Construction of a Hexameric Zn(II)‐metallomacrocycle and its Photo‐ and Electroluminescence Properties: [Zn6(O‐hexyl‐3,5‐bis(2,2′:6′,2″‐terpyridine)phenol)6(BF4)12]

Summary: An O‐hexyl‐3,5‐bis(terpyridine)phenol ligand has been synthesized and transformed into a hexagonal Zn(II)‐metallomacrocycle by a facile self‐assembly procedure capitalizing on terpyridine‐Zn(II)‐terpyridine connectivity. The structural composition was confirmed by NMR and mass spectral techniques; photo‐ and electroluminescence properties were also investigated. The OLED device shows green electroluminescent emission at 515 nm with a maximum luminance of 39 cd · m⁻² and maximum efficiency of 0.16 cd · A⁻¹.

Structure and electroluminescent properties of the metallomacrocycle investigated.     

Simple Silole‐Containing Polyfluorene for White Electroluminescence with Simultaneous Blue,Green, and Red Emission

Novel conjugated silole‐containing polyfluorenes, with green‐ and red‐emissive siloles on the backbone of the blue‐emissive polyfluorene are synthesized for white light electroluminescence (EL) from a single polymer with simultaneous red, green, and blue (RGB) emission. The CIE coordinates (0.33, 0.36) of the white light EL spectra are very close to that for pure white light (0.33, 0.33). The EL spectra are also quite stable at different applied voltages or brightness. The relative intensities for the three RGB peaks, at 450, 505, and 574 nm, were 0.94, 1, and 0.97, respectively, which demonstrates a balanced simultaneous RGB emission. A maximum luminous efficiency of 2.03 cd · A⁻¹ for a brightness of 344 cd · m⁻², and a luminous efficiency of 1.86 cd · A⁻¹ for a more practical brightness of 2 703 cd · m⁻², were achieved.

     

Novel Spectrally Stable Saturated Blue‐Light‐Emitting Poly[(fluorene)‐co‐(dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide)]s

Novel poly[(fluorene)‐co‐(2,8‐dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide‐3,7‐diyl)]s were synthesized. The octyl group on the 2,8‐dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide (DOSO) unit improved the solubility of the polymers and broadened the optical band gap from 2.95 to 3.20 eV as the content of DOSO unit increases. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra of polymers show CIE coordinates around (0.16, 0.07) independent of the ratio of DOSO units in the polymers, owing to the ICT and steric hindrance dual‐function. A high efficiency of 3.1 cd · A⁻¹ (EQE = 3.9%) was obtained with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer/Ba/Al. The results indicate that PF‐3,7DOSOs could be a promising candidate for saturated blue‐emitting polymers with spectral stability and high efficiency.

     

New Heteroaromatic Polymers Consisting of Alkyl‐ and Amino‐1,3,5‐triazine Units. Their Basic Optical Properties and n‐Type Time‐of‐Flight Drift Mobility

Summary: Alternating copolymers between substituted 1,3,5‐triazine (substituent = alkyl or amine) and thiophene or bithiophene are synthesized. The copolymer of amino‐1,3,5‐triazine with thiophene is soluble in organic solvents, transparent in most parts of the visible region, and photoluminescent. The copolymer receives electrochemical n‐doping with an E_pc of −2.08 V vs Ag⁺/Ag and shows a time‐of‐flight electron drift mobility of 2.0 × 10⁻⁴ cm² · V⁻¹ · s⁻¹, which is larger than that of widely used Al(8‐quinolinolato)₃.

Structure of the poly(1,3,5‐triazine)s.     

Anthracene‐Cored Dendrimer for Solution‐Processible Blue Emitter: Syntheses,Characterizations, Photoluminescence,and Electroluminescence

Summary: A second‐generation blue fluorescent anthracene‐cored dendrimer EH‐G2AN was readily synthesized via a convergent method. Its monodispersity was confirmed by ¹H NMR and MALDI‐TOF mass measurement. The peak emission of EH‐G2AN in a dilute CH₂Cl₂ solution was observed at 416 nm with a shoulder at 434 nm and moved to 418 nm in the solid film with the shoulder at 433 nm. The nearly “perfect” overlap of solution and solid emission spectra revealed the absence of molecular aggregations in the solid film, which was apparently suppressed by the presence of rigid and bulky 1,3,5‐phenylene‐based dendrons and 2‐ethylhexyloxy solubilizing peripheral groups. EH‐G2AN appeared strikingly stable with the onset decomposition temperature above 350 °C and remained at the high temperature of 428 °C where 5% weight loss occurred. The electroluminescent device [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/EH‐G2AN/Ba/Al] showed a peak emission at 442 nm and maximal external device efficiency of 0.82%@170 cd · m⁻². After inserting a PVK layer between the hole injection layer and emitting layer, a maximal external device efficiency of 1.05%@184 cd · m⁻² was obtained with a narrow FWHI of merely ca. 42 nm in the device configuration [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PVK/EH‐G2AN/Ba/Al].

     

A Water‐Soluble π‐Conjugated Polymer with up to 100 mg · mL−1 Solubility

A cationic water‐soluble polyfluorene (P2) containing a high density of tetraalkylammonium side chains in polymer backbone was synthesized and characterized. The polymer shows excellent water solubility up to 100 mg · mL⁻¹ as well as high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of 44% in water. The relatively high cationic density and appropriate side chain length of the polymer are the key factors to achieve such high water solubility. The reduction potential of P2 is decreased as compared with its neutral polymer, reflecting the enhanced electron injection abilities. The standard NPB/Alq₃ device using such a polymer as the electron injection layer shows nearly three‐fold enhancement in the electroluminescence (EL) efficiency.

     

Regioregular Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) in a Novel Conducting Amphiphilic Block Copolymer

Regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) has been successfully incorporated into a novel amphiphilic block copolymer. The amphiphilic nature of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐block‐poly(acrylic acid) has been investigated using spectroscopic methods and has yielded solvatochromic behavior in several solvents of varying polarity. Evidence suggests that a supramolecular, long range ordering of block copolymer occurs in polar solvents, resulting in the formation of aggregates. Despite relatively large amounts of non‐conductive blocks, the poly(3‐hexylthiophene) diblock copolymer yields a high conductivity of 1 S · cm⁻¹, and atomic force microscopy shows the formation of a highly organized nanofibrilar morphology in the solid state.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Pyrene‐Centered Starburst Oligofluorenes

A series of starburst materials ( T1 – T3 ) based on a pyrene core with four oligofluorene arms of different length have been synthesized and characterized. The starburst materials show good film forming ability and sky blue fluorescence. Electroluminescent devices take on a stable blue emission and the device performance increases with an increase in arm length. The single‐layered device made of T3 has a maximum brightness of over 2 700 cd · m⁻² and a maximum current efficiency of 1.75 cd · A⁻¹, which is among the best in starburst material devices. The morphology of T1 – T3 has been studied by atomic force microscopy. The starburst oligofluorenes with different arm lengths show a distinctive texture, which indicates the size dependent morphology of the starburst materials.

     

Saturated Red‐Emitting Electrophosphorescent Polymers with Iridium Coordinating to β‐Diketonate Units in the Main Chain

Summary: A series of novel copolymers with fluorene‐alt‐carbazole segments and β‐diketonate moieties coordinating to iridium were synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation, and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and GPC. In the absorption spectra of the copolymers, metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer transitions coming from iridium complex increased in intensity with increasing content of Ir complex in copolymers. The photoluminescence spectra of the copolymers were dominated by emission from the iridium complex with peak at ca. 620 nm even at the feed ratio of the complex as low as 0.5 mol‐%. The electrochemical investigation indicated that the incorporation of carbazole and iridium complex units reduce the barrier for both hole and electron injection compared with the polyfluorene. The light‐emitting diodes using the copolymers as emission layer under different device configurations were fabricated. The devices with 2‐(4‐biphenylyl)‐5‐(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole (PBD) show significantly higher external quantum efficiencies than those without PBD. A saturated red‐emitting polymer light‐emitting diode with emission peak at 628 nm, the maximum external quantum efficiency of 0.6% at the current density (J) of 38.5 mA · cm⁻², and the maximum luminance of 541 cd · m⁻² at 15.8 V was achieved from the device ITO/PEDOT/PFCzIrpiq3 + PBD (40%)/Ba/Al.

Novel copolymers with fluorene‐alt‐carbazole segments and iridium coordinating to β‐diketonate in the main chain.     

Ambipolar Field‐Effect Transistor (FET) and Redox Characteristics of a π‐Conjugated Thiophene/1,3,4‐Thiadiazole CT‐Type Copolymer

Summary: A π‐conjugated charge transfer‐type copolymer consisting of an electron‐donating thiophene and an electron‐accepting 1,3,4‐thiadiazole, P(ThdzTh), underwent facile electrochemical p‐ and n‐doping, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry. The copolymer gave a new ambipolar field‐effect transistor (FET), which showed typical I_DS (source–drain current)–V_DS (source–drain voltage) curves in both a p‐type working mode and an n‐type working mode. In the n‐type working mode, the polymer showed a carrier mobility of about 5 × 10⁻³ cm² · V⁻¹ · s⁻¹ and an on/off ratio of about 3 × 10⁴.

n‐Channel field‐effect transistor characteristics of P(ThdzTh).     

Azide/Alkyne‐“Click”‐Reactions of Encapsulated Reagents: Toward Self‐Healing Materials

The successful encapsulation of reactive components for the azide/alkyne‐“click”‐reaction is reported featuring for the first time the use of a liquid polymer as reactive component. A liquid, azido‐telechelic three‐arm star poly(isobutylene) ( = 3900 g · mol⁻¹) as well as trivalent alkynes were encapsulated into micron‐sized capsules and embedded into a polymer‐matrix (high‐molecular weight poly(isobutylene), = 250 000 g · mol⁻¹). Using (Cu^IBr(PPh₃)₃) as catalyst for the azide/alkyne‐“click”‐reaction, crosslinking of the two components at 40 °C is observed within 380 min and as fast as 10 min at 80 °C. Significant recovery of the tensile storage modulus was observed in a material containing 10 wt.‐% and accordingly 5 wt.‐% capsules including the reactive components within 5 d at room temperature, thus proving a new concept for materials with self‐healing properties.

     

Precision Synthesis of Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) from Catalyst‐Transfer Suzuki−Miyaura Coupling Polymerization

^tBu₃ PPd(Ph)Br ( 1 )‐catalyzed Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling polymerization of 2‐(4‐hexyl‐5‐iodo‐2‐thienyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolane ( 2 ) was investigated. Monomer 2 was polymerized with 1 at 0 °C in the presence of CsF and 18‐crown‐6 in THF containing a small amount of water to yield P3HT with a narrow molecular weight distribution and almost perfect head‐to‐tail regioregularity. The values increased up to 11 400 g · mol⁻¹ in proportion to the feed ratio of 2 to 1 . The MALDI‐TOF mass spectra showed that P3HT with moderate molecular weight uniformly had a phenyl group at one end and a hydrogen atom at the other, indicating involvement of a catalyst‐transfer mechanism. Successive 1 ‐catalyzed polymerization of fluorene monomer 3 and then 2 yielded a well‐defined block copolymer of polyfluorene and P3HT.

     

Mesoporous Silica Supported Multiple Single‐Site Catalysts and Polyethylene Reactor Blends with Tailor‐Made Trimodal and Ultra‐Broad Molecular Weight Distributions

A ternary blend of the bisiminopyridine chromium (III) (Cr‐ 1 ) with the bisiminopyridine iron (II) (Fe‐ 2 ) post‐metallocenes with the quinolylsilylcyclopentadienyl chromium (III) halfsandwich complex (Cr‐ 3 ) was supported on mesoporous silica to produce novel multiple single‐site catalysts and polyethylene reactor blends with tailor‐made molecular weight distributions (MWDs). The preferred cosupporting sequence of this ternary blend on MAO‐treated silica was Fe‐ 2 followed by Cr‐ 1 and Cr‐ 3 . Cosupporting does not impair the single‐site nature of the blend components producing polyethylene fractions with = 10⁴ g · mol⁻¹ on Cr‐ 1 , = 3 × 10⁵ g · mol⁻¹ on Fe‐ 2 , and = 3 × 10⁶ g · mol⁻¹ on Cr‐ 3 . As a function of the Fe‐ 2 /Cr‐ 1 /Cr‐ 2 mixing ratio it is possible to control the weight ratio of these three polyethylenes without affecting the individual average molecular weights and narrow polydispersities of the three polyethylene fractions. Tailor‐made polyethylene reactor blends with ultra‐broad MWD and polydispersities varying between 10 and 420 were obtained. When the molar ratio of Fe‐ 2 /Cr‐ 1 was constant, the ultra‐high molecular polyethylene (UHMWPE, > 10⁶ g · mol⁻¹) content was varied between 8 and 16 wt.‐% as a function of the Cr‐ 3 content without impairing the blend ratio of the other two polyethylene fractions and without sacrificing melt processability. When the molar ratio Fe‐ 2 /Cr‐ 3 was constant, it was possible to selectively increase the content of the low molecular weight fraction by additional cosupporting of Cr‐ 1 . Due to the intimate mixing of low and ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylenes (UHMPEs) produced on cosupported single‐site catalysts a wide range of melt processable polyethylene reactor blends was obtained.

     

Low‐Rate Propylene Slurry Polymerization: Morphology and Kinetics

Summary: “True” initial polymerization rates can be calculated from the adiabatic temperature rise under isoperibolic conditions. They are much higher than initial polymerization rates measured by standard mass flow meter methods under quasi‐steady‐state conditions. These high initial rates are followed by a fast apparent deactivation (“attenuation”) until a constant (“plateau”) activity is reached at low polymerization yields of 2–3 g PP · (g catalyst)⁻¹ caused by an “increasing degree of encapsulation” of active sites. Mass transfer limitations are not observed. Cross sectional SEM images of the polymer samples support these kinetic findings.

Rate of polymerization (g of PP · (g catalyst)⁻¹ · h⁻¹) and yield of polymerization (g of PP · (g catalyst)⁻¹) as function of time.     

A New Crystal Form,Polymorphism, and Multi‐Morphology in Biodegradable Poly(3‐hydroxypropionate)

Summary: A new crystal morphology (δ form) of poly(3‐hydroxypropionate) (PHP) is found in cast and melt‐crystallized PHPs with low molecular weight, in which the PHP chains possibly adopt a 2₁ helix rather than the trans conformation found in the β or γ form. The fusion temperature‐ and the crystallization temperature‐dependent polymorphism are responsible for the dual morphologies and the unique growth kinetics of spherulites in the melt‐crystallized PHPs.

a) A dual‐morphology developed at 70 °C in PHP films after melting at 117 °C and b) that formed during cooling at a rate of 1 °C · min⁻¹ from 130 °C.     

Rapid Ring‐Opening Polymerization of D,L‐Lactide by Microwaves

Summary: Poly(D ,L ‐lactide) with a molar mass of 10⁵ g · mol⁻¹ and a yield over 90% was produced in 10 min by the ring‐opening polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide under microwave irradiation with forward power of 255 W. A degradation of the poly(D ,L ‐lactide) was also induced by microwaves with a power level over 340 W. The molar mass of poly(D ,L ‐lactide) was dependent upon the competition between the polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide and the degradation of the resulting polymer.

Profiles of molar mass versus microwave irradiation time (1.8 g DLLA, 0.1% Sn(Oct)₂).     

New π‐Conjugated Polymers Containing 1,3,5‐Triazine Units in the Main Chain: Synthesis and Optical and Electrochemical Properties of the Polymers

Summary: Three new soluble π‐conjugated polymers containing 1,3,5‐triazine units in the main chain, Pa–Pc, were synthesized. The polymers showed optical properties in solution that were mainly dependant on the properties of the substituting R groups, on the triazine ring. Hence, Pa and Pb (R = H and  OCH₃, respectively) showed blue photoluminescent (PL) emission with high quantum yields (QY) even in polar solvents, whereas Pc (R = N,N‐dimethylamino) gave green‐blue PL emission with very low QY. The PL spectra of the polymers in solution were concentration and polarity dependent, which suggested the formation of an exciplex.

The three new soluble π‐conjugated polymers containing 1,3,5‐triazine units in the main chain synthesized here.     

SP–PLP–EPR Investigations into the Chain‐Length‐Dependent Termination of Methyl Methacrylate Bulk Polymerization

Termination kinetics of methyl methacrylate (MMA) bulk polymerization has been studied via the single pulsed laser polymerization–electron paramagnetic resonance method. MMA‐d₈ has been investigated to enhance the signal‐to‐noise quality of microsecond time‐resolved measurement of radical concentration. Chain‐length‐dependent termination rate coefficients of radicals of identical size, k, are reported for 5–70 °C and up to i = 100. k decreases according to the power‐law expression . At 5 °C, k_t for two MMA radicals of chain‐length unity is k = (5.8 ± 1.3) · 10⁸ L · mol⁻¹ · s⁻¹. The associated activation energy and power‐law exponent are: E_A(k) ≈ 9 ± 2 kJ · mol⁻¹ and α ≈ 0.63 ± 0.15, respectively.

     

Electronic Properties and Field‐Effect Transistors of Thiophene‐Based Donor–Acceptor Conjugated Copolymers

Summary: The thiophene‐quinoxaline donor–acceptor conjugated copolymer poly[(thiophene‐2,5‐diyl‐alt‐(2,3‐diheptylquinoxaline‐5,8‐diyl)] (PTHQx) was explored as a semiconductor in thin‐film organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). A hole mobility of 3.6 × 10⁻³ cm² · V⁻¹ · s⁻¹ and an on/off current ratio of 6 × 10⁵ were observed in p‐channel OFETs made from spin‐coated PTHQx thin films. The electronic structures of PTHQx and a related thiophene‐thienopyrazine donor–acceptor copolymer were calculated by density functional theory. Atomic force microscopy of PTHQx thin films showed a polycrystalline grain morphology that varied with the substrate.

Output (left) and transfer (right) characteristics of a PTHQx (structure shown) organic field‐effect transistor.     

Synthesis and Electrooptic Properties of Poly(2,6‐anthracenevinylene)s

High molecular weight poly(9,10‐bis(p‐(2‐ethylhexyloxy)phenyl)‐2,6‐anthracenevinylene) (2,6‐PAV) was synthesized with 2,6‐dimethylanthraquinone as a key intermediate. The as‐synthesized polymer is readily soluble in common organic solvents and can be used for spin‐coating. The as‐synthesized polymer exhibits a broad absorption band ranging from 280 to 520 nm and a bluish green emission band with a peak at 500 nm. The polymer shows good thermal stability, and no distinct glass transition is observed. A simple device with the configuration ITO/PEDOT:PSS/2,6‐PAV/Ba/Al showed a turn‐on voltage of 4.8 V and a maximal brightness of 340 cd · m⁻².