Chemistry Colloquia (hosted by Dave Collum)

This presentation will highlight our efforts toward controlled, chain-growth syntheses of π-conjugated copolymers. These polymers have unique optical, electrical and redox properties that result from π-electron delocalization along the polymer chain, and are being explored for diverse applications, including light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and transistors. Chain-growth methods for synthesizing π-conjugated polymers are gaining attention because previously inaccessible materials, like all-conjugated block and gradient copolymers, can now be prepared. The scope and efficiency of these polymerizations is limited, however, and the origin of these limitations remains unclear. To advance this field, methods for accessing a larger variety of well-defined materials are needed. This presentation will focus on our efforts to develop improved catalysts, guided by mechanistic insight, and their application toward copolymers with well-defined structures, controlled molecular weights, and narrow molecular weight distributions.