Abstract - Jenekhe Advanced polymers, such as aromatic polyimides, aromatic polyamides, polyquinolines, polybenzobisazoles, ladder polymers, and conjugated polymers, of interest for high-performance technological applications including engineering structures, aircraft, aerospace, and other transportation vehicles, electronics, photonics, and heat-resistant membranes for efficient separation processes, have rigid-chain structures and strong intermolecular interactions that make their processing and manufacturing into products or devices difficult and economically costly. The goal of this experimental research program is to develop new generic approaches for the processing and efficient manufacturing of advanced polymers and polymer-based composite materials into useful products produced by a range of industries. In previous experiments, the PI discovered a reversible Lewis acid coordination complexation chemistry of some rigid-chain polymers. Once the Lewis acid (e.g. AlCl3, FeCl3, or GaCl3) complexes of the rigid-chain polymers are formed, they readily dissolve in organic solvents to sufficiently high concentrations as to form liquid crystalline phases in solution. The polymer complexes also undergo a facile decomplexation when treated with water or alcohol, precipitating or regenerating the pure original polymers. This reversible Lewis acid-base complexation chemistry of heterocyclic rigid-chain polymers can be used as a basis of solution processing of different polymers to thin films, fibers, and coatings via conventional organic solvent processing techniques. The project's specific aims include: (1) determination of the fundamental processing characteristics of rigid-chain polymers and rigid-chain/flexible-chain molecular composites and development of the complexation mediated processing for producing films, coatings, fibers, or sheets from solutions, gels, or melts of coordination complexes of rigid-chain polymers; (2) exploration of the engineering problems associated with the processing of advanced polymers and polymer composites by developing the complexation mediated processing approach for commercial processing techniques such as spin coating, film extrusion, and fiber spinning; and (3) evaluation of the morphology and physical properties of films, coatings, fibers, and other forms produced by this processing approach and thereby elucidation of the effects of processing and morphology on the mechanical, electronic, optical, and optoelectronic properties of advanced polymers and polymer composites.
