Several symmetric viologen containing crosslinkers (compounds I, II and III) were synthesized. The copolymerization of these crosslinkers with various monomers under conventional radical polymerization (Conv. RP) conditions yielded electrochromic crosslinked polymers. When the polymerizations were carried out in the presence of carbon tetrabromide (an efficient chain transfer agent) or when atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used as the synthetic method, hyperbranched polymers containing viologen groups at the branch points and alkyl bromide functionalities at the chain ends were formed. Asymmetric viologen (compound IV) containing both a polymerizable (methacrylate) and ATRP initiating (2-bromoisobutyrate) groups was also synthesized. When compound IV was polymerized under ATRP conditions, it served as an inimer, affording hyperbranched polymers. Alternatively, the compound could be homo- or copolymerized under conventional radical polymerization conditions, yielding linear polymers with multiple pendant initiating units, which could be employed as a macroinitiator for ATRP to produce brush copolymers. All synthetic procedures as well as the redox activity of the formed polymers will be described. 

Synthesis of redox-active brush, hyperbranched, and network viologen-containing polymers by conventional radical polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.