Synthesis and Characterization of Multicomponent ABC- and ABCD-Type Miktoarm Star-Branched Polymers Containing a Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Segment

Abstract

The new series of ABC-type miktoarm star polymer (ABC star, A = polyisoprene (PI), B = polystyrene (PS), and C = poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)) and ABCDtype miktoarm star polymer (ABCD star, A = PI, B = PS, C = poly(alpha-methylstyrene) (P alpha MS), and D = P3HT) could be synthesized by the combination of the controlled KCTP, anionic linking reaction, and Click chemistry. By the copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition click reaction of the azido-chain-end-functional P3HT (P3HT-N-3) with the alkyne-in-chain-functional AB diblock copolymer (A = PI and B = PS) (AB-alkyne) or alkyne-core-functional ABC miktoarm star polymer (A = PI, B = PS, and C = P alpha MS) (ABC-alkyne), the target ABC star and ABCD star, respectively, were obtained, as confirmed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 NMR). The thermal and optical properties of these star polymers were examined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The dynamic scattering calorimetry (DSC), atomic force micrograph (AFM) image, and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) results showed that the periodic P3HT fibril nanostructures rather than microphase separation occurred in the ABCD star film. In addition, it was found that highly crystalline P3HT domains aligned in the "edge-on" orientation, as supported by grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS).