Self-healing of conjugated polymers - Synthesis, Mechanistic Studies and Photophysical Properties

自修复聚合物具有独特的特性，即在发生损坏事件后可以恢复其原始功能。近年来，人们研究了许多方法，可以修复机械损伤，即(部分)恢复原始的机械性能。然而，对其他性质(如光学性质、电子传导性)的自愈研究还处于起步阶段。在这方面，这一合作项目旨在合成和表征可逆连接的共轭低聚物/聚合物，从长远来看，这将使光电子应用中实现自我修复的聚合物成为可能。该项目采用的定向整体方法不仅旨在合成和表征可逆连接的共轭低聚物/聚合物，而且还旨在从机理上理解基于这种材料的聚合物薄膜的自愈过程。基于不同共轭低聚物的新型可逆连接共轭聚合物将被合成。可逆交联剂将变化，以获得与降解产物垂直的官能团，并调节所需的愈合温度。随后，我们将用时间分辨光谱研究这些材料在溶液和溶液中的光致激子动力学。聚合物薄膜将在受控条件下通过紫外线照射和/或在环境空气中的氧化来老化，从而模拟有机电子器件中聚合物最普遍的降解途径之一。老化材料的光学性能的自愈将在温度处理(全局或区域退火法)后进行研究。因此，光诱导激子动力学将被引入作为老化的度量，随后的自修复和瞬时吸收显微镜被引入到自修复聚合物的研究领域。通过研究新材料中的激子动力学，即原始材料、老化材料和愈合材料中的激子动力学，本项目不仅考虑了自愈合的结构方面，而且重点描述了老化和自愈对这些聚合物材料功能的影响。因此，拟议的工作将有助于将优先计划SPP 1568设计和自修复材料的通用原则的重点扩展到功能材料的修复。

Self-healing polymers feature the unique property that their original functionality can be restored after a damage event. In recent years, many approaches have been investigated, which allow the healing of mechanical damage; i.e., the original mechanical properties are (partially) restored. However, the research on self-healing of other properties (e.g., optical properties, electronic conductivity) is still in its infancy. In this context this cooperation projects aims at the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of reversibly linked conjugated oligomers/polymers, which in perspective could allow for the realization of self-healing polymers for optoelectronic applications. The targeted holistic approach followed in this project aims not only at the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of reversibly linked conjugated oligomers/polymers but furthermore at deriving a mechanistic understanding of the self-healing processes in polymer films based on such materials. Novel reversibly linked conjugated polymers based on different conjugated oligomers will be synthesized. The reversible crosslinker will be varied in order to obtain functional groups, which are orthogonal to the degradation products, and to tune the required healing temperature. Subsequently, the photoinduced exciton dynamics of these materials will be investigated in solution and in by time-resolved spectroscopy. Polymer films will be aged under controlled conditions either by UV irradiation and/or by oxidation in the presence of ambient air, thus mimicking the one of the most prevalent degradation pathways of polymers in organic electronic devices. The self-healing of the optical properties of the aged materials will be investigated after temperature treatment (globally or by zone annealing). Thereby the photoinduced exciton dynamics will be introduced as a metric for aging and subsequent self-healing and transient absorption microscopy is introduced to the field of self-healing polymer research. By studying the exciton dynamics in the novel materials, i.e. in the virgin materials, the aged and the healed materials, this project does not (only) consider structural aspects of self-healing but focusses on describing the effect of aging and self-healing on the function of these polymeric materials. Thereby, the work proposed will contribute to extending the focus of the priority program SPP 1568 Design and Generic principles of Self-healing Materials towards the healing of functional materials.