Conductive supramolecular liquid-crystalline polymers by ionic self-assembly

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The overall aim of this project is to design easy-to-process yet highly ordered supramolecular materials with anisotropic and switchable optoelectronic properties from readily available biological and synthetic building blocks. We propose to combine the well-defined electronic properties of oligo(aniline) derivatives with the good film-forming properties of linear polymers and the orientability of liquid-crystalline (LC) phase structures in an approach based on ionic self-assembly. Cationic tetra(aniline) derivatives will be synthesised and complexes will be prepared from both ionic polypeptides with defined secondary structure and synthetic polymers. The supramolecular polymer complexes will successively be plasticised and doped using bulky organic acids in order to achieve liquid-crystalline phase behaviour and conducting properties. The self-assembly and LC phase behaviour of the supramolecular polymers, as well as their orientability in external (mechanical, magnetic) fields, will be investigated. To promote understanding of the relation between structural order and electronic transport, the impact of the self-assembly of the tetra(aniline) moieties into defined nanostructures on the materials conductivity will be studied. Anisotropic conductivity as well as switchable conductivity at phase transitions can be expected in oriented structures. Such a simultaneous control over structure and function is desirable from an application point of view, and may lead to potential applications in, for example, printable anisotropic conducting materials for biosensors.