Electroactive and Conducting Star-Branched Poly(3-hexylthiophene)s with a Conjugated Core

Ullmann coupling for low-cost synthesis of anthracene-based polyfluorenes: A photophysical approach

A set of anthracene containing polyfluorenes (PFs) having 9,10-diphenylanthracene with alkyl substituents and aniline containing fluorenes were prepared. Commonly, light-emitting polymers were synthesized using expensive palladium-like catalysts. In the present work, palladium was replaced by copper as a cost-effective PF synthesis catalyst, which is also suitable for large-scale polymer synthesis. Synthesized PFs emit light in the blue region with a bandgap of 2.87–2.90 eV. Thermally stable PFs had a decomposition temperature of more than 305°C and a glass transition temperature of 125–138°C. PFs were soluble in organic solvents and had a molecular weight of around 21,700–25,500. The electrochemical study of these PFs showed low level of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy of −5.16 to −5.26 eV, which was significantly higher than that of PF (5.7 eV). These findings suggested that the resulting PFs could be used as a component of the light-emitting diode.

Terthiophene Functionalized Conjugated Triarm Polymers Containing Poly(fluorene-2,7-vinylene) Arms Having Different Cores-Synthesis and Their Unique Optical Properties

Optical properties of three types of terthiophene (3T) functionalized conjugated triarm (star-shaped) polymers consisting of poly(9,9-di-n-octyl-fluorene-2,7-vinylene) (PFV) arms and different [2,4,6-tri(biphenyl)benzene (TBP), 1,3,5-tri(benzyl)benzene (TBB), and triphenylamine (TPA)] cores, prepared by combined olefin metathesis with Wittig coupling, have been studied. Relative intensities [increases in the higher vibronic bands, (0, 1) fluorescence (FL)] of the fully conjugated TPA-core polymers, TPA(PFV-3T)3, in the fluorescence (FL) spectra in tetrahydrofuran (toluene) solution were higher than those in the other triarm polymers, TBP(PFV-3T)3, TBB(PFV-3T)3, whereas no significant differences were observed in their UV-vis spectra; notable temperature dependences were not observed in the UV-vis and FL spectra (at -5, 25, and 55 °C). Remarkable differences were not observed in the spectra in these polymer thin films, whereas λmax values red-shifted due to the formation of J-type aggregates. The observation for the time-resolved study well corresponds to results for the steady-state fluorescence measurements. The observed unique emission by the star-shaped (triarm) polymer containing the TPA core would be assumed to be due to a difference in nature of the core (higher coplanarity) compared to that of the others.

HBP Builder: A Tool to Generate Hyperbranched Polymers and Hyperbranched Multi-Arm Copolymers for Coarse-grained and Fully Atomistic Molecular Simulations

Computer simulation has been becoming a versatile tool that can investigate detailed information from the microscopic scale to the mesoscopic scale. However, the crucial first step of molecular simulation is model building, particularly for hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) and hyperbranched multi-arm copolymers (HBMCs) with complex and various topological structures. Unlike well-defined polymers, not only the molar weight of HBPs/HBMCs with polydispersity, but the HBPs/HBMCs with the same degree of polymerization (DP) and degree of branching (DB) also have many possible topological structures, thus making difficulties for user to build model in molecular simulation. In order to build a bridge between model building and molecular simulation of HBPs and HBMCs, we developed HBP Builder, a C language open source HBPs/HBMCs building toolkit. HBP Builder implements an automated protocol to build various coarse-grained and fully atomistic structures of HBPs/HBMCs according to user's specific requirements. Meanwhile, coarse-grained and fully atomistic output structures can be directly employed in popular simulation packages, including HOOMD, Tinker and Gromacs. Moreover, HBP Builder has an easy-to-use graphical user interface and the modular architecture, making it easy to extend and reuse it as a part of other program.

Antimicrobial activity of hyperbranched polymers: Synthesis, characterization, and activity assay study

Poly(cyanurateamine) and poly(triacrylatetrimine) hyperbranched polymers were synthesized for the first time by adopting Michael addition reaction. These polymers were obtained by reacting diethylenetriamine (A2) with 2,4,6-triallylcyanurate (B3) and trimethylolpropane triacrylate (B3), respectively, at room temperature. The polymers were characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, 1H-, and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity of hyperbranched polymers was studied against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 2423, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus sp., and Acinetobacter beijerinckii. Both poly(cyanurateamine) and poly(triacrylatetrimine) show good antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria compared to gram-negative bacteria. Interestingly, poly(triacrylatetrimine) is better resistant to promising antibiotics and antiseptics bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens in comparison with poly(cyanurateamine).

Precise one-pot synthesis of fully conjugated end-functionalized star polymers containing poly(fluorene-2,7-vinylene) (PFV) arms

A facile one-pot synthesis of end-functionalized star polymers consisting of PFVs has been achieved by olefin metathesis and Wittig-type coupling.

Negishi coupling in the synthesis of advanced electronic, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic materials

Negishi coupling is an efficient and versatile tool for selective C–C bond formation in the synthesis of organic electronic, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic materials.

Indium-catalyzed polycyclotrimerization of diynes: a facile route to prepare regioregular hyperbranched polyarylenes

The facile and efficient InCl₃/2-iodophenol-catalyzed polycyclotrimerization of diynes to generate regioregular hyperbranched polyarylenes was successfully established.

Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Hyperbranched Poly(ester-amide)s Based on Natural Material

A series of novel AB3-type monomers were prepared from nontoxic natural gallic acid and amino acids. These monomers were then melt-polycondensed in the presence of MgO as a catalyst via a transesterification process at 170-190 degrees C to yield the hyperbranched poly(ester-amide)s bearing terminal acetyl groups. FTIR and NMR spectra confirmed the structures of all the monomers and polymers. The degrees of branching, estimated from 1H NMR and quantitative 13C NMR spectra, were 0.50-0.68. These hyperbranched polymers displayed moderately high molecular weights. Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation studies were carried out in vitro at 37.5 degrees C in NaOH hydrotropic solution and in Tris-HCl buffer (pH = 8.6) containing proteinase K, respectively. The results indicate that the hyperbranched poly(ester-amide)s are degradable hydrolytically as well as enzymatically, and the rate of hydrolytic degradation increases with the pH value of the solution.