the pH range from 6.2 to 7.0, a range that would allow the detection of minor environmental changes. P2 has a quantum efficiency of 14% in water, which is considered to be relatively high among water-soluble PPVs.     

Polymer catalysts from polymerization catalysts: direct encapsulation of metal catalyst into star polymer core during metal-catalyzed living radical polymerization

Star polymers containing ruthenium complex in the core were prepared by ruthenium-catalyzed living radical polymerization, where the metal catalysts were directly encapsulated on linking reactions of living poly(MMA) in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a linker and diphenyl-4-styrylphosphine as a ligand incorporated in the core. The products were characterized by SEC/MALLS, UV-vis, NMR, AFM, TEM, and ICP-AES and were employed as polymer catalysts for the oxidation reaction of alcohol.     

Electrochemical tuning of the optoelectronic properties of a fluorene-based conjugated polymer

The electrochemical reduction of a fluorene-based conjugated polymer, poly(9-fluorenone-alt-9,9-dioctylfluorene), was investigated for the first time. The carbonyl group in the fluorenone unit was selectively and quantitatively converted to the methylene group, as determined by (1)H NMR, IR, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The optical and electrochemical properties of the polymers were studied by UV-vis, photoluminescence (PL), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements and were found to be tunable by varying the reduction level.     

Fluorescence probe studies on the complexation between poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide)

The complexation between poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEAM) in aqueous phase was studied by UV-vis and fluorescence probe techniques. It was demonstrated that the complexation of PMAA with PDEAM occurs within a pH range of 1-6.5 and along with the complexation, the conformation of PMAA changed from a hypercoiled to a loose coiled form. The complex ratio between the two polymers is 1:1 (PMAA:PDEAM, in monomer unit). Salt effect studies showed that the complexation occurred due to formation of hydrogen bonds between the two polymers. Based upon these conclusions and the "compact micelle-like structure" for PMAA at low pH, a "ladder" model was proposed for the structure of PMAA-PDEAM complex formed at low pH.     

Synthesis and characterization of new copolymers of thiophene and vinylene: Poly(thienylenevinylene)s and poly(terthienylenevinylene)s with thioether side chains

Poly[3,4-bis(3-methylbutylthio)thienylenevinylene], poly[3,4-bis-(S)-(2-methylbutylthio)thienylenevinylene], poly[3′,4′-bis(3-methylbutylthio)-2,2′:5′,2″-terthienylene-5,5″-vinylene], and poly{3′,4′-bis-(S)-[2-methylbutylthio]-2,2′:5′,2″-terthienylene-5,5″-vinylene} have been synthesized. The synthesis starts from the thiophene monomers and trimers, which are formylated to give the corresponding dialdehydes. The dialdehydes are reductively polymerized using a McMurry coupling. The polymers are characterized by GPC, optical spectroscopy (FT-IR, UV-vis, circular dichroism spectroscopy and photoluminescence) and by proton and carbon NMR spectroscopy. The polymers are soluble in common organic solvents, such as THF, chloroform, toluene, benzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. The solvatochromism and thermochromism of the polymers in solution are investigated, while the optical activity of the polymers is used to investigate the supramolecular aggregation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4629–4639, 1999     

Electron irradiation induced microstructural modifications in BaCl2 doped PVA: A positron annihilation study

Thin films of pure and 10 wt% BaCl₂ doped poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by solution casting method. These films were subjected to electron irradiation for different doses ranging from 0 to 400 kGy in air at room temperature. The effect of electron irradiation on the optical and free volume related microstructures of these polymer films was studied using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, FTIR and UV-vis techniques. The FTIR spectral studies indicate that the electron irradiation induces chemical modifications within the doped PVA, which results in chain scission as well as cross-linking of the polymer. The positron lifetime study on these irradiated polymers shows that the chain scissions and cross-linking within the polymer matrix affect the free volume content and hence the microstructure. The UV-vis optical absorption studies show that the induced microstructural change by electron irradiation also modifies the optical properties. Using UV-vis spectra, the optical energy band gap was estimated and it decreases with increase in electron dose. A correlation between positron results and optical results is obtained and electron irradiation induced microstructure modifications within the doped polymer are understood. The results highlight the usefulness of positron annihilation technique in the study of the microstructure of irradiated polymers.     

Blue luminescence induced by confinement in self-assembled films

The fabrication and characterization by means of photoluminescence (PL), UV-vis absorption, electro-luminescence (EL) and X-ray reflectivity of multilayer heterostructures consisting of alternate layers of conjugated and non-conjugated polymers have been studied. The heterostructures are prepared by the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, using two types of polyelectrolytes. The first are precursors of conjugated polymers such as poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV) and other poly(arylenevinylene) polymers, and the second are non-conjugated polymers such as poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) (SPS), polyacrylic acid (PAA) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The heterostructures consist of a repeated sequence of bilayers (layer pair) or multilayers, where the conjugated polymer is formed by heat treatment under vacuum. The thickness of each bilayer or multilayer was controlled by changing the non-conjugated polymer layer. Most importantly, we have found that the PL and EL spectral emissions can be ‘tuned’ by a proper ‘design’ of the heterostructure. Particularly, heterostructures in which the bilayer thickness is rather small and the electroluminescent layers are practically in contact show a blue shift upon decreasing the thickness of the assembly for ultrathin assemblies. In contrast, for assemblies where the electroluminescent layers are well separated by one or several non-conjugated layers (polyelectrolyte spacers), the emission is in the blue and independent of the assembly thickness (number of bilayers). We interpret the results as being due to confinement effects. Using this assembly technique, we were able to fabricate light emitting diodes (LEDs) which emit in the blue region.     

Photodegradation studies of novel biodegradable blends based on poly(ethylene oxide) and pectin

Blends of two biodegradable polymers: natural pectin and synthetic poly(ethylene oxide) at different weight-ratios were obtained by physical mixing in aqueous solutions, and evaporation of the solvent. The macromolecular order in the composites was investigated by applying X-ray diffraction, while the surface morphology was observed using atomic force microscopy. The photooxidative degradation of the blends was studied by viscometry, FTIR spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. It has been found that the susceptibility of the studied composites to UV radiation depends on an appropriate ratio of components, and the most sensitive to UV-irradiation among the samples studied was the equal weight-ratio blend of poly(ethylene oxide)/pectin.     

POLYCATION EFFECTS ON ELECTRONIC SPECTRA OF CONJUGATED POLYMERS IN PROGRAMMED ELECTROSTATIC ASSEMBLIES

A polysaccaride, chitosan, has been used to study polycation effects on electronic spectra of conjugated polymers in programmed electrostatic assemblies. Conjugated polyelectrolytes, poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethanolhydroxycarbonylmethylurethane] (HPURET) and polydiacetylene from 5,7-dodecadiyn-1,12-bis-(hydroxycarbonylmethylurethane) (HP4BCMU), were assembled from aqueous solution alternately with the polycation, poly (diallydimethylammonium) chloride [PDADMAC], and with the polysaccharide cation, chitosan. Switching polycations did not significantly change the visible absorption spectra for HP4BCMU multilayers. The optical properties of the regiorandom polythiophene, HPURET, depend distinctly on the polycation and the pH of the solution, showing significant differences on visible absorption maxima of the assemblies ranging from 435 nm to 516 nm. After the assemblies were exposed to vapor of aqueous ammonia, they showed UV-vis maxima further red shifted and an enhanced emission intensity, compared to those of the original assemblies. A chitosan/HPURET complex was prepared as a precipitate from solution. Its visible absorption maximum is at 536 nm with a shoulder at 580 nm, reminiscent of regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophenes). This unusual sensitivity of conjugated polymers to polycations may have potential application in sensor devices.     

芴基Cardo型聚亚胺酮的分子结构拟、合成及性能

以9,9-双-(3-R-4-氨基苯基)芴(R=H,CH3,F)和1,4-双-(4′-溴苯酰基)苯为单体,通过BuchwaldHartwig交叉偶联反应,缩聚合成了芴基Cardo型聚亚胺酮(PIKF).利用MS软件对其分子结构进行模拟,并通过1H NMR和FTIR等方法进行表征,结果与目标产物吻合.利用凝胶渗透色谱(GP...     

Poly(ε-caprolactone) macroligands with β-diketonate binding sites: synthesis and coordination chemistry

Dibenzoylmethane (dbm) initiators with one and two alcohol sites were used to generate dbm end-functionalized and dbm-centered poly(ε-caprolactone) macroligands (dbmPCL and dbmPCL₂) with low polydispersities (∼1.1). Chelation of polymeric ligands to metal ions (Eu³⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺) produced metal-centered star polymers, which were characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as gel permeation chromatography.     

Two novel triphenylamine-substituted poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives: synthesis, photo- and electroluminescent properties

Two novel triphenylamine-substituted poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives, P1 and P2, have been successfully synthesized through the Witting-Horner reaction. The structures and properties of the monomers and the resulting polymers were characterized by using ¹H NMR, FT-IR, GPC, TGA, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopy. The obtained polymers exhibited good thermal stability and high photoluminescence quantum yield (0.42-0.90). The polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT/polymers/Ca/Al were fabricated. The single-layer device based on P1 and P2 emitted stable blue and yellow light with the turn-on voltage of 4 and 6 V, respectively. The maximum luminance of 3003 cd/m² at 10 V was obtained for device P2.     

Synthesis and nucleic acid-binding properties of water-soluble porphyrins appending platinum(II) complexes.

We synthesized two water-soluble porphyrins appending platinum(II) complexes [alpha,beta-(4a) and alpha,alpha-(4b) 5,15-bis(2-trans-[PtCl(NH3)2]N-2-aminoethylaminocarbonylphenyl) 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octamethylporphyrin] and studied their reactions with a variety of nucleic acids [disodium adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP), disodium guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP), disodium thymidine-5'-monophosphate (TMP), disodium cytidine-5'-monophosphate (CMP), synthetic polymer poly(dG)-poly(dC), poly(dA)-poly(dT)] by 1H-NMR, UV-vis and FAB-MS spectroscopies. Based on the denaturation experiments of synthetic nucleic acid polymers, we conclude that the presence of the porphyrins (5.6 microM) does not cause significant changes in the melting temperature of poly(dA)-poly(dT) (28 microM) (deltaT=1 degrees C) and shows reannealing. On the other hand, gradual melting of poly(dG)-poly(dC) (28 microM) occurs at a low temperature (deltaT= -27 degrees C) in the presence of the porphyrins (5.6 microM), and the solutions do not show reannealing phenomena. The results of UV-vis and 1H-NMR experiments revealed that the porphyrins bind to guanine bases and that the porphyrins bind to GMP more strongly than to the other nucleotides. The binding modes between the porphyrins and synthetic nucleic acids are affected more by the coordination of the nucleobase [poly(dG)-poly(dC)] to the Pt(II) in the porphyrins than by Coulomb and hydrophobic interactions.     

Gradient doping of conducting polymer films by means of bipolar electrochemistry

In this paper, we report a novel electrochemical doping method for conducting polymer films based on bipolar electrochemistry. The electrochemical doping of conducting polymers such as poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMT), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and poly(aniline) (PANI) on a bipolar electrode having a potential gradient on its surface successfully created gradually doped materials. In the case of PEDOT film, the color change at the anodic side was also observed to be gradually transparent. PANI film treated by the bipolar doping gave a multicolored gradation across the film. The results of UV-vis and energy dispersive X-ray analyses for the doped films supported the distribution of dopants in the polymer films reflecting the potential gradient on the bipolar electrode. Furthermore, the reversibility of the bipolar doping of the PMT film was demonstrated by a spectroelectrochemical investigation.