Chain-Growth Methods for the Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Conducting and Semiconducting Polymers

Abstract : Our accomplishments under FA9550-10-1-0395 include the synthesis of materials with novel electronic structures and properties and the organization of materials in particles and at interfaces. These efforts include general new methodology to end cap semiconducting polymers with groups that enable the formation of complex block polymers and their directed assembly into complex responsive sensory particles. New chemistries have been developed for the generation of high performance emissive structures and the generation of living polymerizations capable of producing polythiophenes. The latter methods give facilitated access to structurally precise materials and block copolymers with interesting magneto-optical properties. Efforts to understand the assembly of these functional materials, including block copolymers, are planed what will leverage the base scanning tunneling microscope imaging capabilities developed under this program.