Electroactive and Conducting Star-Branched Poly(3-hexylthiophene)s with a Conjugated Core

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 32; no. 13; pp. 4272 - 4278
• Main Authors: Wang, Fei, Wilson, Michael S, Rauh, R. David, Schottland, Philippe, Reynolds, John R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 29.06.1999
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Molecular rigidity; Chemical solution; Aniline derivative polymer; Electrical conductivity; Electrical properties; End group; Solution polycondensation; Branched polymer; Self condensation; Molecular weight viscosity relationship; Head to tail polymer; Experimental study; Thermal stability; Conducting polymers; Thiophene derivatives; Chemical modification; Electrochemical properties; Thiophene derivative polymer; Optical properties; Preparation; Star polymer; Prepolymer
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma981781f

A new star structured regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) with a conjugated hyperbranched poly(triphenylamine) as the core has been shown to be electroactive and able to attain high levels of conduction up to 100 S/cm when doped. A hyperbranched poly(triphenylamine) was synthesized by a Negishi coupling reaction from tris(4-bromophenyl)amine with the terminal bromo group on the hyperbranched polymer subsequently converted to a bromothiophene. This functionalized hyperbranched polymer was used as a core for the synthesis of a star structured regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene). The star polymer has a fully conjugated system with conjugated arms of poly(3-hexylthiophene) attached to a conjugated core of poly(triphenylamine). The solution, optical, and thermal properties of the polymers were investigated by SEC, UV−vis spectroscopy, TGA, and DSC. The results indicated that with the branched star structure the polymer retained a high degree of structural order as is typical for regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophene)s.