title: Solution 1H NMR confirmation of folding in short o-phenylene ethynylene oligomers.
abstract: Oligomers based on an o-phenylene ethynylene (oPE) backbone with polar substituents have been synthesized using Sonogashira methods. Folding of these extremely short oligomers was confirmed via 1D and 2D (NOESY) NMR methods. Utilizing electron-rich and electron-poor phenylene building blocks, variations of these oPE oligomers have been synthesized to determine the folded stability of pi-rich vs pi-poor vs pi-rich-pi-poor systems. Slight variations in temperature offer a route, aside from solvent denaturation, to probe the stability of the folded structure. This is the first report of an NMR solution characterization of folding for a PE backbone without hydrogen bonds.
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Ticora V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Morris M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Slutsky
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laos
authors.forename: Tom F A
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: de Greef
authors.forename: Gregory N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Tew
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; C508010:o-phenylene ethynylene