Issue 7, 2016

Preparing DNA-mimicking multi-line nanocaterpillars via in situ nanoparticlisation of fully conjugated polymers

Abstract

A unique hierarchical evolution from single-line nanocaterpillars to multi-line nanocaterpillars and then to multi-line nanocaterpillars bearing a few long-chain branches was demonstrated by in situ nanoparticlisation of fully conjugated poly(2,5-dihexyloxy-1,4-phenylene)-block-poly(3-methylthiophene) (PPP-b-P3MT). PPP-b-P3MTs of various block ratios were successfully synthesised by the Grignard metathesis polymerization method; moreover, these block copolymers underwent spontaneous self-assembly during the polymerization owing to the solvophobicity or strong π–π interactions of the core block, i.e. P3MT. These in situ generated PPP-b-P3MT NPs were quite different from the previously reported NPs generated from poly(2,5-dihexyloxy-1,4-phenylene)-block-polythiophene (PPP-b-PT). AFM and TEM images revealed that PPP-b-P3MTs formed single- to multi-line nanocaterpillars, whereas PPP-b-PTs only formed shorter single-line nanocaterpillars. On the basis of PXRD and UV–vis data, we speculated that this interesting morphology of multi-line nanocaterpillars, resembling duplex DNA, arose from different packing modes and crystallinity as well as improved solubility of the P3MT core compared with the NPs containing the PT core.

Graphical abstract: Preparing DNA-mimicking multi-line nanocaterpillars via in situ nanoparticlisation of fully conjugated polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Des 2015
Accepted
07 Jan 2016
First published
19 Jan 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Polym. Chem., 2016,7, 1422-1428

Preparing DNA-mimicking multi-line nanocaterpillars via in situ nanoparticlisation of fully conjugated polymers

I. Lee, P. Amaladass, I. Choi, V. W. Bergmann, S. A. L. Weber and T. Choi, Polym. Chem., 2016, 7, 1422 DOI: 10.1039/C5PY01967B

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