Synthesis for poly(3-hexylthiophene) macroinitiator suitable for reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer

POLY 202

Youngmin Lee, sequoia@postech.ac.kr1, Jin Kon Kim, jkkim@postech.ac.kr2, Ken-ichi Fukukawa, fukukawa@mrl.ucsb.edu3, Joona Bang, joona@mrl.ucsb.edu4, and Craig J. Hawker3. (1) Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyo-ja dong, Pohang, South Korea, (2) Department of Chemical Enginnering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyo-ja dong, Pohang, 790-784, South Korea, (3) Materials Research Laboratory, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA CA 93106, (4) Materials Research Laboratory, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
We introduce a novel method to synthesize poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) macroinitators which can be used to polymerize methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA) via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) leading to block copolymer formation. Although P3HT-b-polystyrene can be synthesized using a P3HT macroinitiator via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), this method is not suitable for polymerization of PMMA, because MMA has lower reactivity than styrene for the living radical polymerization. The P3HT-b-PMMA copolymer could be employed for nanolithographic applications where well defined nanostructures can be prepared by facile removal of the PMMA block by ultraviolet irradiation followed by rinsing with acetic acid. The microdomains of P3HT-b-PMMA depending on volume fraction of P3HT will be discussed.
 

General Papers: Synthesis and Characterization
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006