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Advances in the Synthesis of π‐Conjugated Polymers by Photopolymerization
Author(s) -
Woods Eliot F.,
Berl Alexandra J.,
Kalow Julia A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemphotochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.13
H-Index - 18
ISSN - 2367-0932
DOI - 10.1002/cptc.202000212
Subject(s) - photopolymer , thiophene , polymer , conjugated system , materials science , flexibility (engineering) , nanotechnology , condensation polymer , polymerization , photochemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , statistics , mathematics
π‐Conjugated polymers (CPs) combine the flexibility, processability, and lightness of plastics with semiconducting properties for optoelectronic applications. These polymers are conventionally synthesized by thermal transition‐metal‐catalyzed polycondensation. Photochemical approaches to CPs offer the possibility of direct photopatterning, but present mechanistic challenges. Shimidzu first described the photopolymerization of thiophene derivatives in the 1990s, but the field lay dormant for many years. Recently, both oxidative and reductive photopolymerizations have been developed to access p‐type and n‐type materials. This Minireview summarizes these developments and the outlook for this nascent field.