New Approaches Towards Highly Stretchable and Self-Healable Conjugated Polymers

共轭材料，特别是半导体聚合物，是一类应用广泛的有趣的化合物。更具体地说，这些材料具有适合用于有机电子的性质，并且它们还具有允许通过大规模印刷方法制造和制造器件的高溶解度。此外，良好的机械和光学性能使半导体聚合物成为开发可伸展和自我修复设备的理想平台，在可穿戴电子产品和医疗保健领域具有巨大潜力。在大多数有机电子器件中，其性能主要受形态问题的限制。由于共轭聚合物具有较高的结晶度和刚性，因此必须对其力学性能进行优化，以提高其应变容限和性能。因此，获得可耐受极端环境条件(应变、穿孔、高温等)的有序纳米结构共轭聚合物的新方法应运而生。对于这项技术的推广是非常可取的。 这项研究计划的统一主题是利用超分子化学提供的独特机会来设计和制备坚固和自愈的半导体聚合物材料。为了达到这一目标，将对共轭聚合物和有机材料进行合理的设计。通过结合允许超分子相互作用的各种类型的官能团，可以对聚合物形态进行仔细控制的调制。由此产生的有序和定义良好的聚合物网络将增强电荷传输和机械性能。我们还建议加入共轭交联部分，这些部分将连接、固定和刚性聚合物链网络，从而改善材料内的整体电荷传输。为此，在共轭高聚物链的超分子自组装之后，通过聚二乙炔的形成，将使用一种新颖而有效的交联方法来获得结构创新和机械性能稳定的可伸缩共轭聚合物。从广泛的角度来看，可拉伸和自愈有机材料的合成和开发，以及新的交联方法，对于开发新型创新的有机功能材料具有重要意义。开发的材料和战略将引领和促进可穿戴式和柔性电子产品等革命性技术的发展。 这一独特的研究计划还将有助于培训高素质的科学家，他们在化学、物理和工程领域拥有不同的技能，这将有利于加拿大的私人和公共研究。这些项目还将教育和培训材料科学中的化学合成和分子设计方面的研究生和本科生。

Conjugated materials, especially semiconducting polymers, are an interesting class of compounds for a wide variety of applications. More specifically, these materials have suitable properties for use in organic electronics and they also possess a high solubility that allows for device fabrication and manufacturing via large-scale printing methods. Moreover, good mechanical and optical properties make semiconducting polymers an ideal platform for the development of stretchable and self-healing devices with great potential in wearable electronics and healthcare. In most organic electronic devices, the performance is mainly limited due to morphological issues. Given their high crystallinity and rigidity, the mechanical properties of conjugated polymers have to be optimized in order to increase their strain tolerance and performance. Thus, novel methods to obtain ordered and nanostructured conjugated polymers that can tolerate extreme environmental conditions (strain, puncture, heat, etc.) are highly desirable for the expansion of this technology. The unifying theme of this research program is to exploit the unique opportunity given by supramolecular chemistry to design and prepare robust and self-healable semiconducting polymeric materials. To reach this goal, a rational design of the conjugated polymers and organic materials will be performed. By incorporating various types of functionalities allowing supramolecular interactions, a carefully controlled modulation of the polymer morphology is possible. The resulting ordered and well-defined polymer networks will enhance the charge-transport and mechanical properties. We also propose to incorporate conjugated crosslinking moieties that will link, fix and rigidify the polymer chain network, thereby improving the overall charge transport within the materials. To this end, after supramolecular self-assembly of the conjugated polymer chains, a novel and efficient crosslinking methodology will be used via polydiacetylene formation to give access to structurally innovative and mechanically robust stretchable conjugated polymers. From a broad perspective, the synthesis and development of stretchable and self-healable organic materials, as well as new crosslinking methodologies, are of great interest for the development of new innovative organic functional materials. The materials and strategies developed will lead and contribute to the evolution of revolutionary technologies such as wearable and flexible electronics. This unique research program will also contribute to the training of highly qualified scientists with a diverse set of skills at the interface of chemistry, physics and engineering which will benefit Canadian private and public research. These projects will also educate and train graduate and undergraduate students in chemical synthesis and molecular design in materials science.