Self-organization and nano-crystallization of electronically-active polymer films and solid polymer electrolytes

在定制的先进聚合物合成方面取得了前所未有的进展，使其融入了众多的下一代技术。这些进展明显的两个具体领域是用于燃料电池的聚合物电解质和用于有机电子的半导体塑料。在过去的5年里，世界各地的许多研究小组已经应用了基于纳米相分离的多功能聚合物膜的合成的设计策略，这些聚合物膜增强了现有的性能并刺激了新的性能。这些新兴技术的聚合物薄膜发展的下一个重要发展涉及设计策略，这些策略将聚合物的灵活性和易于加工的特性与促进特定性能的长范围结晶有序的形成相结合-并且在特定方向上。例如，需要控制电子或离子传输的各向异性和方向-即使在薄聚合物膜中。该研究计划的主题是探索模型聚合物和互补小分子的合成和自组织，使人们能够探索结构和分子互补性对功能聚合物和小分子聚集体互穿网络自组织的影响。将研究两种完全不同的体系：含酸聚合物和π共轭聚合物。这些系统是目前的兴趣，因为它们在燃料电池和有机电子学的应用。该计划将主要涉及功能聚合物的合成和化学表征方法的研究，但将包括纳米结构聚合物膜的形态学，电子学和电化学研究，以及它们在聚合物电解质燃料电池，聚合物光致发光，电致发光显示器和场效应晶体管等设备中的应用。

Unprecedented advances in the synthesis of tailor-made, advanced polymers has led to their integration into numerous, next-generation technologies. Two specific areas where these advances are evident are Polymer Electrolytes for Fuel Cells and Semiconducting Plastics for Organic Electronics. Over the past 5 years, many groups worldwide, have applied design strategies based on the synthesis of nano-phase separated, multifunctional polymer films that enhance existing properties and stimulate new ones. The next important development in the evolution of polymer films for these emerging technologies involves design strategies that couple the flexibility and ease-of-processing characteristic of polymers with the formation of long range crystalline order that promotes a particular property - and in a particular direction. For example, anisotropy and direction of electron or ion transport needs to be controlled - even in thin polymer films. The theme of this research program is the exploration of the synthesis and self-organization of model polymers and complementary small molecules that enable one to probe effects of structure and molecular complementarity on self-organization of interpenetrating networks of functional polymers and aggregates of small molecules. Two quite different systems will be investigated: acid-bearing polymers and pi-conjugated polymers. These systems are of current interest because of their application in fuel cells and organic electronics. The program will mainly involve investigation of methods of synthesis and chemical characterization of functional polymers, but will encompass morphological, electronic, and electrochemical studies of the nanostructured polymer film, and their use in devices ranging from polymer electrolyte fuel cells, polymer photovoltaics, electroluminescent displays and field effect transistors.