Premium
Synthesis, Characterizations, and Morphological Studies of Polyoxometalate‐Containing Rod–Coil Diblock Copolymers
Author(s) -
Chakraborty Sanjiban,
Jin Lu,
Li Yong,
Liu Yucong,
Dutta Tanmoy,
Zhu DaMing,
Yan Xingzhong,
Keightley Andrew,
Peng Zhonghua
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201201127
Subject(s) - copolymer , atom transfer radical polymerization , polymer chemistry , polymerization , polyoxometalate , chemistry , solvent , materials science , chemical engineering , polymer , organic chemistry , engineering , catalysis
A set of hybrid rod–coil diblock copolymers containing different sizes of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) as the rod block and a polystyryl‐type (PS) coil block with covalently linked polyoxometalates (POMs) as side chains have been synthesized. The P3HT rod blocks, synthesized using Grignard metathesis polymerization, and the PS coil block, prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization were successfully coupled using “click” chemistry to form the rod–coil diblock copolymers (PS‐PTn). POM cluster attachment was performed on the diblock copolymers through a post‐polymerization functionalization approach. The thin film morphology of the diblock copolymers prior to cluster attachment shows a strong dependence on the solvent and the size of the P3HT block. Following cluster attachment, the hybrid diblock copolymers show much less solvent and size dependence in phase‐separated morphologies of their pristine films. The sporadic and isolated conducting domains seen in the pristine films change to widespread worm‐like conducting networks after thermal annealing; such morphologies are conducive to photovoltaic properties.