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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
Published on: January 19, 2016
Crystalline-crystalline block copolymers of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) and polyethylene by ring-opening
Christopher P Radano1, Oren A Scherman, Natalie Stingelin-Stutzmann
1Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Block copolymers of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and polyethylene (PE) were synthesized through the chain transfer of olefin-terminated P3HT in the presence of cyclooctene via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Subsequent hydrogenation of the poly(cyclooctene) block yielded high molecular weight, crystalline-crystalline P3HT-PE block copolymers, which are thermally stable and resistant to solvents under ambient conditions. These copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, DSC, and WAXS and represent the first materials of a class of crystalline-crystalline semiconducting-insulating block copolymers.
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