Polymer Bulletin, Vol.77, No.7, 3707-3724, 2020
Synthesis and characterization of electroactive bottlebrush nano-copolymers based on polystyrene and polyaniline as side chains and poly(3-(2-hydroxyethyl)thiophene) as backbone
Electroactive bottlebrush copolymers were synthesized via grafting of polystyrene (PSt) and polyaniline (PANI) from poly(3-(2-hydroxyethyl)thiophene) backbones by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and chemical oxidation polymerization. The bromoesters were attached to the polymer chains to afford the proper macroinitiators for ATRP of PSt branches. Likewise, some other polymer chains were functionalized with antranilic acid for chemical oxidation polymerization of PANI. Electroactivity behaviors of the synthesized bottlebrushes were approved by the cyclic voltammetry, and their conductivities were determined using the four-probe technique. Thanks to the electrical conductivity and thermal stability, the synthesized bottlebrushes can be appropriate candidates for being used in various systems such as organic solar cells.