Helical Spin Polymer with Magneto-Electro-Optical Activity

Chirality in polythiophenes: A review

Chiroptical polythiophene (PTh), as one of the most important chiral conductive polymers, is an emerging and hot topic in chiral materials, which shows great application potentials in fields as diverse as chiral sensing and separation, asymmetry catalysis, chiroptoelectronics, and even chiro-spintronics. This review summarizes progress in chiral polythiophenes (PThs) in the past 10 years, including the synthesis, properties and applications. Main focus is placed on the manner in which chirality is implemented and the optical activity of the chiral PThs. We showcase examples in which the chirality of PThs is induced by side chain substituents with point, planar, and axial chirality or arises from external chiral media. Application of chiral PThs is also included. Finally, perspectives for further development are offered.

Polypeptide organic radical batteries

In only a few decades, lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized technologies, enabling the proliferation of portable devices and electric vehicles¹, with substantial benefits for society. However, the rapid growth in technology has highlighted the ethical and environmental challenges of mining lithium, cobalt and other mineral ore resources, and the issues associated with the safe usage and non-hazardous disposal of batteries². Only a small fraction of lithium-ion batteries are recycled, further exacerbating global material supply of strategic elements^3-5. A potential alternative is to use organic-based redox-active materials^6-8 to develop rechargeable batteries that originate from ethically sourced, sustainable materials and enable on-demand deconstruction and reconstruction. Making such batteries is challenging because the active materials must be stable during operation but degradable at end of life. Further, the degradation products should be either environmentally benign or recyclable for reconstruction into a new battery. Here we demonstrate a metal-free, polypeptide-based battery, in which viologens and nitroxide radicals are incorporated as redox-active groups along polypeptide backbones to function as anode and cathode materials, respectively. These redox-active polypeptides perform as active materials that are stable during battery operation and subsequently degrade on demand in acidic conditions to generate amino acids, other building blocks and degradation products. Such a polypeptide-based battery is a first step to addressing the need for alternative chemistries for green and sustainable batteries in a future circular economy.

A pyridinium-pended conjugated polyelectrolyte for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and organic solar cells

A pyridinium-pended conjugated polyelectrolyte with photo-induced amine doping behaviour was designed for multiple applications.

Helical polymer self-assembly and chiral nanostructure formation

This review surveys recent progress towards robust chiral nanostructure fabrication techniques using synthetic helical polymers, the unique inferred properties that these materials possess, and their intricate connection to natural, biological chirality.

Design of an n-type low glass transition temperature radical polymer

We document the design, synthesis, and characterization of the first low glass transition temperature, n-type (i.e., preferentially-reduced) radical polymer.

Bulky 2,6-disubstituted aryl siloxanes and a disilanamine

The crystal structures of 5-bromo-1,3-di-tert-butyl-2-[(tri-methyl-sil-yl)-oxy]benzene, C17H29BrOSi, (I), 1,3-di-tert-butyl-2-[(tri-methyl-sil-yl)-oxy]benzene, C17H30OSi, (II), and N-(2,6-diiso-propyl-phen-yl)-1,1,1-trimethyl-N-(tri-methyl-sil-yl)silanamine, C18H35NSi2, (III), are reported. Compound (I) crystallizes in space group P21/c with Z' = 1, (II) in Pnma with Z' = 0.5 and (III) in Cmcm with Z' = 0.25. Consequently, the mol-ecules of (II) are constrained by m and those of (III) by m2m site symmetries. Despite this, both (I) and (II) are distorted towards mild boat conformations, as is typical of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-substituted phenyl compounds, reflecting the high local steric pressure of the flanking alkyl groups. Compound (III) by contrast is planar and symmetric, and this lack of distortion is compatible with the lower steric pressure of the flanking 2,6-diisopropyl substituents.