Hongmei Li and Morton Litt. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
The synthesis of 2-(3-(N-carbazolyl) propyl-2-oxazoline and 3-(N-3, 6-dimethoxycarbazolyl) propyl-2-oxazoline are described. The oxazoline monomers are basic heterocycles that undergo ring-opening cationic polymerization with an initiator of methyl p-toluenesulfonate to form a linear N-acyl polyethyleneimine. This is a living polymerization, so one block can be polymerized and then the second monomer added to make the second block. Very sharp molecular weight distributions were obtained. Demethylation of the polymer with boron tribromide gave 3, 6-dihydroxycarbazole blockpolymer in quantitative yield. The dihydroxycarbazole polymer was oxidized by potassium periodate. The polymers crystallize and the aromatic side chain shows a good π-stacking. The ends of the molecules can be tailored to have cationic, anionic or non-polar substituents by using different terminators. It is easy to deposit a layer of polymers on a conducting surface. The proposed work has potential application in solar cell. Studies of photovoltaic devices based on the new materials and their current-voltage characteristics are underway.