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Related Concept Videos

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers01:00

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers

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Polymers that are made up of identical monomer units are called homopolymers. Only one repeating unit is involved in the construction of the homopolymer structure. For example, as depicted in Figure 1, polypropylene is a homopolymer constituted of propylene monomers. Here, the only repeating unit in the polymer chain is propylene.
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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)01:16

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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...
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Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

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For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview01:13

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview

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Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
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Polymers02:34

Polymers

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The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)00:53

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)

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Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization or ADMET polymerization involves cross-metathesis of terminal dienes, such as 1,8-nonadiene, to give linear unsaturated polymer and ethylene. As ADMET is a reversible process, the formed ethylene gas must be removed from the reaction mixture to complete the polymerization process.
Similar to cross-metathesis, ADMET also involves the formation of metallacyclobutane intermediate by [2+2] cycloaddition of one of the double bonds of a terminal diene with...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 30, 2026

In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation
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Oligomer Molecules for Efficient Organic Photovoltaics.

Yuze Lin1,2, Xiaowei Zhan1

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.

Accounts of Chemical Research
|November 6, 2015
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Summary

Oligomer molecules offer a promising solution for fabricating reproducible and efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). These materials combine advantages of small molecules and polymers, paving the way for scalable commercialization of this renewable energy technology.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Renewable Energy
  • Organic Electronics

Background:

  • Organic solar cells (OSCs) are a key renewable energy technology, offering advantages like flexibility and low cost.
  • Current OSCs face challenges with reproducibility and scalability due to material limitations in polymers and small molecules.
  • Oligomer molecules (OMs) bridge the gap, offering defined structures and good processability for improved OSC performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in solution-processable oligomer molecules (OMs) for organic solar cells (OSCs).
  • To discuss the design, properties, and application of OM electron donors and acceptors in OSCs.
  • To highlight structure-property relationships and future research directions for commercializing OSCs.

Main Methods:

  • Survey of recent developments in solution-processable OM electron donors and acceptors.
  • Analysis of rational design strategies for star- and linear-shaped OMs based on specific molecular units.
  • Discussion of structure-property relationships impacting device performance.

Main Results:

  • OMs exhibit advantages over polymers and small molecules, including defined structure, definite molecular weight, and good reproducibility.
  • Solution-processed OSCs utilizing OM donors and acceptors achieve high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 9-10% and 6-7%, respectively.
  • OM materials are identified as viable alternatives to traditional polymer and fullerene materials for efficient and stable OSCs.

Conclusions:

  • Oligomer molecules are a promising class of materials for developing reproducible and scalable organic solar cells.
  • Continued interdisciplinary efforts focusing on novel OM materials, morphology optimization, and device technology are crucial for commercialization.
  • The development of efficient electron acceptor materials is a key area for future research in OSC technology.