The development of polymers featuring phosphorus and other main group elements in the backbone is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary area of research. The unique oxidation states and coordination numbers of phosphorus in the main chain impart chemical functionality, semi-conducting, optoelectronic and physical properties that are often quite different from their organic counterparts. One of the key barriers to the widespread development and application of phosphorus-containing polymers is the lack of general methods to link inorganic elements into long chains. We have successfully utilized phosphaalkenes, analogues of olefins, as building blocks to new polymers we call poly(methylenephosphines) (PMPs, Figure 1). This presentation will focus on the unusual mechanism of the polymerization of P=C bonds along with the novel emission properties of PMPs bearing fluorescent groups (FG) in the side chain. It will be shown that the fluorescence of the FG is highly sensitive to the chemical environment at phosphorus, with the phosphine being nonemissive whilst the phosphine oxide is fluorescent. A second class of P-containing polymer, poly(p-phenyleneethynylene phosphine) (PPYP, Figure 1) will also be discussed. These materials have been subjected to detailed photophysical characterization both in solution and in the solid state. Their emissive properties are also highly sensitive to the chemical environment at phosphorus making them attractive as potential sensor agents.

π-Conjugated materals featuring chemically functional phosphorus moieties: Synthesis, characterization and potential sensor applications

254th National Meeting (2017)

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