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Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0
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Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2023) | Viewed by 16367

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dario Pasini

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, INSTM Research Unit, University of Pavia, Via Torquato Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: controlled free radical polymerization; cyclopolymerization; sequence controlled polymers; conjugated polymers; organic materials; chirality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Szczepan Zapotoczny

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: polymeric materials; superparamagnetic nanoparticles; polymer brushes; biopolymers; stimuli-responsive materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conjugated organic oligomers and polymers have demonstrated, in past decades, amazing properties, such as conductivity, which were traditionally considered counterintuitive for macromolecules consistently used as plastics and fibers (thus insulators) until the late 1970s. Their semiconducting properties have boosted enormous interest, and indeed, a new generation of materials, often pairing the outstanding performances of inorganic semiconductors, but showing advantages in terms of relative cost, easy methodology of processing, and fields of applications, have been brought forward. They are now widely used in sensing, energy harvesting and conversion, and electronics due to their amazing optical, electronic, chemical, and mechanical properties.

Although conjugated materials are booming and affecting many important fields, they still face some key challenges, mainly focusing on time-consuming synthesis and low yield, limited applications because of instability, or poor solubility. Therefore, the long-term development of conjugated organic materials urgently requires multidisciplinary researchers to work together, as a good match of organic, polymer chemistry, and engineering, in operando spectroscopic techniques is always the base for breakthroughs in the field. Effective and scalable synthesis will be a more and more important driving force for the long-lasting vitality of conjugated materials.

This Special Issue is intended to be an up-to-date and comprehensive issue focused on conjugated materials and aims to pave the way to future practical applications in this wide and dynamic field. We cordially invite you to submit original papers, perspectives, and reviews directed at, but not limited to, the synthesis, processing, and applications of conjugated materials. All aspects of the topics are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • New methods of conjugated materials synthesis
  • Green synthesis of conjugated materials
  • Large scale synthesis of conjugated materials
  • Modification and functionalization of conjugated materials
  • Conjugated materials for energy conversion and storage
  • Biological applications of conjugated materials

Prof. Dr. Dario Pasini
Prof. Dr. Szczepan Zapotoczny
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conjugated materials synthesis
  • modification of conjugated materials
  • functionalization of conjugated materials
  • biological applications

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 195 KiB  
Editorial
Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0
by Dario Pasini and Szczepan Zapotoczny
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(14), 11623; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411623 - 19 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1081
Abstract
In the past few decades, conjugated organic oligomers and polymers have been shown to have amazing properties, such as conductivity, which were traditionally considered counterintuitive for macromolecules consistently used as plastics and fibers (and thus, insulators) until the late 1970s [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 4285 KiB  
Article
Isoindigo–Thiophene D–A–D–Type Conjugated Polymers: Electrosynthesis and Electrochromic Performances
by Jie Cao, Xiaoyu Luo, Shenglong Zhou, Zhixin Wu, Qi Zhao, Hua Gu, Wen Wang, Zhilin Zhang, Kaiyue Zhang, Kaiyun Li, Jingkun Xu, Ximei Liu, Baoyang Lu and Kaiwen Lin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2219; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032219 - 22 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2472
Abstract
Four novel isoindigo–thiophene D–A–D–type precursors are synthesized by Stille coupling and electrosynthesized to yield corresponding hybrid polymers with favorable electrochemical and electrochromic performances. Intrinsic structure–property relationships of precursors and corresponding polymers, including surface morphology, band gaps, electrochemical properties, and electrochromic behaviors, are systematically [...] Read more.
Four novel isoindigo–thiophene D–A–D–type precursors are synthesized by Stille coupling and electrosynthesized to yield corresponding hybrid polymers with favorable electrochemical and electrochromic performances. Intrinsic structure–property relationships of precursors and corresponding polymers, including surface morphology, band gaps, electrochemical properties, and electrochromic behaviors, are systematically investigated. The resultant isoindigo–thiophene D–A–D–type polymer combines the merits of isoindigo and polythiophene, including the excellent stability of isoindigo–based polymers and the extraordinary electrochromic stability of polythiophene. The low onset oxidation potential of precursors ranges from 1.10 to 1.15 V vs. Ag/AgCl, contributing to the electrodeposition of high–quality polymer films. Further kinetic studies illustrate that isoindigo–thiophene D–A–D–type polymers possess favorable electrochromic performances, including high optical contrast (53%, 1000 nm), fast switching time (0.8 s), and high coloration efficiency (124 cm2 C−1). These features of isoindigo–thiophene D–A–D–type conjugated polymers could provide a possibility for rational design and application as electrochromic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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21 pages, 6022 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Nitric Oxide Sensing Performance of Conjugated Polymer Films through Incorporation of Graphitic Carbon Nitride
by Proscovia Kyokunzire, Ganghoon Jeong, Seo Young Shin, Hyeong Jun Cheon, Eunsol Wi, Minhong Woo, Trang Thi Vu and Mincheol Chang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021158 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2522
Abstract
Organic field-effect transistor (OFET) gas sensors based on conjugated polymer films have recently attracted considerable attention for use in environmental monitoring applications. However, the existing devices are limited by their poor sensing performance for gas analytes. This drawback is attributed to the low [...] Read more.
Organic field-effect transistor (OFET) gas sensors based on conjugated polymer films have recently attracted considerable attention for use in environmental monitoring applications. However, the existing devices are limited by their poor sensing performance for gas analytes. This drawback is attributed to the low charge transport in and the limited charge–analyte interaction of the conjugated polymers. Herein, we demonstrate that the incorporation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) into the conjugated polymer matrix can improve the sensing performance of OFET gas sensors. Moreover, the effect of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) on the gas sensing properties of OFET sensors based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a conjugated polymer, was systematically investigated by changing the concentration of the g-C₃N₄ in the P3HT/g-C₃N₄ composite films. The obtained films were applied in OFET to detect NO gas at room temperature. In terms of the results, first, the P3HT/g-C₃N₄ composite films containing 10 wt.% g-C₃N₄ exhibited a maximum charge carrier mobility of ~1.1 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 S−1, which was approximately five times higher than that of pristine P3HT films. The fabricated P3HT/g-C₃N₄ composite film based OFET sensors presented significantly enhanced NO gas sensing characteristics compared to those of the bare P3HT sensor. In particular, the sensors based on the P3HT/g-C₃N₄ (90/10) composite films exhibited the best sensing performance relative to that of the bare P3HT sensor when exposed to 10 ppm NO gas: responsivity = 40.6 vs. 18.1%, response time = 129 vs. 142 s, and recovery time = 148 vs. 162 s. These results demonstrate the enormous promise of g-C₃N₄ as a gas sensing material that can be hybridized with conjugated polymers to efficiently detect gas analytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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11 pages, 2721 KiB  
Article
New Benzotriazole and Benzodithiophene-Based Conjugated Terpolymer Bearing a Fluorescein Derivative as Side-Group: In-Ternal Förster Resonance Energy Transfer to Improve Organic Solar Cells
by Ignacio A. Jessop, Josefa Cutipa, Yasmín Perez, Cesar Saldías, Denis Fuentealba, Alain Tundidor-Camba, Claudio A. Terraza, María B. Camarada and Felipe A. Angel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 12901; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232112901 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1909
Abstract
A new benzodithiophene and benzotriazole-based terpolymer bearing a fluorescein derivative as a side group was synthesized and studied for organic solar cell (OSC) applications. This side group was covalently bounded to the backbone through an n-hexyl chain to induce the intramolecular Förster [...] Read more.
A new benzodithiophene and benzotriazole-based terpolymer bearing a fluorescein derivative as a side group was synthesized and studied for organic solar cell (OSC) applications. This side group was covalently bounded to the backbone through an n-hexyl chain to induce the intramolecular Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) process and thus improve the photovoltaic performance of the polymeric material. The polymer exhibited good solubility in common organic chlorinated solvents as well as thermal stability (TDT10% > 360 °C). Photophysical measurements demonstrated the occurrence of the FRET phenomenon between the lateral group and the terpolymer. The terpolymer exhibited an absorption band centered at 501 nm, an optical bandgap of 2.02 eV, and HOMO and LUMO energy levels of −5.30 eV and −3.28 eV, respectively. A preliminary study on terpolymer-based OSC devices showed a low power-conversion efficiency (PCE) but a higher performance than devices based on an analogous polymer without the fluorescein derivative. These results mean that the design presented here is a promising strategy to improve the performance of polymers used in OSCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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11 pages, 2730 KiB  
Article
Truxene-Centered Electron Acceptors for Non-Fullerene Solar Cells: Alkyl Chain and Branched Arm Engineering
by Kaiwen Lin, Wenhao Du, Shuqi Shen, Haoshen Liang, Xiaobin Zhang, Manjun Xiao and Yuehui Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10402; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810402 - 8 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1607
Abstract
A series of symmetrical truxene-centered and 3-ethylrhodanine end-capped electron acceptors with high absorption coefficient, namely Tr(Hex)6-3RD, Tr(Dec)6-3RD, and Tr(Hex)6-6RD, were prepared and constructed for non-fullerene solar cells. To satisfy solution-processability, multiple energy levels, and suitable morphology, these [...] Read more.
A series of symmetrical truxene-centered and 3-ethylrhodanine end-capped electron acceptors with high absorption coefficient, namely Tr(Hex)6-3RD, Tr(Dec)6-3RD, and Tr(Hex)6-6RD, were prepared and constructed for non-fullerene solar cells. To satisfy solution-processability, multiple energy levels, and suitable morphology, these three acceptors were comparatively studied through alkyl chain (hexyl/decyl) and branched-arm engineering (three/six branched arms). The six-bladed propeller acceptor of Tr(Hex)6-6RD recorded the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.1% blending with PTB7-Th without additional additives and post-processing. This work highly broadens the potential applications of star-shaped truxene building blocks in the fields of organic electronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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17 pages, 2938 KiB  
Article
Precise Stepwise Synthesis of Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer Brushes Grafted from Surfaces
by Anna Grobelny, Artur Grobelny and Szczepan Zapotoczny
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(11), 6162; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23116162 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3136
Abstract
Donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymers are promising materials in optoelectronic applications, especially those forming ordered thin films. The processability of such conjugated macromolecules is typically enhanced by introducing bulky side chains, but it may affect their ordering and/or photophysical properties of the films. We [...] Read more.
Donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymers are promising materials in optoelectronic applications, especially those forming ordered thin films. The processability of such conjugated macromolecules is typically enhanced by introducing bulky side chains, but it may affect their ordering and/or photophysical properties of the films. We show here the synthesis of surface-grafted D-A polymer brushes using alternating attachment of tailored monomers serving as electron donors (D) and acceptors (A) via coupling reactions. In such a stepwise procedure, alternating copolymer brushes consisting of thiophene and benzothiadiazole-based moieties with precisely tailored thickness and no bulky substituents were formed. The utilization of Sonogashira coupling was shown to produce densely packed molecular wires of tailored thickness, while Stille coupling and Huisgen cycloaddition were less efficient, likely because of the higher flexibility of D-A bridging groups. The D-A brushes exhibit reduced bandgaps, semiconducting properties and can form aggregates, which can be adjusted by changing the grafting density of the chains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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21 pages, 3410 KiB  
Article
Ladder-like Polymer Brushes Containing Conjugated Poly(Propylenedioxythiophene) Chains
by Gabriela Grześ, Karol Wolski, Tomasz Uchacz, Justyna Bała, Boris Louis, Ivan G. Scheblykin and Szczepan Zapotoczny
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(11), 5886; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23115886 - 24 May 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2606
Abstract
The high stability and conductivity of 3,4-disubstituted polythiophenes such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) make them attractive candidates for commercial applications. However, next-generation nanoelectronic devices require novel macromolecular strategies for the precise synthesis of advanced polymer structures as well as their arrangement. In this report, [...] Read more.
The high stability and conductivity of 3,4-disubstituted polythiophenes such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) make them attractive candidates for commercial applications. However, next-generation nanoelectronic devices require novel macromolecular strategies for the precise synthesis of advanced polymer structures as well as their arrangement. In this report, we present a synthetic route to make ladder-like polymer brushes with poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PProDOT)-conjugated chains. The brushes were prepared via a self-templating surface-initiated technique (ST-SIP) that combines the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of bifunctional ProDOT-based monomers and subsequent oxidative polymerization of the pendant ProDOT groups in the parent brushes. The brushes prepared in this way were characterized by grazing-angle FTIR, XPS spectroscopy, and AFM. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements were used to extract the information about the structure and effective conjugation length of PProDOT-based chains. Stability tests performed in ambient conditions and under exposure to standardized solar light revealed the remarkable stability of the obtained materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers 2.0)
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