Crystallization-Driven Asymmetric Helical Assembly of Conjugated Block Copolymers and the Aggregation Induced White-light Emission and Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Controlling the self-assembly morphology of π-conjugated block copolymer is of great interesting. Herein, amphiphilic poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(phenyl isocyanide)s (P3HT-b-PPI) copolymers composed of π-conjugated P3HT and optically active helical PPI segments were readily prepared. Taking advantage of the crystallizable nature of P3HT and the chirality of the helical PPI segment, crystallization-driven asymmetric self-assembly (CDASA) of the block copolymers lead to the formation of single-handed helical nanofibers with controlled length, narrow dispersity, and well-defined helicity. During the self-assembly process, the chirality of helical PPI was transferred to the supramolecular assemblies, giving the helical assemblies large optical activity. The single-handed helical assemblies of the block copolymers exhibited interesting white-light emission and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The handedness and dissymmetric factor of the induced CPL can be finely tuned through the variation on the helicity and length of the helical nanofibers.     

Impact of the anion on electrochemically doped regioregular and regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Chemical and electrochemical doping of π-conjugated polymers is an important aspect in determining the performance and enabling the operation of many organic electronic devices, from organic light emitting diodes and thermoelectrics to organic electrochemical transistors. In both chemical doping and electrochemical doping an ionized dopant or counterion is present along with the doped π-conjugated polymer. This dopant or counterion is not a benign spectator, rather, its presence can significantly impact the optical, electronic, and thermoelectric properties of the resulting material. Here, we investigate how counterion structure impacts the electrochemical doping ability, oxidation potential, ionization energy, and polaron absorbance of regioregular (rr) and regiorandom (rra) P3HT. We find that in most cases the anion has a small effect on the polymer oxidation potential, except for in the case of rr-P3HT with the large tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate anion. We propose that this large anion is excluded from the crystalline regions and thus the oxidation potential is similar to that of rra-P3HT. The anions also result in significant differences in polaron absorbance and ionization energies, thereby emphasizing the important role of the counterion in determining the optical and electronic properties of doped π-conjugated polymers.     

Anion modules: building blocks of supramolecular assemblies by combination with π-conjugated anion receptors

Dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes, as π-conjugated acyclic anion receptors, act as building subunits of various assemblies through noncovalent interactions in the form of receptor-anion complexes. Instead of, or in addition to, the modification of receptor structures, the introduction of anion modules as building blocks for the assemblies was found to be useful in forming various soft materials. Gallic carboxylate derivatives 3-n (n = 16, 18, 20), as tetrabutylammonium (TBA) salts, form receptor-anion-module complexes that can be used to fabricate supramolecular assemblies. Combinations of aliphatic anion modules 3-n and receptors 1a,b along with a TBA cation afforded products with mesophases, which were indicated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. X-ray diffraction measurements of the solid states and mesophases of 1a·3-n·TBA and 1b·3-n·TBA revealed highly ordered structures including lamellar structures, which could be modulated by the lengths of the alkyl chains of the modules. Functional materials exhibiting electrical conductivity were fabricated by using combinations of anionic building blocks that form assemblies by themselves and π-conjugated acyclic receptors.     

3D Stereolithography by Using Two-Photon Photopolymerization

Summary: This article describes the development and evolution of two-photon lithography of 3-dimensional (3D) polymeric structures through two-photon photopolymerization (TPP) and the materials used to facilitate the same. The first part elaborates on the advantages of TPP over conventional lithographic techniques used in the fabrication of 3D microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The second part introduces the preparation of highly efficient organic two-photon absorbing materials based on the centro-symmetric π-conjugated system and their performance as sensitizers in two-photon polymerization.     

Combining form with function--the dawn of phosphole-based functional materials

Phosphole-based π-conjugated compounds have recently attracted significant attention due their unique electronic properties. It is now well established that the versatile phosphorus chemistry offers great opportunities for efficient fine-tuning of the properties of π-conjugated systems from a fundamental point of view; a feature that pure carbon-based π-conjugated materials cannot provide. This perspective highlights the recent progress using phosphole-based π-conjugated building blocks towards applied materials with multiple and diverse functionalities.     

Ultrafast Exciton Self-Trapping and Delocalization in Cycloparaphenylenes: The Role of Excited-State Symmetry in Electron-Vibrational Coupling

Upon photon absorption, π-conjugated organics are apt to undergo ultrafast structural reorganization via electron-vibrational coupling during non-adiabatic transitions. Ultrafast nuclear motions modulate local planarity and quinoid/benzenoid characters within conjugated backbones, which control primary events in the excited states, such as localization, energy transfer, and so on. Femtosecond broadband fluorescence upconversion measurements were conducted to investigate exciton self-trapping and delocalization in cycloparaphenylenes as ultrafast structural reorganizations are achieved via excited-state symmetry-dependent electron-vibrational coupling. By accessing two high-lying excited states, one-photon and two-photon allowed states, a clear discrepancy in the initial time-resolved fluorescence spectra and the temporal dynamics/spectral evolution of fluorescence spectra were monitored. Combined with quantum chemical calculations, a novel insight into the effect of the excited-state symmetry on ultrafast structural reorganization and exciton self-trapping in the emerging class of π-conjugated materials is provided.     

Electro-functional octupolar π-conjugated columnar liquid crystals

A series of propeller-shaped π-conjugated molecules based on 2,4,6-tris(thiophene-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazines has been designed and synthesized to obtain ambipolar charge-transporting liquid-crystalline materials. The 3-fold electron-donating aromatic units are attached to the electron-accepting triazine core, which forms electro-functional octupolar π-conjugated structures. These octupolar molecules self-organize into one-dimensional columnar nanostructures and exhibit ambipolar carrier transport behavior, which has been revealed by time-of-flight measurements. In this approach, electron-donor and acceptor electro-active segments are assembled individually in each column to give one-dimensional nanostructured materials with precisely tuned electronic properties. Their desirable electronic structures responsible for both hole and electron conductions have also been examined by cyclic voltammetry and theoretical calculations. The present results provide a new guideline and versatile approach to the design of ambipolar conductive nanostructured liquid-crystalline materials.     

Four-coordinate organoboron compounds with a π-conjugated chelate ligand for optoelectronic applications

Four-coordinate organoboron compounds with a π-conjugated chelate backbone have emerged recently as highly attractive materials for a number of applications including use as emitters and electron-transport materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or organic field transistors, photoresponsive materials, and sensory and imaging materials. Many applications of this class of boron compounds stem from the electronic properties of the π-conjugated chelate backbone. Charge-transfer transitions from an aromatic substituent attached to the boron center of the π-conjugated chelate backbone and steric congestion have also been found to play important roles in the luminescent and photochromic properties of the four-coordinate boron compounds. This article provides an update-to-date account on the application aspects of this important class of compounds in materials science with the emphasis on OLED applications and photochromic switching.     

Synthesis of π-conjugated molecules based on 3,4-dioxypyrroles via Pd-mediated decarboxylative cross-coupling

A general scheme for the synthesis of π-conjugated molecules based on 3,4-dioxypyrroles is presented. The π-conjugated molecules were synthesized via Pd-mediated decarboxylative cross-coupling using various 3,4-propylenedioxypyrrole carboxylic acids and aryl bromides, including the base-sensitive electron acceptor 4,7-dibromobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BTD). N-Methylpyrrolidone was used as solvent, Pd(acac)(2) was employed as the palladium source and P(o-tol)(3) as the ligand. The methodology was applied to 3,4-dioxypyrrole monoacids and 3,4-dioxypyrrole diacids to produce multi-ring π-conjugated systems containing phenyl, thiophenyl, BTD, and pyridinyl units. In general, the method has yielded a practical approach for the synthesis of 3,4-dioxypyrrole-based π-conjugated molecules in acceptable to high yields of 44-94%.     

Control of Intrachain Morphology in the Formation of Polyfluorene Aggregates on the Single-Molecule Level

Controlling the morphology of π-conjugated polymers for organic optoelectronic devices has long been a goal in the field of materials science. Since the morphology of a polymer chain is closely intertwined with its photophysical properties, it is desirable to be able to change the arrangement of the polymers at will. We investigate the π-conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO), which can exist in three distinctly different structural phases: the α-, β-, and γ-phase. Every phase has a different chain structure and a unique photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. Due to its unique properties and the pronounced spectral structure-property relations, PFO can be used as a model system to study the morphology of π-conjugated polymers. To avoid ensemble averaging, we examine the PL spectrum of single PFO chains embedded in a non-fluorescent matrix. With single-molecule spectroscopy the structural phase of every single chain can be determined, and changes can be monitored very easily. To manipulate the morphology, solvent vapor annealing (SVA) was applied, which leads to a diffusion of the polymer chains in the matrix. The β- and γ-phases appear during the self-assembly of single α-phase PFO chains into mesoscopic aggregates. The extent of β- and γ-phase formation is directed by the solvent-swelling protocol used for aggregation. Aggregation unequivocally promotes formation of the more planar β- and γ-phases. Once these lower-energy more ordered structural phases are formed, SVA cannot return the polymer chain to the less ordered phase by aggregate swelling.     

Spectroscopic characterization of P3HT/SWNT composites synthesized using in situ GRIM methods: Improved polymer ordering via nanoscaffolding

Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/single‐walled carbon nanotube (P3HT/SWNT) materials are synthesized using an in‐situ Grignard metathesis approach. The structural properties and photophysics of the materials are studied using a multitude of techniques, including ¹H NMR, FTIR, UV–vis absorption, Raman, photoluminescence (PL), and transient absorption spectroscopies. P3HT/SWNT composites with high P3HT regioregularity (rr > 96%) are observed. Raman spectroscopic data on the solid samples reveals an increase in the dispersion rate parameter with increasing SWNT concentration, thereby indicating close overlap and strong interactions between P3HT and the carbon nanotubes. Changes in the solution‐phase PL quantum yields and excited‐state lifetimes relative to pure P3HT support these conclusions, and indicate that strong interactions persist even after the composites are dispersed in organic solvents. The high regioregularity and enhanced P3HT–SWNT interactions are promising attributes for improving the morphology and efficiency of functional P3HT/SWNT materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 310–320     

Oriented poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanofibril with the π-π stacking growth direction by solvent directional evaporation

In this article, the uniaxial alignment of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibrils with a π-π stacking growth direction in which P3HT chains adopt a flat-on conformation was obtained by solvent directional evaporation using a glass cover slide and a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) sheet to press the P3HT film in a carbon disulfide (CS(2)) atmosphere. By controlling the CS(2) vapor pressure during the film-forming process, we got a well-oriented P3HT film whose order parameter reached as high as 0.97. The orientation of the film was induced by the crystallization nucleation of P3HT and the directional evaporation of the solvent. Under a CS(2) vapor atmosphere, P3HT crystals preferred to adopt the form II modification, which started by nucleation. Owing to the solvent directional evaporation from the center to the margin, P3HT at the center of the sample would precipitate first to induce nucleation. Then the peripheral P3HT would directly diffuse, precipitate, and then adhere to the nucleus to form the uniaxial alignment of P3HT nanofibrils along the direction of solvent evaporation. Furthermore, in the P3HT nanofibrils, the π-π stacking direction of P3HT lamellae was parallel to the crystal growth direction, which would provide an effective path for charge transport.     

Pluripotent Features of Doubly Thiophene-Fused Benzodiphospholes as Organic Functional Materials

Linear ladder-type π-conjugated molecules have attracted much interest because of their intriguing physicochemical properties. To modulate their electronic structures, an effective strategy is to incorporate main-group elements into ladder-type π-conjugated molecules. In line with this strategy, a variety of ladder-type π-conjugated molecules with main-group elements have been synthesized to explore their potential utility as organic functional materials. In this context, phosphole-based π-conjugated molecules are highly attractive, owing to their unique optical and electrochemical properties, which arise from the phosphorus atom. Herein, the synthesis and physicochemical properties of doubly thiophene-fused benzodiphospholes, as a new class of phosphole-based ladder-type π-conjugated molecule, are reported. Systematic investigations into the physicochemical properties of doubly thiophene-fused benzodiphospholes revealed their pluripotent features: intense near-infrared fluorescence, excellent two-photon absorption property, and remarkably high electron-transporting ability. This study demonstrates the potential utility of doubly thiophene-fused benzodiphospholes as organic functional materials for biological imaging, nonlinear optics, organic transistors, and organic photovoltaics.     

Structure–Property Relationships in Bithiophenes with Hydrogen-Bonded Substituents

The use of crystal engineering to control the supramolecular arrangement of π-conjugated molecules in the solid-state is of considerable interest for the development of novel organic electronic materials. In this study, we investigated the effect of combining of two types of supramolecular interaction with different geometric requirements, amide hydrogen bonding and π-interactions, on the π-overlap between calamitic π-conjugated cores. To this end, we prepared two series of bithiophene diesters and diamides with methylene, ethylene, or propylene spacers between the bithiophene core and the functional groups in their terminal substituents. The hydrogen-bonded bithiophene diamides showed significantly denser packing of the bithiophene cores than the diesters and other known α,ω-disubstituted bithiophenes. The bithiophene packing density reach a maximum in the bithiophene diamide with an ethylene spacer, which had the smallest longitudinal bithiophene displacement and infinite 1D arrays of electronically conjugated, parallel, and almost linear N−H⋅⋅⋅O=C hydrogen bonds. The synergistic hydrogen bonding and π-interactions were attributed to the favorable conformation mechanics of the ethylene spacer and resulted in H-type spectroscopic aggregates in solid-state absorption spectroscopy. These results demonstrate that the optoelectronic properties of π-conjugated materials in the solid-state may be tailored systematically by side-chain engineering, and hence that this approach has significant potential for the design of organic and polymer semiconductors.     

Conjugated macrocycles: concepts and applications

One of the most important objectives in materials, chemical, and physical sciences is the creation of large conjugated macrocycles with well-defined shapes, since such molecules are not only theoretically and experimentally interesting but also have potential applications in nanotechnology. Fully unsaturated macrocycles are regarded as models for infinitely conjugated π systems with inner cavities, and exhibit unusual optical and magnetic behavior. Macrocycles have interior and exterior sites, and site-specific substitution at both or either site can afford attractive structures, such as 1D, 2D, and 3D supramolecular nanostructures. These nanostructures could be controlled through the use of π-extended large macrocycles by a bottom-up strategy. Numerous shape-persistent π-conjugated macrocycles have been synthesized, but only a few are on the nanoscale. This Review focuses on nanosized π-conjugated macrocycles (>1 nm diameter) and giant macrocycles (>2 nm diameter), and summarizes their syntheses and properties.     

Synthesis,optical, electrochemical and electroluminescent properties of novel fluorene-alt-bithiophene copolymers bearing phenylvinyl bridged accepting side chains

Two-dimensional poly[fluorene-alt-bithiophene] backboned copolymers were prepared by introducing phenylvinyl bridged accepting side chain containing malononitrile, 1,3-indanedione, or 4-nitrophenyl acetonitrile accepting moiety. The structural, optical, electroluminescent, electrochemical properties of these polymers were studied in details. These polymers possess good thermal stability and low highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level (−5.59 to 5.67 eV). Results show that the introduction of π-conjugated accepting side chains can effectively adjust the optical and electrochemical properties of the resulting polymers. These new alternating copolymers may be promising electroluminescent materials.     

Asymmetric induction in the preparation of helical receptor-anion complexes: ion-pair formation with chiral cations

Asymmetry through ion pairing: Upon addition of chloride and bromide ions, as chiral ammonium salts, to solutions of pyrrole-based π-conjugated linear oligomers, helical structures form with asymmetric induction, which is guided by the formation of diastereomeric ion pairs with chiral counter cations. These ions pairs exhibit circular dichroism (CD) and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with g(lum) values of greater than 0.1.     

Insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers

Recently, there has been a progressive development of insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers with accumulated features of π-conjugated bridging units, transition metal complexes, and encapsulating moieties, as higher-order functionalized materials. A number of insulated conjugated metallopolymers have been successfully synthesized and their fascinating properties have been reported. In addition to the conventional features derived from π-conjugation and transition metals, their insulated structures can compensate for solubility, a disadvantage in conventional metallopolymers, and enhance their functionalities, such as sensing, luminescence, and conduction. In this review, we summarize the synthetic methodologies, structural characteristics, and functionalities of one-dimensional insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers, while focusing on the effect of transition metals and insulation on their properties.     

Synthesis of a new diarylethene diradical which has extended π-conjugated chains from the 2,5-position of one thiophene ring

A diarylethene diradical having a new switching unit for intramolecular magnetic interaction was synthesized. The photoswitching unit has an extended π-conjugated chain in one aryl unit, and two nitronyl nitroxide radical are placed at both ends of the π-conjugated chain. The diarylethene moiety is located in the middle of the chain. This diarylethene is designed to change the hybrid orbital from sp² to sp³ at the 2-position of the thiophene ring when this diarylethene undergoes a photochromic reaction. But the new diradical compound did not undergo photocyclic reaction upon irradiation with UV light. The photochemical behavior is perturbed by a resonant quinoid structure which stabilizes the open-ring isomer.