Conjugated block copolymers via functionalized initiators and click chemistry

Conjugated block copolymers are potentially useful for organic electronic applications and the study of interfacial charge and energy transfer processes; yet few synthetic methods are available to prepare polymers with well‐defined conjugated blocks. Here, we report the synthesis and thin film morphology of a series of conjugated poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐block‐poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (P3HT‐b‐PF) and poly(3‐dodecylthiophene)‐block‐poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (P3DDT‐b‐PF) block copolymers prepared by functional external initiators and click chemistry. Functional group control is quantified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size‐exclusion chromatography, and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The thin film morphology of the resulting all‐conjugated block copolymers is analyzed by a combination of grazing‐incidence X‐ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Crystallization of the P3HT or P3DDT blocks is present in thin films for all materials studied, and P3DDT‐b‐PF films exhibit significant PF/P3DDT co‐crystallization. Processing conditions are found to impact thin film crystallinity and orientation of the π–π stacking direction of polymer crystallites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 154–163     

Perfluorocyclohexenyl aryl ether polymers via polycondensation of decafluorocyclohexene with bisphenols

A novel class of semifluorinated perfluorocyclohexenyl (PFCH) aryl ether homo/copolymers was successfully synthesized with high yield through the step‐growth polymerization of commercially available bisphenols and decafluorocyclohexene in the presence of a triethylamine base. The synthesized polymers exhibit variable thermal properties depending on the functional spacer group (R). PFCH aryl ether copolymers with random and alternating architectures were also prepared from versatile bis‐perfluorocyclohexenyl aryl ether monomers. The PFCH polymers show high thermal stabilities with a 5% decomposition temperature ranging from 359 to 444 °C in air and nitrogen atmosphere. These semifluorinated PFCH aromatic ether polymers contain intact enchained PFCH olefin moieties, making further reactions such as crosslinking and application specific functionalization possible. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 232–238     

The Number of Accumulated Photons and the Quality of Stimulated Emission Depletion Lifetime Images

Time binning is used to increase the number of photon counts in the peak channel of stimulated emission depletion fluorescence lifetime decay curves to determine how it affects the resulting lifetime image. The fluorescence lifetime of the fluorophore, Alexa Fluor 594 phalloidin, bound to F‐actin is probed in cultured S2 cells at a spatial resolution of ~40 nm. This corresponds to a 10‐fold smaller probe volume compared to confocal imaging, and a reduced number of photons contributing to the signal. Pixel‐by‐pixel fluorescence lifetime measurements and error analysis show that an average of 40 ± 30 photon counts in the peak channel with a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 20 is enough to calculate a reliable fluorescence lifetime from a single exponential fluorescence decay. No heterogeneity in the actin cytoskeleton in different regions of the cultured cells was measured in the 40–400 nm spatial regime.     

Allyl ether of aralkyl phenolic resin with low melt viscosity and its Alder‐ene blends with bismaleimide: synthesis,curing, and laminate properties

This paper outlines the synthesis and characterization of O‐allyl aralkyl phenolic (O‐allyl Xylok, OAX) resins having low melt viscosity and its Alder‐ene blends with 2, 2′‐bis 4‐[(4′‐maleimido phenoxy) phenyl] propane. The blends manifested a three‐stage curing pattern that converged to a two‐stage pattern on enhancing the maleimide content. The polymerization kinetics of typical allyl and maleimide rich resin systems showed apparent activation energy increasing and pre‐exponential factor decreasing from ene to the Diels–Alder step. Increased allyl content improved mechanical and impact properties of the composites at ambient temperature, although it diminished the retention of interlaminar shear strength at elevated temperature. Increased maleimide content of the resin was conducive for the higher rigidity for the composite and its retention at elevated temperature. A substantial increase in T_g (from 153°C to 280°C) and thermal stability was observed with an increase in maleimide content. High allyl content resulted in improved mechanical properties thanks to better resin–reinforcement interaction as revealed from morphological analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low‐dimensional coordination polymeric structures in alkali metal complex salts of the herbicide (2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4‐D)

The Li, Rb and Cs complexes with the herbicide (2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4‐D), namely poly[[aqua[μ₃‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)acetato‐κ³O¹:O¹:O^1′]lithium(I)] dihydrate], {[Li(C₈H₅Cl₂O₃)(H₂O)]·2H₂O}_n, (I), poly[μ‐aqua‐bis[μ₃‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)acetato‐κ⁴O¹:O^1′:O^1′,Cl²]dirubidium(I)], [Rb₂(C₈H₅Cl₂O₃)₂(H₂O)]_n, (II), and poly[μ‐aqua‐bis[μ₃‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)acetato‐κ⁵O¹:O^1′:O^1′,O²,Cl²]dicaesium(I)], [Cs₂(C₈H₅Cl₂O₃)₂(H₂O)]_n, (III), respectively, have been determined and their two‐dimensional polymeric structures are described. In (I), the slightly distorted tetrahedral LiO₄ coordination involves three carboxylate O‐atom donors, of which two are bridging, and a monodentate aqua ligand, together with two water molecules of solvation. Conjoined six‐membered ring systems generate a one‐dimensional coordination polymeric chain which extends along b and interspecies water O—H...O hydrogen‐bonding interactions give the overall two‐dimensional layers which lie parallel to (001). In hemihydrate complex (II), the irregular octahedral RbO₅Cl coordination about Rb⁺ comprises a single bridging water molecule which lies on a twofold rotation axis, a bidentate O_carboxy,Cl‐chelate interaction and three bridging carboxylate O‐atom bonding interactions from the 2,4‐D ligand. A two‐dimensional coordination polymeric layer structure lying parallel to (100) is formed through a number of conjoined cyclic bridges, including a centrosymmetric four‐membered Rb₂O₂ ring system with an Rb...Rb separation of 4.3312 (5) Å. The coordinated water molecule forms intralayer aqua–carboxylate O—H...O hydrogen bonds. Complex (III) comprises two crystallographically independent (Z′ = 2) irregular CsO₆Cl coordination centres, each comprising two O‐atom donors (carboxylate and phenoxy) and a ring‐substituted Cl‐atom donor from the 2,4‐D ligand species in a tridentate chelate mode, two O‐atom donors from bridging carboxylate groups and one from a bridging water molecule. However, the two 2,4‐D ligands are conformationally very dissimilar, with one phenoxyacetate side chain being synclinal and the other being antiperiplanar. The minimum Cs...Cs separation is 4.4463 (5) Å. Structure extension gives coordination polymeric layers which lie parallel to (001) and are stabilized by intralayer water–carboxylate O—H...O hydrogen bonds.     

The structures of the isomorphous potassium and rubidium salts of 4‐nitrobenzoic acid and an overview of the metal complex stereochemistries of the alkali metal salt series with this ligand

4‐Nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) has proved to be a useful ligand for the preparation of metal complexes but the known structures of the alkali metal salts of PNBA do not include the rubidium salt. The structures of the isomorphous potassium and rubidium polymeric coordination complexes with PNBA, namely poly[μ₂‐aqua‐aqua‐μ₃‐(4‐nitrobenzoato)‐potassium], [K(C₇H₄N₂O₂)(H₂O)₂]_n, (I), and poly[μ₃‐aqua‐aqua‐μ₅‐(4‐nitrobenzoato)‐rubidium], [Rb(C₇H₄N₂O₂)(H₂O)₂]_n, (II), have been determined. In (I), the very distorted KO₆ coordination sphere about the K⁺ centres in the repeat unit comprise two bridging nitro O‐atom donors, a single bridging carboxylate O‐atom donor and two water molecules, one of which is bridging. In Rb complex (II), the same basic MO₆ coordination is found in the repeat unit, but it is expanded to RbO₉ through a slight increase in the accepted Rb—O bond‐length range and includes an additional Rb—O_carboxylate bond, completing a bidentate O,O′‐chelate interaction, and additional bridging Rb—O_nitro and Rb—O_water bonds. The comparative K—O and Rb—O bond‐length ranges are 2.7352 (14)–3.0051 (14) and 2.884 (2)–3.182 (2) Å, respectively. The structure of (II) is also isomorphous, as well as isostructural, with the known structure of the nine‐coordinate caesium 4‐nitrobenzoate analogue, (III), in which the Cs—O bond‐length range is 3.047 (4)–3.338 (4) Å. In all three complexes, common basic polymeric extensions are found, including two different centrosymmetric bridging interactions through both water and nitro groups, as well as extensions along c through the para‐related carboxylate group, giving a two‐dimensional structure in (I). In (II) and (III), three‐dimensional structures are generated through additional bridges involving the nitro and water O atoms. In all three structures, the two water molecules are involved in similar intra‐polymer O—H...O hydrogen‐bonding interactions to both carboxylate and water O‐atom acceptors. A comparison of the varied coordination behaviour of the full set of Li–Cs salts with 4‐nitrobenzoic acid is also made.