Synthesis and solution self-assembly of poly(benzotriazole)-b-poly(alkyl methacrylate)s

Abstract

Conjugated polymers (CPs) constitute a class of optoelectronic materials with a broad range of applications including sensors, photovoltaics, and theranostics. Morphology is a critical factor that governs optoelectronic performance, and solution-based assembly of CPs is a powerful way to control it. However, among CPs, solution self-assembly of electron-deficient CPs remains underexplored. Herein, we have prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization and Suzuki catalyst-transfer polymerization a library of poly(benzotriazole)-b-poly(alkyl methacrylate)s (PBTZ-b-PRMAs) with narrow molecular weight distribution (1.04–1.14) and spanning molecular weights of 10.8 to 57.0 kg mol⁻¹. We studied the self-assembly of the rod-coil block copolymers in tetrahydrofuran/hexane and tetrahydrofuran/ethyl acetate mixtures and found that changing the volumes of the two blocks in PBTZ-b-PRMAs led to an assortment of morphologies, including toroids, lamellae, and discrete nanofibers.