Synthesis of diazocine-containing polysulfones and their mechanical and electrochemical properties

POLY 279

Takeo Suga, tsuga@vt.edu and Timothy E. Long, telong@vt.edu. Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
The diazocine derivatives composed of stable hetero[8]annulene ring are candidate for the redox-driven actuating unit, in which the boat- to planar-conformational change can be induced by two electron transfer process. The conformation of the diazocine derivatives was characterized to be the boat-type by X-ray single crystallography and NMR spectroscopy at various temperatures. Poly(arylene ether) and poly(arylene ether sulfone) containing diazocine group were synthesized from 6,12-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-dibenzo[1,5]diazocine, di(4-fluorophenyl)sulfone and biphenol via step-growth polymerization. The obtained polymers show high thermal stability and glass transition temperature tuned with the diazocine unit ratio. Solution casting gave tough and creasable films, which were characterized by tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Cyclic voltammograms of diazocine derivatives in acetonitrile solution showed n-type reversible behavior under inert and base condition.