Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics

Front Cover: Ruthenium(II) bis-terpyridine complex containing polymers could be synthesized by three alternative routes. Thereby, the conjugated system at the 4′ position was enlarged. In this manner, new switchable polymers with potential interesting optical properties are accessible. Further details can be found in the article by A. M. Breul, J. Schäfer, C. Friebe, F. Schlütter, R. M. Paulus, G. Festag, M. D. Hager, A. Winter, B. Dietzek, J. Popp, and U. S. Schubert* on page 808.

This issue includes a special section containing three articles related to the special issue of our sister journal Macromol. Rapid Commun., Vol. 33(6–7), guest edited by G. R. Newkome, I. Manners, S. Schubert, and U. S. Schubert. This frontispiece features the article by C. Friebe, A. Wild, J. Perelaer, and U. S. Schubert* which can be found in the related special issue on page 503. For the first time, thin-film libraries of zinc(II) bis-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine met-allopolymers are prepared by inkjet printing to study structure–property relationships and their possible usage for organic photovoltaic (OPV) or polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) applications. Using a combinatorial approach, various important parameters, including solvent system, dot spacing, and substrate temperature, as well as UV–vis absorption and emission properties, can be screened in a materials-efficient and reproducible manner. Further details can be found in the special section starting on page 800.

Full Paper: The incorporation of metal–metal quadruple bonds with tunable redox properties into organic conjugated systems creates new materials that have enhanced properties for photon harvesting across the solar spectrum. These materials show dual emission from S₁, ¹MLCT, and T₁³MMδδ* or ³WLCT states having lifetimes of the order of 10 ps and 0.1 to 100 μs, respectively. Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy reveal singlet and triplet excitons that may be highly delocalized or localized on a single ligand or M₂ unit.

Full Paper: Alternative ways to synthesize ruthenium(II) bis-terpyridine complex containing polymers in the side chain of methacryl backbones are described. By RAFT polymerization of a polymerizable complex, complexation of a terpyridine containing copolymer and grafting onto via Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction, the complexes with elongated conjugated systems were introduced into the polymer.

Full Paper: Red-emitting hyperbranched polymers utilizing fluorene as the branches and a phenyl-isoquinoline iridium complex as the core show a maximum EQE of 4.88% and an LE of 6.54 cd A-1 with CIE co-ordinates of (0.65, 0.34). Device efficiencies from the copolymers show a reduced roll-off on increasing the current density. Such polymers are promising candidates for red-emitting polymers with high efficiency.

Capsular and hybrid prolate or oblate colloids are formed from uniaxial and biaxial stretching of multicompartment spherical nanoparticles. The re-dispersion of such nanoobjects is facilitated by the introduction of sulfonate groups on the particles. The anisotropic nanoparticles display a shape change effect upon thermal treatment.

Reinforced membranes using sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) copolymer and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) nonwoven are fabricated for the improvement of mechanical properties. These reinforced membranes decrease the dimensional change by water swelling, notably enhance the tensile strength, and show similar single-cell performance compared with the pristine membranes.

The direct MALDI-TOF MS analysis of poly(butyl acrylate) from the surface of Laponite clay particles without detaching is presented. The molar mass and end-group structures of grafted and free polymer are compared in order to shed light on the controlled radical polymerisation of the surface-immobilised polymer and free polymer growing in solution.

Biodegradable micellar HPMA copolymer/doxorubicine conjugates are intended to treat solid tumors and subsequently to allow carrier elimination from the body. All copolymers self-assemble in aqueous solution into supramolecular structures with highly hydrophobic cholesterol derivatives in the core and doxorubicin situated in the hydrophilic shell, both bound by pH-sensitive hydrazone bond.

AGET ATRP was developed successfully on the surface of AC. MMA was selected to study the polymerization kinetic while t-BA was chosen to polymerize to produce AC@P(t-BA), subsequently to obtain AC@PAA by hydrolysis for further adsorption of copper ions. This work provides a strategy of surface modification which may help expand the practical use of AC.