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    Effects of PNDIT2 end groups on aggregation, thin film structure, alignment and electron transport in field-effect transistors
    (London [u.a.] : RSC, 2016) Matsidik, Rukiya; Luzio, Alessandro; Hameury, Sophie; Komber, Hartmut; McNeill, Christopher R.; Caironi, Mario; Sommer, Michael
    To develop greener protocols toward the sustainable production of conjugated polymers, we combine the advantages of atom-economic direct arylation polycondensation (DAP) with those of the green solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF). The n-type copolymer PNDIT2 is synthesized from unsubstituted bithiophene (T2) and 2,6-dibromonapthalene diimide (NDIBr2) under simple DAP conditions in MeTHF. Extensive optimization is required to suppress nucleophilic substitution of NDIBr end groups, which severely limits molar mass. Different carboxylic acids, bases, palladium precursors and ligands are successfully screened to enable quantitative yield and satisfyingly high molar masses up to Mn,SEC ∼ 20 kDa. In contrast to PNDIT2 made via DAP in toluene with tolyl-chain termini, nucleophilic substitution of NDIBr chain ends in MeTHF finally leads to NDI-OH termination. The influence of different chain termini on the optical, thermal, structural and electronic properties of PNDIT2 is investigated. For samples with identical molecular weight, OH-termination leads to slightly reduced aggregation in solution and bulk crystallinity, a decreased degree of alignment in directionally deposited films, and a consequently reduced, but not compromised, electron mobility with promising values still close to 0.9 cm2 V−1 s−1.
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    Benzoyl side-chains push the open-circuit voltage of PCDTBT/PCBM solar cells beyond 1 V
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier Science, 2017) Lombeck, Florian; Müllers, Stefan; Komber, Hartmut; Menke, S. Matthew; Pearson, Andrew J.; Conaghan, Patrick J.; McNeill, Christopher R.; Friend, Richard H.; Sommer, Michael
    The synthesis, characterization and solar cell performance of PCDTBT and its highly soluble analogue hexyl-PCDTBT with cross-conjugated benzoyl moieties at the carbazole comonomer are presented. Through the use of both model reactions and time-controlled microwave-assisted Suzuki polycondensation, the base-induced cleavage of the benzoyl group from the polymer backbone has been successfully suppressed. Compared to the commonly used symmetrically branched alkyl motif, the benzoyl substituent lowers the energy levels of PCDTBT as well as the band gap, and consequently increases energy of the charge transfer state in blends with PC71BM. As a result, photovoltaic diodes with high-open circuit voltage of above 1 V are realized.
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    Thermally triggered optical tuning of π-conjugated graft copolymers based on reversible Diels–Alder reaction
    (London : RSC Publishing, 2016) Ahner, J.; Micheel, M.; Kötteritzsch, J.; Dietzek, B.; Hager, M.D.
    In order to design a π-conjugated polymer film with tunable optical properties by thermally triggered activation of energy transfer after processing, two monodisperse phenylene ethynylene based oligomers with different optical properties were synthesized and attached to aliphatic polymers as π-conjugated side chains. Subsequently, the exchange of the side chain chromophores between the prepared donor and acceptor graft polymers in the solid state based on a reversible Diels–Alder reaction was studied in detail. The resulting donor–acceptor graft copolymer exhibits intra polymer energy transfer upon excitation of the donor moiety. The photophysical properties of the original and exchanged graft copolymers were investigated by means of absorption and emission spectroscopy. This novel concept opens the possibility for optical tuning of π-conjugated polymer films after processing as well as applications as thermally triggered sensor systems.