This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This project focuses on the development of controlled palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling polymerizations. It aims: (a) to develop Pd (0)-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling polymerizations with a controlled degree of polymerization, and (b) to develop other controlled Pd (0)-catalyzed cross-coupling polymerizations for the preparation of conjugated polymers and their related conjugated macromolecules. These aims will be accomplished by narrowing the poly-dispersity index of the conjugated polymers. The studies on the preparation of conjugated block copolymers, brush polymers and starburst polymers with a controlled degree of polymerization in each block/segment will be also performed.
With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Qiao-Sheng Hu of the Department of Chemistry at CUNY College of Staten Island. Professor Hu's research efforts revolve around the development of cross-coupling polymerization methods for the synthesis of conjugated polymers. The proposed research is expected to reveal new opportunities for palladium catalysis and to allow access to a variety of conjugated macromolecules with a controlled degree of polymerization. Successful development of the methodology will have a positive impact on the fields of materials science and nanotechnology.
