Conjugated polymers are touted for their electronic and photonic properties, and have been shown to have significant applications in light-harvesting and storage. Much research has already been done showing the plethora of applications for conjugated polymers, but there has been considerably less work involving conjugated cyclic polymers. My research is focused on creating an optimized initiator for ring expansion metathesis polymerizations (REMP) for use in the synthesis of conjugated cyclic polymers. Ring expansion polymerizations are a favorable way to approach the production of cyclic polymers as they provide better control over molecular weight, effective conjugation length, and long-range morphology of the polymer. Using REMP to access conjugated cyclic homopolymers and copolymers (e.g. donor-acceptor copolymers), and subsequent exploration of the properties of these materials, could result in exciting advancements in the field of conjugated polymers.
Advisor: Matt Golder – Chemistry