Microfluidic Crystal Engineering of π-Conjugated Polymers

Molecular crystal approach for π-conjugated polymers: from PPP Hamiltonian to Holstein model for polaron states

Starting from the π-electrons Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) Hamiltonian which includes both strong electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions, we propose a strongly correlated wave function for the ground state of conjugated polymers. This wavefunction describes nearest-neighbour intermonomer charge fluctuations in the background of paired electrons localized on monomers. With this picture, ...

Mechanically strong, fluorescent hydrogels from zwitterionic, fully π-conjugated polymers.

Mechanically strong supramolecular hydrogels (up to 98.9% water content) were obtained by the combination of a rigid, fully π-conjugated polymer backbone and zwitterionic side chains. The gels were characterized by SAXS, SEM and rheology measurements and are fluorescent, stimuli responsive (temperature, salts) and bind DNA.

Band-structure engineering in conjugated 2D polymers.

Conjugated polymers find widespread application in (opto)electronic devices, sensing, and as catalysts. Their common one-dimensional structure can be extended into the second dimension to create conjugated planar sheets of covalently linked molecules. Extending π-conjugation into the second dimension unlocks a new class of semiconductive polymers which as a consequence of their unique electroni...

Helically assembled π-conjugated polymers with circularly polarized luminescence

We review the recent progress in the field of helically assembled π-conjugated polymers, focusing on aromatic conjugated polymers with interchain helical π-stacking that exhibit circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). In Part 1, we discuss optically active polymers with white-colored CPL and the amplification of the circular polarization through liquid crystallinity. In Part 2, we focus on the...

Towards design strategies for anion–π interactions in crystal engineering