Organic Chemistry Seminar

Organic pi-conjugated polymers have unique optical, electrical and redox properties that result from pi-electron delocalization along the polymer chain. Consequently, they are being explored for diverse applications, including light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and transistors. Though promising, limitations of the current materials have prevented their widespread application. To advance this field, synthetic methods for accessing a larger variety of well-defined materials are needed. This presentation will highlight our efforts toward controlled, chain-growth syntheses of pi-conjugated copolymers. Specifically, we will discuss mechanistic studies aimed at elucidating the chain-growth nature of these polymerizations and the development of improved catalysts and reaction conditions. If broadly applicable, these chain-growth methods have the potential to provide access to copolymers with well-defined structures, controlled molecular weights, and narrow molecular weight distributions.