An electropolymerizable star-like copolymer was afforded by utilizing a hyperbranched cored ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone (CL) with extended carbazole peripheral groups. Different arm lengths were obtained based on different degrees of polymerization (DPn) from the polyethyleneimine (PEI) core, in which complete peripheral functionalization with carbazole groups was observed. This was confirmed by 1H NMR, FT-IR, SEC, Fluorescence spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectra quantitative characterization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging showed two distinct particle aggregation characteristics, before and after functionalization with carbazole groups. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was also employed to investigate electrochemical cross-linking properties of the star-like copolymers. The obtained polymeric films were further studied by UV-vis spectroscopy and AFM. Results indicated that conformational freedom of the electroactive peripheral functional groups can be controlled by the DPn or size of the PEI core. Moreover, an interesting �loop effect� together with solid state polymerization is observed.

Synthesis and electropolymerization of a star copolymer with peripheral carbazoles

245th National Meeting (2013)

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