Christopher G. Hardy

Synthesis and solution self-assembly of side-chain cobaltocenium-containing block copolymers.

The synthesis of side-chain cobaltocenium-containing block copolymers and their self-assembly in solution was studied. Highly pure monocarboxycobaltocenium was prepared and subsequently attached to side chains of poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate), yielding poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(2-acryloyloxyethyl cobaltoceniumcarboxylate). The cobaltocenium block copolymers exhibited vesicle morphology in the mixture of acetone and water, while micelles of nanotubes were formed in the mixture of acetone and chloroform.

Preparation of cationic cobaltocenium polymers and block copolymers by “living” ring-opening metathesis polymerization

We report a robust synthetic strategy to prepare high molecular weight side-chain cationic cobaltocenium-containing polymers and block copolymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization. All polymerizations were extremely fast with high yields (∼100%) under open air conditions at room temperature and followed a living and controlled manner.

Cobaltocenium-containing block copolymers: ring-opening metathesis polymerization, self-assembly and precursors for template synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles.

Side-chain cobaltocenium-containing block copolymers are prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). These block copolymers include one cobaltocenium-containing block, with the second block being either a nonmetal-containing segment or a cobaltocenium-containing segment with different counterions. These block copolymers are self-assembled into spherical core/shell micelles in solutions. A template strategy is used to prepare cobalt (II or III)-containing nanoparticles by treating the self-assembled micelles via UV/ozonolysis and pyrolysis. Characterization by X-ray photon spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction indicates that these nanoparticles consist of different oxidants of cobalt, depending on the chemical compositions of block copolymers.

Oligoaniline-containing supramolecular block copolymer nanodielectric materials.

We report a new generation of nanodielectric energy storage materials based on supramolecular block copolymers. In our approach, highly polarizable, conducting nanodomains are embedded within an insulating matrix through block copolymer microphase separation. An applied electric field leads to electronic polarization of the conducting domains. The high interfacial area of microphase-separated domains amplifies the polarization, leading to high dielectric permittivity. Specifically, reversible addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used to prepare block copolymers with poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) as the insulating segment and a strongly acidic dopant moiety, poly-(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPSA), as the basis for the conducting segment. The PAMPSA block was complexed with an oligoaniline trimer to form a dopant-conjugated moiety complex that is electronically conductive after oxidation. For the undoped neat block copolymers, the increase of the PMA block length leads to a transition in dielectric properties from ionic conductor to dielectric capacitor with polarization resulting from migration of protons within the isolated PAMPSA domains. The oligoaniline-doped copolymers show remarkably different dielectric properties. At frequencies above 200 kHz, they exhibit characteristics of dielectric capacitors with much higher permittivity and lower dielectric loss than the corresponding undoped copolymers.