title: Controlled catalyst transfer polycondensation and surface-initiated polymerization of a p-phenyleneethynylene-based monomer.
abstract: Herein, we describe a catalyst transfer polycondensation that enabled access to well-defined poly(p-phenyleneethynylene) (PPE), a prominent conjugated polymer. Treatment of a stannylated 4-iodophenylacetylene derivative with PhPd(t-Bu3P)Br afforded the corresponding PPE in up to 94% yield. Under optimized conditions, the molecular weight of the polymer increased linearly with monomer consumption, and was controlled by adjusting the initial monomer-to-catalyst ratio. The chain-growth nature of the polymerization reaction was utilized to produce well-defined PPE-containing block copolymers, as well as to grow PPE brushes from silica nanoparticles via a surface-initiated polymerization process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas 78712, United States.
authors.forename: Songsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bielawski