Open AccessDevelopment of a universal chain‐growth polymerization protocol of conjugated polymers: Toward a variety of all‐conjugated block‐copolymers
Author(s) -
Verswyvel Michiel,
Verstappen Pieter,
De Cremer Lieven,
Verbiest Thierry,
Koeckelberghs Guy
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of polymer science part a: polymer chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.768
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1099-0518
pISSN - 0887-624X
DOI - 10.1002/pola.25014
Subject(s) - copolymer , conjugated system , monomer , polymerization , moiety , polymer chemistry , polymer , living polymerization , materials science , chemistry , combinatorial chemistry , radical polymerization , organic chemistry
This manuscript reports a universal chain‐growth polymerization protocol for conjugated polymers. Herein, the Pd‐based catalyst moiety dissociates from the growing active center into the solution and therefore, the controlled chain‐growth character is not relying on any specific, system‐related complexation, as is the case in polymerization methods reported before. This makes the protocol applicable on a broad range of monomers and, furthermore, also allows an easy one‐pot synthesis of block‐copolymers by successive monomer addition. A chain‐growth polymerization mechanism for poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (PF) and all‐conjugated block‐copolymers of them is presented. Moreover, the sequence of monomer addition in the synthesis of these conjugated block‐copolymers is unimportant, which is unique. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011