Collaborative Research: Controlling the Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers through Fundamental Studies of Mechanisms, Methods, and the Direct Correlation to Polymer Properties

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In this collaborative project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Dr. Jason Locklin of University of Georgia and Dr. Wei You of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill aim to establish new chemical approaches that allow for precise control of sequence, molecular weight, and dispersity in the polymerization of conjugated monomers. These advances are needed to allow for improved structure/property relationships, which are critical for the development of organic polymers for various technologically significant applications including photovoltaics and flexible electronics. This collaborative project promotes multidisciplinary education and research experience at the graduate and undergraduate levels. It is anticipated that graduate students spend time in each other's laboratories acquiring expertise unavailable in the individual research groups, and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering participate in this project through active recruitment. Consequently, participants not only learn new science and develop key technologies, but also build networks of collaborators and contacts and learn important skills for working in interdisciplinary environments. Furthermore, this collaborative project features public outreach to K-12 schools with regular classroom visits to deliver talks on polymers and nanotechnology along with hands-on activities via kit-based science modules.This collaborative team aims (1) to develop broadly applicable methods to the synthesis of conjugated polymers via controlled chain-growth polymerization in solution, facilitated by a fundamental understanding of the catalytic mechanism using small molecule competition reactions and the kinetic isotope effect, and (2) to evaluate materials in device configurations to determine structure/property relationships of polymers synthesized with high precision versus those prepared with conventional methods. At the conclusion of these studies, this collaborative team anticipates having established a rational and effective method for preparing chain-growth catalysts for selected new monomers and gained a better understanding between structure/property relationships and their correlation to device performance in organic electronic devices. This multi-institutional collaboration integrates the necessary expertise and resources in synthesis and characterization of novel organic molecules and polymers, thin film characterization, and in polymer solar cell device fabrication and characterization. A better understanding of the catalytic cycle with metal-mediated cross coupling reactions and more precise control of an interfacial layer in device geometries will have significant impact on other related fields of organic electronics, such as transistors, light emitting diodes, and fuel cells.