University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
Organic semi-conducting polymers demonstrate promise in the use of photovoltaic and electronic devices; however, they are difficult to polymerize in a reproducible and controlled manner due to the step-growth nature of polymerization that results in random coupling of polymer, oligomer and monomer units. In order to fully utilize the attractive qualities of -conjugated organic polymers for the improvement of organic electronic devices, polymerization methods must be developed that allow for greater control over the properties of synthesized polymers. An investigation of the special type of chain growth polymerization, catalyst-transfer polymerization, for the synthesis of poly (3-hexylthiophene) is described. Poly (3-hexylthiophene) polymerization from a variety of external initiators was attempted utilizing a nickel catalyst with different phosphine-binding ligands. Using various characterization methods we were able to determine the most effective ligand for controlled chain-growth polymerization with the above external initiators.
This work was made possible by the Hooked on Photonics program, which is sponsored by the Science and Technology Center, the Center for Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research and the National Science Foundation.
[Abstract (DOC)]