Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
π Molecular Orbitals of 1,3-Butadiene01:24

π Molecular Orbitals of 1,3-Butadiene

Conjugated dienes have lower heats of hydrogenation than cumulated and isolated dienes, making them more stable. The enhanced stabilization of conjugated systems can be understood from their π molecular orbitals.
The simplest conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene: a four-carbon system where each carbon is sp2-hybridized and has an unhybridized p orbital that contains an unpaired electron. According to molecular orbital theory, atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals such that the number...
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)01:16

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:26

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview01:26

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview

Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quantitative Prediction of Stress Relaxation Kinetics in Dissociative Covalent Adaptable Networks.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Process and property assessment of liquid metal spray deposition towards scalable and reliable stretchable electronics.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Molecular Engineering of Interlayer Exciton Delocalization in 2D Perovskites.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Site-Specific Spin State Modulation in Spinel Oxides for Enhanced Nonradical Oxidation.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2025
Same author

Critical Roles of Ultrafast Energy Funnelling and Ultrafast Singlet-Triplet Annihilation in Quasi-2D Perovskite Optical Gain Mechanisms.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025
Same author

Structural rigidity, thermochromism and piezochromism of layered hybrid perovskites containing an interdigitated organic bilayer.

Chemical science·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
09:22

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

Published on: February 7, 2017

Phase behavior of PCBM blends with different conjugated polymers.

Jun Zhao1, Sabine Bertho, Joke Vandenbergh

  • 1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P R China.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|June 3, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Investigating polymer blends, this study reveals liquid-liquid phase separation in poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and [6,6]-phenyl C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) mixtures, unlike poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT):PCBM blends. Rapid heat-cool calorimetry effectively analyzed these phase behaviors.

More Related Videos

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
06:16

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering

Published on: December 21, 2017

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
09:22

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

Published on: February 7, 2017

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
06:16

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering

Published on: December 21, 2017

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Organic electronics rely on polymer:fullerene blends, where miscibility influences device performance.
  • Poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivatives and poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) are common donor polymers paired with [6,6]-phenyl C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) acceptors.
  • Understanding phase behavior is crucial for optimizing morphology and charge transport in these blends.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phase behavior and miscibility of blends composed of various poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivatives and [6,6]-phenyl C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).
  • To compare the phase separation tendencies of PPV:PCBM blends with those of regioregular poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT):PCBM blends.
  • To evaluate the utility of rapid heat-cool calorimetry (RHC) in studying phase transitions in these polymer blends.

Main Methods:

  • Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC) were employed to analyze thermal properties.
  • Rapid heat-cool calorimetry (RHC) was utilized for its high cooling rates (approx. 2000 K min⁻¹) to probe phase separation dynamics.
  • Blends investigated included poly(2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MDMO-PPV):PCBM, High T(g)-PPV:PCBM, MPE-PPV:PCBM, and P3HT:PCBM.

Main Results:

  • Liquid-liquid phase separation was observed in the molten state of MDMO-PPV:PCBM and High T(g)-PPV:PCBM blends, evidenced by double glass transitions at high PCBM content (approx. 80 wt%).
  • In contrast, P3HT:PCBM blends exhibited no phase separation under similar conditions, indicating higher miscibility.
  • RHC proved effective in detecting phase separation through glass transitions in these crystallizable blends.
  • P3HT demonstrated significantly higher thermal stability compared to the PPV samples.

Conclusions:

  • PPV:PCBM blends show a propensity for liquid-liquid phase separation, unlike P3HT:PCBM blends, impacting blend morphology.
  • RHC is a valuable technique for characterizing phase behavior in polymer blends due to its rapid cooling capabilities.
  • The distinct miscibility and thermal stability profiles of PPV and P3HT highlight the importance of polymer selection in organic electronic applications.