Soluble, sulfinyl-based poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) precursors were synthesized and subsequently spun into fibers.1-(Chloromethyl)-4-[(n-octylsulfinyl)methyl]benzene was synthesized in 94% yield and polymerized via an analogous approach to the Gilch reaction. After polymerization, the sulfinyl group may be thermally eliminated from the backbone of the polymer to obtain conjugated, conductive PPV. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, TGA and FTIR confirmed that the polymer structure contained both sulfinyl- and pure PPV-based units. An additional thermal treatment ultimately resulted in the formation of PPV. Spinning dopes were prepared with 45.-wt% polymer from 45.0 to 50.0 g of polymer in chloroform and had zero shear viscosities around 60.3 Pa�s at 20 �C. Fibers were dry-spun with various jet stretch ratios from 0 to 141% stretch to investigate changes in crystallinity with drawing. The fluorescent, conjugated polymer fibers possessed diameters less than 50 �m by SEM and remained soluble until thermal treatment at 150 �C.

Dry-spinning of poly(<i>p</i>-phenylene vinylene) fibers

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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Dry-spinning of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) fibers