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Updated: May 9, 2026

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Synthesis of a donor-acceptor diblock copolymer via two mechanistically distinct, sequential polymerizations using a
Robert J Ono1, Alexander D Todd1, Zhongjian Hu1
1The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1590, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Abstract:
Treatment of a Ni-terminated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), generated in situ from 5-chloromagnesio-2-bromo-3-hexylthiophene and Ni(1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane)Cl2, with a perylene diimide-functionalized arylisocyanide monomer effects a chain-extension polymerization to afford a donor-acceptor diblock copolymer using a single catalyst and in a single reaction vessel. The two mechanistically distinct polymerizations proceed in a controlled, chain growth fashion, allowing the molecular weight of both the P3HT and poly(isocyanide) blocks to be tuned by adjusting the initial monomer-to-catalyst ratios. The resulting materials are found to self-assemble into crystalline, lamellar stacks of donor and acceptor components in the solid state, and also exhibit fluorescence quenching in thin films, properties which poise these materials for use in organic photovoltaic applications.
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