With the support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Paul Rupar of the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa is conducting research to synthesize and characterize novel conjugated polymers with unique electronic properties. Polymers are ubiquitous in modern life. Common uses of polymers include plastics, surface coatings, and cosmetic products. Conjugated polymers are a sub-class of polymers that can be conductive and have numerous emerging applications, including use in display technologies, solar cells, and electronic devices. In addition to advancing fundamental chemistry knowledge, this research aims to yield new polymers with potential applications in selective gas sensors, organic solar cells, and organic transistors. As a part of the broader impacts of this project, the Rupar Group collaborates with Alabama Science in Motion (ASIM), a statewide program that provides engaging laboratory experiments to high school students and teachers. A novel ASIM educational experiment module is being developed to help to enhance STEM education in west Alabama, a region with a high proportion of under-represented minorities.
This project focuses on the design, synthesis and characterization of novel boron-containing conjugated polymers. The empty p-orbital on 3-coordinate boron is a strong pi-acceptor that increases the electron affinity of a polymer when conjugated with the pi-system. Using computational modeling, the Rupar group has identified polymers containing fused boron rings (e.g. borafluorenes) as promising electron-deficient conjugated polymers, potentially useful as n-type conducting materials. The inclusion of the boron also provides the potential for polymers with inherent sensing capabilities. The main thrusts of this research are: 1) to synthesize boron-containing conjugated homopolymers and study the n-type conducting properties; 2) to explore the potential application of boron-containing conjugated polymers in detecting electron-rich gas; and 3) to develop novel synthetic approaches to boron-containing donor/acceptor copolymers (which contain alternating electron-accepting and electron-donating moieties) as narrow band-gap conjugated polymers.
