1. Probing Through-Space Charge Migration in Segmented Conducting Polymers Jocelyn M. Nadeau, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY Conducting polymers have garnered attention for their potential as low-cost, highly tunable components in molecular electronics. Our aim is to synthesize segmented conducting polymers composed of electroactive segments connected by insulating segments, which will be used to study how the relative orientation of the electroactive segments modulates the electrical and optical properties of the polymer. Research objectives we have been focused on include the following:
Synthesis of key synthetic intermediate dibromide 1 as a mixture of diastereomers has been accomplished (~71% C-shaped by NMR).
Preliminary X-ray diffraction data confirm that the structure of the major diastereomer of 1 is indeed C-shaped.
Monomer 2 has been synthesized from 1 using Suzuki coupling methodology, but electropolymerization of 2 has not yet been successful.
Synthesis of monomer 3 is still in progress.
Preliminary X-ray diffraction crystallography structure of 1 confirms that the major diastereomer is C-shaped and features a solvent molecule, CDCl3, occupying the cleft between the aromatic rings.