Polymers Incorporating Low-Valent/Low-Coordination Number Main Group Centres: Novel, Multi-Functional Materials

Abstract

The development of polymer chemistry represents one of the most important advances to the chemical sciences over the last century. However, with a few exceptions, industrially important polymers are restricted to those with an organic backbone, containing only the elements, C, N and O. This, of course, neglects the vast possibilities offered by incorporation of other elements, including metals, within polymer backbones, yielding so-called"inorganic polymers". In this one year program we will develop highly novel examples of such systems,which incorporate low oxidation state and/or low-coordinate main group elements within their backbones.These topical and highly reactive materials will likely exhibit unusual, and potentially applicable,electronic, optical, catalytic, charge storage and/or synthetic properties.Systems that will be targeted include polymers incorporating low oxidation state group 2 (e.g. MgI) or group 14 (e.g. SiI, GeI or SnI) metal-metal single/multiple bonds within the backbone chain, in addition to two-coordinate heavier group 14 elements, i.e. heavier carbene analogues within the chain. These will be accessed utilizing unique reduction methodologies developed at Monash, previously utilized in the preparation of the monomeric counterparts of the targeted polymers. Furthermore, we aim to prepare and stabilize the phosphorus analogues of linear unhindered polyactelynes, by initial entrapment of phosphaalkynes within suitable 1-dimensional channelsof zeolites and metal organic frameworks. This will be followed by thermal, photolytic or metal-inducedpolymerization of the phosphaalkyne, yielding polymers, which will be protected from undergoingcyclization reactions by the constraints of the solid state host. The impact of this cutting edge research will be of both a fundamental and an applied nature.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Apr 09, 2018
Source ID
FA23861810125

Entities

People

  • Cameron Jones

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Monash University
  • United States Air Force

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymer Science and Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics