V. Danke1,2, G. Gupta1,2, and M. Beiner1,2
1Fraunhofer-Institut für Mikrostruktur von Werkstoffen und Systemen IMWS, Walter-Hülse-Straße 1, 06120, Halle, Germany
2Institut für Chemie, Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
Comb-like polymers with rigid backbones and flexible side chains are an important class of functional materials with applications in various fields like organic semiconductors and light weight components in high performance composite materials. A common feature of such polymers is the formation of layered structures with typical spacing in the 1-3 nm range wherein the side chains (long methylene sequences) aggregate to form alkyl nanodomains [1]. Crystallographic analysis in poly (1,4-phenylene-2,5-n-didecyloxy terephthalate) (PPDOT) and poly (2,5-didecyloxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (DOPPV) each having 10 alkyl carbons per side chain shows that PPDOT exhibits an orthorhombic unit cell, whereas the DOPPV is characterized by a monoclinic unit cell. The interplay between backbone and side chain packing within the alkyl nanodomain leading to different crystallographic states is discussed. Investigations on molecular orientation in extruded fibers of poly (1,4-phenylene-2,5-n-dialkyloxy terephthalate)s (PPAOT) and poly (2,5-dialkyloxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene)s (AOPPV) show that the backbones in case of PPAOT align along the shear direction whereas in AOPPV they align preferentially perpendicular to the shear direction [2]. Potential reasons for the differences in the preferred orientations for PPAOT and AOPPV are considered.
References
[1] About different packing states of alkyl groups in comb-like polymers with rigid backbones. T. Babur, G. Gupta and M. Beiner, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 8093-8097 (link)
[2] Interrelations Between Side Chain and Main Chain Packing in Different Crystal Modifications of Alkoxylated Polyesters. G. Gupta, V. Danke, T. Babur, and M. Beiner. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2017, 121, 4583-45. (link)