A study of diphenylfumaronitrile and furan-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole alternating copolymer and its thin-film transistors

A fused aromatic furan-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole and novel diphenylfumaronitrile conjugated building blocks are used for the synthesis of an alternating copolymer (DPFN-DPPF) via Suzuki polycondensation. In this paper, the first attempt to use the diphenylfumaronitrile building block for the synthesis of conjugated polymer is described. The number-average and weight-average molecular weights calculated for DPFN-DPPF are 20?661 and 66?346 g mol-1, respectively. The optical bandgap calculated for DPFN-DPPF is 1.53 eV whereas the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) value calculated by photoelectron spectroscopy in air (PESA) is 5.50 eV. The calculated HOMO value is lower, which is suitable for stable organic electronic devices. DPFN-DPPF polymer is used as an active layer in bottom-contact bottom-gate organic thin-film transistor devices and the thin film exhibits a hole mobility of 0.20 cm2 V-1 s-1 in air.

Furan substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole and thienylenevinylene based low band gap copolymer for high mobility organic thin film transistors

A novel solution processable donor-acceptor (D-A) based low band gap polymer semiconductor poly{3,6-difuran-2-yl-2,5-di(2-octyldodecyl)-pyrrolo[3,4- c]pyrrole-1,4-dione-alt-thienylenevinylene} (PDPPF-TVT), was designed and synthesized by a Pd-catalyzed Stille coupling route. An electron deficient furan based diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) block and electron rich thienylenevinylene (TVT) donor moiety were attached alternately in the polymer backbone. The polymer exhibited good solubility, film forming ability and thermal stability. The polymer exhibits wide absorption bands from 400 nm to 950 nm (UV-vis-NIR region) with absorption maximum centered at 782 nm in thin film. The optical band gap (Eoptg) calculated from the polymer film absorption onset is around 1.37 eV. The π-energy band level (ionization potential) calculated by photoelectron spectroscopy in air (PESA) for PDPPF-TVT is around 5.22 eV. AFM and TEM analyses of the polymer reveal nodular terrace morphology with optimized crystallinity after 200 °C thermal annealing. This polymer exhibits p-channel charge transport characteristics when used as the active semiconductor in organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) devices. The highest hole mobility of 0.13 cm 2 V -1 s -1 is achieved in bottom gate and top-contact OTFT devices with on/off ratios in the range of 10 6-10 7. This work reveals that the replacement of thiophene by furan in DPP copolymers exhibits such a high mobility, which makes DPP furan a promising block for making a wide range of promising polymer semiconductors for broad applications in organic electronics.

Novel polymer synthesis methodologies using combination of thermally and photochemically-induced nitroxide mediated polymerisation

The combination of thermally- and photochemically-induced polymerization using light sensitive alkoxyamines was investigated. The thermally driven polymerizations were performed via the cleavage of the alkoxyamine functionality, whereas the photochemically-induced polymerizations were carried out either by nitroxide mediated photo-polymerization (NMP2) or by a classical type II mechanism, depending on the structure of the light-sensitive alkoxyamine employed. Once the potential of the various structures as initiators of thermally- and photo-induced polymerizations was established, their use in combination for block copolymer syntheses was investigated. With each alkoxyamine investigated, block copolymers were successfully obtained and the system was applied to the post-modification of polymer coatings for application in patterning and photografting.

Hole mobility of 3.56 cm2V−1s−1accomplished using more extended dithienothiophene with furan flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer

A highly extended dithienothiophene comonomer building block was used in combination with highly fused aromatic furan substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole for the synthesis of novel donor–acceptor alternating copolymer PDPPF-DTT. Upon testing PDPPF-DTT as a channel semiconductor in top contact bottom gate organic field effect transistors (OFETs), it was found to exhibit p-channel behaviour. The highest hole mobility of 3.56 cm2 V−1 s−1 was reported for PDPPF-DTT. To our knowledge, this is the highest mobility reported so far for the furan flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole class of copolymers using conventional device geometry with straightforward processing.

Helix-coil stability constants for amino acids in nonaqueous solvents. Studies of random poly(-benzyl-L-glutamate-co-L-alanine) and poly(-benzyl-L-glutamate-co-L-leucine) in a mixed solvent

The host-guest technique has been applied to the determination of the helix-coil stability constants of two naturally occurring amino acids, L-alanine and L-leucine, in a nonaqueous solvent system. Random copolymers containing L-alanine and L-leucine, respectively, as guest residues and -benzyl-L-glutamate as the host residue were synthesized. The polymers were fractionated and characterized for their amino acid content, molecular weight, and helix-coil transition behavior in a dichloroacetic acid (DCA)-1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) mixture. Two types of helix-coil transitions were carried out on the copolymers: solvent-induced transitions in DCA-DCE mixtures at 25°C and thermally induced transitions in a 82:18 (wt %) DCA-DCE mixture. The thermally induced transitions were analyzed by statistical mechanical methods to determine the Zimm-Bragg parameters, and s, of the guest residues. The experimental data indicate that, in the nonaqueous solvent, the L-alanine residue stabilizes the -helical conformation more than the L-leucine residue does. This is in contrast to their behavior in aqueous solution, where the reverse is true. The implications of this finding for the analysis of helical structures in globular proteins are discussed.

Direct Synthesis of Terminally ``Clickable'' Linear and Hyperbranched Polyesters

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of an organic azide and an acetylenic unit,often referred to as the ``click reaction'', has become an important ligation tool both in the context of materials chemistry and biology. Thus, development of simple approaches to directly generate polymers that bear either an azide or an alkyne unit has gained considerable importance. We describe here a straightforward approach to directly prepare linear and hyperbranched polyesters that carry terminal propargyl groups. To achieve the former, we designed an AB-type monomer that carries a hydroxyl group and a propargyl ester, which upon self-condensation under standard transesterification conditions yielded a polyester that carries a single propargyl group at one of its chain-ends. Similarly, an AB(2) type monomer that carries one hydroxyl group and two propargyl ester groups, when polymerized under the same conditions yielded a hyperbranched polymer with numerous clickable'' propargyl groups at its molecular periphery. These propargyl groups can be readily clicked with different organic azides, such as benzyl azide, omega-azido heptaethyleneglycol monomethylether or 9-azidomethyl anthracene. When an anthracene chromophore is clicked, the molecular weight of the linear polyester could be readily estimated using both UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. Furthermore, the reactive propargyl end group could also provide an opportunity to prepare block copolymers in the case of linear polyesters and to generate nanodimensional scaffolds to anchor variety of functional units, in the case of the hyperbranched polymer. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3200-3208, 2010.

Periodically Clickable Polyesters: Study of Intrachain Self-Segregation Induced Folding, Crystallization, and Mesophase Formation

A series of polyesters based on 2-propargyl-1,3-propanediol or 2,2-dipropargyl-1,3-propanediol or 2-allyl-2-propargyl-1,3-propanediol and 1,20-eicosanedioic acid were prepared by solution polycondensation using the corresponding diacid chloride; these polyesters were quantitatively ``clicked'' with a fluoroalkyl, azide, namely CF3(CF2)(7)CH2CH2N3, to yield polyesters carrying long-chain alkylene segments in the backbone and either one or two perfluoroalkyl segments located at periodic intervals along the polymer chain. The immiscibility of the alkylene and fluoroalkyl segments causes the polymer chains to fold in a zigzag fashion to facilitate the segregation of these segments; the folded chains further organize in the solid state to form a lamellar structure with alternating domains of alkyl (HC) and fluoroalkyl (FC) segments. Evidence for the self-segregation is provided by DSC, SAXS, WAXS, and TEM studies; in two of the samples, the DSC thermograms showed two distinct endotherms associated with the melting of the individual domains, while the WAXS patterns confirm the existence of two separate peaks corresponding to the interchain distances within the crystalline lattices of the HC and FC domains. SAXS data, on the other hand, reveal the formation of an extended lamellar morphology with an interlamellar spacing that matches reasonably well with those estimated from TEM studies. Interestingly, a smectic-type liquid crystalline phase is observed at temperatures between the two melting transitions. These systems present a unique opportunity to develop interesting nanostructured polymeric materials with precise control over both the domain size and morphology; importantly, the domain sizes are far smaller than those typically observed in traditional block copolymers.

Intramolecular conflict : conformation and self-assembly of architecturally complex macromolecules in solution

The solution behavior of linear polymer chains is well understood, having been the subject of intense study throughout the previous century. As plastics have become ubiquitous in everyday life, polymer science has grown into a major field of study. The conformation of a polymer in solution depends on the molecular architecture and its interactions with the surroundings. Developments in synthetic techniques have led to the creation of precision-tailored polymeric materials with varied topologies and functionalities. In order to design materials with the desired properties, it is imperative to understand the relationships between polymer architecture and their conformation and behavior. To meet that need, this thesis investigates the conformation and self-assembly of three architecturally complex macromolecular systems with rich and varied behaviors driven by the resolution of intramolecular conflicts. First we describe the development of a robust and facile synthetic approach to reproducible bottlebrush polymers (Chapter 2). The method was used to produce homologous series of bottlebrush polymers with polynorbornene backbones, which revealed the effect of side-chain and backbone length on the overall conformation in both good and theta solvent conditions (Chapter 3). The side-chain conformation was obtained from a series of SANS experiments and determined to be indistinguishable from the behavior of free linear polymer chains. Using deuterium-labeled bottlebrushes, we were able for the first time to directly observe the backbone conformation of a bottlebrush polymer which showed self-avoiding walk behavior. Secondly, a series of SANS experiments was conducted on a homologous series of Side Group Liquid Crystalline Polymers (SGLCPs) in a perdeuterated small molecule liquid crystal (5CB). Monodomain, aligned, dilute samples of SGLCP-b-PS block copolymers were seen to self-assemble into complex micellar structures with mutually orthogonally oriented anisotropies at different length scales (Chapter 4). Finally, we present the results from the first scattering experiments on a set of fuel-soluble, associating telechelic polymers. We observed the formation of supramolecular aggregates in dilute (≤0.5wt%) solutions of telechelic polymers and determined that the choice of solvent has a significant effect on the strength of association and the size of the supramolecules (Chapter 5). A method was developed for the direct estimation of supramolecular aggregation number from SANS data. The insight into structure-property relationships obtained from this work will enable the more targeted development of these molecular architectures for their respective applications.

Self-assembly of brush polymers

The unique structure and properties of brush polymers have led to increased interest in them within the scientific community. This thesis describes studies on the self-assembly of these brush polymers.

Chapter 2 describes a study on the rapid self-assembly of brush block copolymers into nanostructures with photonic bandgaps spanning the entire visible spectrum, from ultraviolet to near infrared. Linear relationships are observed between the peak wavelengths of reflection and polymer molecular weights. This work enables "bottom-up" fabrication of photonic crystals with application-tailored bandgaps, through synthetic control of the polymer molecular weight and the method of self-assembly.

Chapter 3 details the analysis of the self-assembly of symmetrical brush block copolymers in bulk and thin films. Highly ordered lamellae with domain spacing ranging from 20 to 240 nm are obtained by varying molecular weight of the backbone. The relationship between degree of polymerization and the domain spacing is reported, and evidence is provided for how rapidly the brush block copolymers self-assemble and achieve thermodynamic equilibrium.

Chapter 4 describes investigations into where morphology transitions take place as the volume fraction of each block is varied in asymmetrical brush block copolymers. Imaging techniques are used to observe a transition from lamellar to a cylindrical morphology as the volume fraction of one of the blocks exceeds 70%. It is also shown that the asymmetric brush block copolymers can be kinetically trapped into undulating lamellar structures by drop casting the samples.

Chapter 5 explores the capability of macromolecules to interdigitate into densely grafted molecular brush copolymers using stereocomplex formation as a driving force. The stereocomplex formation between complementary linear polymers and brush copolymers is demonstrated, while the stereocomplex formation between complementary brush copolymers is shown to be restricted.

Estudo da influência do teor de segmentos hidrofílicos na síntese de poliuretanos dispersos em água

Considerações ambientais têm aumentado a pesquisa e o desenvolvimento de sistemas poliméricos aquosos para diversos tipos de aplicações, principalmente como revestimentos. Nesta dissertação, foram sintetizadas formulações não-poluentes à base de poliuretanos dispersos em água (PUDs), com 40% de teor de sólidos, na ausência de solventes orgânicos. Os monômeros empregados foram copolímeros em bloco à base de poli(glicol etilênico) e poli(glicol propilênico) (EG-b-PG), com teor de 25% de segmento hidrofílico EG, poli (glicol propilênico) (PPG), ácido dimetilolpropiônico (DMPA), diisocianato de isoforona (IPDI) e hidrazina (HYD), como extensor de cadeia. Foram variadas as razões entre o número de equivalente-grama de grupamentos isocianato e hidroxila (NCO/OH) e a proporção em equivalente-grama de PPG e dos copolímeros em bloco (EG-b-PG). Foi observado que a incorporação de altas quantidades de copolímero dificultou a síntese dos poliuretanos dispersos em água, levando à formação de géis. O tamanho médio de partícula e a viscosidade das dispersões foram determinados. Os filmes vazados a partir dessas dispersões foram avaliados quanto à capacidade de absorção de água, resistência mecânica, termogravimetria (TG), e caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (FTIR). As dispersões poliuretânicas produzidas se mostraram satisfatórias quando aplicadas como revestimento para madeira, metais e vidro

Estudo físico-químico de copoliéteres por viscosimetria

A viscosimetria é um procedimento experimental simples e pouco oneroso, que pode fornecer informações valiosas sobre o volume hidrodinâmico e a conformação de macromoléculas em solução, num determinado solvente, em uma dada temperatura. Os parâmetros viscosimétricos podem ser matematicamente calculados por extrapolação gráfica, cuja execução experimental é mais demorada. Em contrapartida, é possível que a determinação seja feita por um único ponto. Neste trabalho, os dois métodos de cálculo, empregando uma série de seis equações: Huggins, Kraemer e Schulz-Blaschke, por extrapolação gráfica, e Schulz-Blaschke, Solomon-Ciuta e Deb-Chanterjee por um único ponto, foram utilizados em soluções de poli(glicol propilênico) (PPG) e copolímeros em bloco à base de poli(glicol propilênico) e poli(glicol etilênico) (EG-b-PG), com diferentes teores de poli(glicol etilênico), tendo isopropanol, tetra-hidrofurano (THF) e tolueno como solventes puros, além das misturas em proporções iguais de THF/ isopropanol e THF/ tolueno, a 25C. Os valores de viscosidade intrínseca e de algumas constantes indicaram que os solventes puros e as misturas se apresentaram no limite entre o bom e o mau solvente. Verificou-se também que o método de cálculo por um único ponto foi válido, especialmente quando a equação de Schulz-Blaschke foi empregada, apresentando um baixo percentual de erro sendo possível assim reduzir o tempo de análise para a maioria dos sistemas estudados

Estudo do efeito da adição de poli(glicol etilênico-b-glicol propilênico) na formação de dispersões aquosas poliuretânicas à base de poli(glicol propilênico)

Foram produzidas dispersões aquosas não-poluentes e inovadoras de poli(uretano-uréia) à base de poli(glicol propilênico) (PPG) e de copolímeros em bloco, poli(glicol etilênicob-glicol propilênico), (EG-b-PG) com teor de 7% de unidades de glicol etilênico. Os poli(uretano-uréia)s foram preparados, em duas etapas, pelo método do prepolímero. Na primeira etapa, foram obtidos anionômeros, sintetizados em massa, à base do copolímero EG-bPG, PPG, ácido dimetilol propiônico (DMPA) (gerador dos sítios aniônicos) e diisocianato de isoforona (IPDI). Ainda na primeira etapa, os grupos carboxílicos do DMPA foram submetidos à neutralização com trietilamina (TEA). Na segunda etapa, foi realizada a dispersão do prepolímero anionômero e, em seguida, foi conduzida a reação de extensão de cadeia com a hidrazina (HYD). Nas diferentes formulações, foram variadas a razão NCO/OH e as proporções de PPG e do copolímero em bloco EG-b-PG. Além disso, foram obtidas dispersões aquosas programadas para teores de sólidos de 40 e 50%. As dispersões foram avaliadas quanto ao teor de sólidos totais, tamanho médio de partícula e viscosidade. Os filmes, obtidos por vazamento das dispersões, foram avaliados quanto à absorção de água, termogravimetria (TG) e propriedades mecânicas (ensaio de tração). Os filmes vazados e os monômeros foram caracterizados por espectrometria na região de infravermelho (FTIR) As dispersões obtidas se mostraram adequadas para serem aplicadas como revestimento para madeira, metais e vidro

含苯胺五聚体嵌段共聚物的合成及生物医学应用

随着高分子材料在生物医学领域研究的深入，电活性高分子以其特有的化学和物理性质，受到国内外学者的广泛重视。电活性高分子，尤其是聚苯胺，在空气中稳定，导电性较高，能可逆氧化还原且无细胞毒性，因而在生物医学领域得到了较为广泛的应用，包括生物传感器、组织工程支架、用于粘附蛋白质或DNA的基质及电化学控制释放药物的电极等。但是限制聚苯胺在体内应用的最大问题是它的不可降解和不可吸收性，长期存在体内会造成炎症反应，需要二次手术取出。为了解决这个问题，我们设计合成了一系列新颖的共聚物材料，采用可生物降解的小分子量脂肪族聚酯（包括聚乳酸和聚己内酯）和电活性的苯胺五聚体利用N,N'-二环己基碳二亚胺（DCC）缩合法形成嵌段共聚物，得到了具有电活性的可生物降解材料，并证明这些共聚物材料具有很好的生物相容性，在电刺激条件下能够促进细胞的生长和分化，有望作为支架材料在神经组织工程中得到应用。我们还利用聚乙二醇和苯胺五聚体合成具有电活性的三嵌段共聚物，这种三嵌段共聚物在稀溶液中能够自组装成电刺激和pH响应敏感的球形胶束，而在浓溶液中能够形成具有微米尺寸的“沙漏”型组装体。三嵌段共聚物的这些独特的性质使其在药物控制释放等领域有着广阔的应用潜能。

两亲性三嵌段共聚物在选择性稀溶液中的自组装及应用

本论文主要研究了ABA和ABC型两亲性三嵌段共聚物在选择性稀溶液中的自组装行为，得到了多种形态新颖、结构复杂多样的胶束，研究了这些复杂胶束的形成过程，探讨了影响胶束形态的各种因素并通过适当的方法对胶束形态进行调控。研究了聚乙烯基毗陡（P4VP）／聚苯乙烯（PS）三嵌段共聚物P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP在二氧六环／水中的自组装行为，成功得到了嵌段共聚物环状胶束，并通过实验研究了环状胶束的形成过程。结果表明，胶束形态依赖于退火时间的长短。随着退火时间的延长，胶束结构从棒状过渡到环形结构。以实验结果为基础提出了环状胶束形成的新的机理，即囊泡塌陷形成环。同时，通过改变实验条件还得到了一些新型的环状复合结构，如环套环形、鸟状、哑铃形、戒指形、网络状等结构，并得到了与计算机模拟一致的结果。通过不同的方法对ABA型三嵌段共聚物（P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP）在选择性溶液中的自组装胶束形态进行调控：首先，详细研究了P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP在不同的共溶剂中的自组装行为。结果表明通过单纯改变共溶剂的性质可以很方便地调节胶束的形态，得到了球、棒、囊泡等结构。并用混合溶剂的方法得到了长度和直径可控的纳米线胶束。同时，通过加入第二种选择性溶剂（核层嵌段PS的选择性溶剂甲苯）的方法使形成胶束的核层嵌段在胶核中的伸展程度增加，从而使胶束形态发生转变。其次，研究了加入表面活性剂十五烷基苯酚（PDP）以构建分子间氢键来调节P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP的胶束形态。结果表明，通过调节PDP的加入量可以使胶束形态发生从球到棒，到网络状、再到囊泡结构的转变。通过实验对比系统地研究了PDP的加入对胶束形态转变的影响，提出了相应的形态转变机理。再次，研究了不同分子量的嵌段共聚物之间共混及共聚物与均聚物共混对胶束形态的影响。结果表明加入亲油嵌段的均聚物对共聚物胶束形态影响非常明显，胶束形态与加入的均聚物的分子量及加入量直接相关。同时得到了一些新形态的胶束，如海绵状、笼子状等。共聚物共混的研究结果表明：通过两种不同分子量的共聚物共混可以得到这两种共聚物胶束的过渡态结构。用共聚物混合的方法还可以得到一些具有生物模拟性的胶束结构，如乌贼状、章鱼状等。这加深了人们对囊泡的形成机理及各种胶束形态之间形态转变的认识。P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP通过在二氧六环／水中的自组装形成了囊泡，结果表明囊泡的尺寸依赖于初始状态下共聚物在共溶剂中的浓度及退火时间。除得到常规的球形囊泡外，还得到一些非球形囊泡，如长条形、三角形、项链形等囊泡结构。结合计算机模拟的方法研究了囊泡的形成机理，发现这些不同结构的囊泡的形成是由于初始状态下密度涨落所引起的。研究了实验中经常出现的各种胶束形态共存现象的原因，发现体系中亚稳态的存在是多形态共存的重要原因之一。通过聚苯乙烯一左聚乙烯基毗睫一左聚氧乙烯（PS一b一PZVP一b一PEO）在THF／水中的二次自组装首次得到了一种具有生物模拟性的巨大的节状蠕虫胶束（SWM）。研究发现，SWM是由重复单元盘状结构和丝状结构相连组成的。最令人吃惊的是这种SWM与自然界中的一些生命体如蛆叫、蛹、昆虫类的幼虫结构非常相似。通过对SWM形成过程中的中间态胶束结构的深入研究发现SWM是由球形胶束通过二次自组装形成的。SWM的形成过程可以分为三个阶段：ABC三嵌段共聚物先组装形成球形结构；这些球型结构粘连在一起形成梭形的中间结构；这些梭状中间结构中的球经过重组和重新调整各嵌段的排布最终形成SWM。用所得到的嵌段共聚物胶束为模板，采用无电沉积的方法成功制备了各种形态的金属一有机高分子纳米复合材料。用简单的方法还得到了导电金属金一银的双金属纳米结构材料。这些纳米结构材料在微电子器件等领域有潜在应用价值。以上研究结果丰富了人们对嵌段共聚物在选择性介质中自组装行为的理解，为人们提供了对生物材料自组装本质的理解的依据。这在两亲性分子在溶液中自组装的基础研究方面以及基于这些自组装形态而构建结构及功能更复杂的纳米结构材料等方面都有一定的意义。