A novel in situ deprotection/coupling and iterative divergent/convergent strategy for the synthesis of oligo(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)s

Backbone Engineering of Monodisperse Conjugated Polymers via Integrated Iterative Binomial Synthesis

Synthesis of sequence-defined monodisperse π-conjugated polymers with versatile backbones remains a substantial challenge. Here we report the development of an integrated iterative binomial synthesis (IIBS) strategy to enable backbone engineering of conjugated polymers with precisely controlled lengths and sequences as well as high molecular weights. The IIBS strategy capitalizes on the use of phenol as a surrogate for aryl bromide and represents the merge between protecting-group-aided iterative synthesis (PAIS) and iterative binomial synthesis (IBS). Long and monodisperse conjugated polymers with diverse irregular backbones, which are inaccessible by conventional polymerizations, can be efficiently prepared by IIBS. In addition, topology-dependent and chain-length-dependent properties have been investigated.

Iterative Exponential Growth of Oxygen-Linked Aromatic Polymers Driven by Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions

This work presents the first transition metal-free synthesis of oxygen-linked aromatic polymers by integrating iterative exponential polymer growth (IEG) with nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions. Our approach applies methyl sulfones as the leaving groups, which eliminate the need for a transition metal catalyst, while also providing flexibility in functionality and configuration of the building blocks used. As indicated by 1) 1H-1H NOESY NMR spectroscopy, 2) single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and 3) density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the unimolecular polymers obtained are folded by nonclassical hydrogen bonds formed between the oxygens of the electron-rich aromatic rings and the positively polarized C-H bonds of the electron-poor pyrimidine functions. Our results not only introduce a transition metal-free synthetic methodology to access precision polymers but also demonstrate how interactions between relatively small, neutral aromatic units in the polymers can be utilized as new supramolecular interaction pairs to control the folding of precision macromolecules.

Synthesis of oligoarylacetylenes with defined conjugated sequences using tailor-made soluble polymer supports

The use of polystyrene-based soluble polymer supports greatly simplifies the synthesis and characterization of self-aggregating sequence-defined oligoarylacetylenes.

Iterative Exponential Growth Synthesis and Assembly of Uniform Diblock Copolymers

Studies on the phase segregation of unimolecular block copolymers (BCPs) are limited by a lack of reliable, versatile methods for the synthesis of such polymers on the preparative scale. Herein, we describe an advancement of Iterative Exponential Growth (IEG) wherein chiral allyl-based IEG oligomers are subjected to thiol-ene reactions and converted into unimolecular BCPs. With this strategy we have synthesized uniform BCPs with molar masses up to 12.1 kDa on ∼1 g scale. BCPs composed of decane-based side chains and either triethyleneglycol- or thioglycerol-based side chains phase-segregate into hexagonal cylinder morphologies. The assembly is not driven by side-chain crystallization, but is instead the result of amorphous BCP assembly.

Synthesis of 1,2-biphenylethane based single-molecule diodes

We have described the synthesis of novel biphenylethane-based wires for molecular electronics. Exceptional single-molecule diode behavior was predicted for unsymmetrically substituted biphenylethane derivatives, synthesized here using the so far unexplored unsymmetrically substituted 1,2-bis(4-bromophenyl)ethanes as key intermediates, which were obtained from the corresponding tolane precursor by selective hydrogenation.

Polar tagging in the synthesis of monodisperse oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s and an update on the synthesis of oligoPPEs

One important access to monodisperse (functionalized) oligoPPEs is based on the orthogonality of the alkyne protecting groups triisopropylsilyl and hydroxymethyl (HOM) and on the polar tagging with the hydroxymethyl moiety for an easy chromatographic separation of the products. This paper provides an update of this synthetic route. For the deprotection of HOM protected alkynes, γ-MnO₂ proved to be better than (highly) activated MnO₂. The use of HOM as an alkyne protecting group is accompanied by carbometalation as a side reaction in the alkynyl-aryl coupling. The extent of carbometalation can be distinctly reduced through substitution of HOM for 1-hydroxyethyl. The strategy of polar tagging is extended by embedding ether linkages within the solubilising side chains. With building blocks such as 1,4-diiodo-2,5-bis(6-methoxyhexyl) less steps are needed to assemble oligoPPEs with functional end groups and the isolation of pure compounds becomes simple. For the preparation of 1,4-dialkyl-2,5-diiodobenzene a better procedure is presented together with the finding that 1,4-dialkyl-2,3-diiodobenzene, a constitutional isomer of 1,4-dialkyl-2,5-diiodobenzene, is one of the byproducts.

Synthesis and Characterization of Soluble Conjugated Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) Derivatives Constituted of Alternating Pyrazole and 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Moieties

New soluble poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives with 1,3,4-oxadiazole and pyrazole rings along the main chain were synthesized by Heck coupling. The new conjugated polymers are soluble in common organic solvents as a result of the fully conjugated backbone with dodecyloxy side groups. The polymers show relatively high glass-transition temperatures (up to 160°C) and good satisfactory thermal stability. Solutions of the polymers emit blue-greenish light with photoluminescence (PL) emission maxima around 490–500 nm. The PL spectrum of the polymer’s thin films, with a maximum at 515 nm, shows a red-shift (~20 nm), with respect to the solution spectrum. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that both conjugated polymers have reversible oxidation and irreversible reduction, making them n-type electroluminescent materials. The electron affinity of the new polymers was estimated as 2.73–2.74 eV. The weight-average molecular weights (M w) of the new soluble polymers were in the range of 4790–4950.

Synthesis of functional molecular rod oligomers

We are presenting the synthesis of a phenylene ethynylene-based rod containing an Fmoc protected amino group and an activated acid which can be applied to peptide couplings. This linear amino acid analogue is applied to the synthesis of di-, tri- and pentamers. The pentamer has a molecular mass of 6.5 kDa and is characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS. The method has potential for the formation of long macromolecular oligomers.