Theoretical study of the conversion of sulfonyl precursors into chains of poly(p-phenylene vinylene)

The elimination and side reactions involved in the thermal conversion of sulfonyl precursor chains into poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) have been studied in detail, using Density Functional theory, along with the MPW1K functional. The performance of the MPW1K functional for describing radical dissociation and internal conversion reactions of sulfonyl precursors has been assessed against the results of benchmark CCSD(T) calculations. Enthalpies as well as entropies are calculated at different temperatures at the level of the rigid rotor-harmonic oscillator approximation. Entropy effects on internal elimination reactions are very limited. In sharp contrast, at the temperatures under which the conversion is usually performed (550 K), entropy contributions to the activation energies are found to be very significant and to strongly favor direct radical dissociations of the precursors. Further radical side reactions following an E(i) conversion through an alkyl substituent may also significantly contribute to the formation of sp(3) defects and/or cross-linked structures in the polymer-an advantageous feature for the making of materials with improved photoluminescence efficiencies.