This research explores the synthesis of a polymer based on cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) and difurodiketopyrrolopyrrole (DFDPP) comonomers. This work differs from previously published compounds due to an ethynyl spacer between the comonomers, which will provide less steric interactions between the alkyl chains. The DPP comonomer will be synthesized via published methods and then brominated with NBS. The dibromodihexylcyclopentadithiophene comonomer will be treated with trimethylsilylacetylene under Sonogashira conditions to yield the ethynyl comonomer. The final polymer will be produced via another Sonogashira reaction of the deprotected CPDT ethynyl and dibromoDPP comonomers. This polymer will be characterized via FTIR, 1HNMR, and GPC. The optical band gap will be determined from solid UV-Vis absorbance. This organic polymer will be employed in the construction of bulk heterojunction hybrid solar cells with a colleague at South Dakota State University.

Synthesis and characterization of a DFDPP-CPDT polymer with ethynyl spacers by means of a Sonogashira coupling

255th National Meeting (2018)

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