Functional Polyarylene Networks

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

TECHNICAL SUMMARY The proposed research describes a new family of polyarylenes and hybrid molecular composites useful in a variety of high performance, thin film network, and high yield carbon applications. As a general class, polyarylenes are currently limited by poor melt and solution processability and traditional strategies to improve processability typically sacrifice performance. In an effort to overcome these issues, prior NSF funding has enabled the development of a versatile family of polyarylene networks from processable intermediates. The general synthetic approach requires three steps from commercial bisphenols and affords bis-ortho-diynylarene (BODA) monomers in high yield. When heated, BODA tetraynes undergo Bergman cyclopolymerization to branched - and thus processable - intermediate reactive oligomers. Solution or melt fabrication and further thermal cure results in high performance networks, electroactive and light emissive materials, and high yield semiconductor glassy carbon. The synthesis of new BODA derived materials is proposed targeted for applications in important emerging areas including fuel cells, photo-voltaics, light emissive devices, photonic sensors, and inorganic / carbon hybrid composites. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY The proposed research describes synthesis and study of a new family of plastics which have potential applications in emerging and strategically important fields such as solar energy, hydrogen fuel cells, light emitting devices, and chem/bio sensors. The unique advantage of this technology includes the ability to form coatings and molded parts while forming the plastic structure at the same time. Plastic structures of this type have been very difficult to process in the past. The project also includes many broader impacts focused on the promotion of multi-disciplinary graduate training, project stewardship from an industrial mentor, and K-12 teacher and student outreach. Specifically, outreach activities will be focused in three areas: K-12 teacher training workshops on using everyday plastics to convey scientific concepts, K-12 chemistry demonstration road shows, and the Clemson Emerging Scholars Program. The latter is a three week program at Clemson for several hundred economically disadvantaged and primarily minority high school students in South Carolina. A special element of the project is the management plan which will include faculty and graduate student project stewardship through the current NSF Discovery Corps Fellowship Grant under the direction of one of the Discovery Corps Sr. Fellows as industrial mentor.