Synthesis and Properties of Regioregular Conjugated Ladder Polymers

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PART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYPolymers that have a ladder-like, double-stranded, and ribbon-like molecular chain architecture are termed ladder polymers. They have been the object of scientific quest since 1966 because they are predicted to have far superior heat resistance, mechanical, electrical, optical and other physical properties, compared to their non-ladder counterparts. However, such ideal ladder polymers have remained unrealized materials because of the difficulty of making them. This project aims to develop a novel chemistry for making various ladder polymers. The project will also investigate the structural and physical properties of the new materials. The resulting new ladder polymers will enable testing of longstanding predictions of their properties. The new materials could also find applications in areas such as electronics, biosensors and wearable devices, aerospace structures, 3D printing, electrical energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors), and photovoltaic devices. The research project will also facilitate education of graduate and undergraduate students, including women and underrepresented minorities, in emerging science and engineering fields.PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARY Conjugated ladder polymers are predicted to have far superior structural and physical properties, compared to their non-ladder counterparts, due to their ribbon-like topology. However, these materials have largely remained a dream because the challenge of making them directly has remained unsolved. This research project aims to tackle this scientific challenge by exploring a novel approach. The overall goal of the project is to develop new chemistry for the synthesis of diverse well-defined, soluble, regioregular conjugated ladder polymers and investigate their properties. Specifically, the PI and his group will: (1) design and synthesize new multifunctional monomers suitable for making the regioregular conjugated ladder polymers; (2) develop polymerization methods for the one-step synthesis of the conjugated ladder polymers; (3) investigate the effects of regioregularity on the structure, morphology and physical properties of conjugated ladder polymers; and (4) investigate the morphology, charge transport and photophysics of the new conjugated ladder polymers. .This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.