Synthesis of furan-based intramolecular donor–acceptor type chiral–electroactive polymers having optical activity, laser diffraction, and structural color functions

ABSTRACT

A series of intramolecular donor–acceptor type monomers was polymerized in cholesteric liquid crystal (Ch-LC) electrolyte solution as a chiral liquid crystal molecular template with helical structure. The polymers thus obtained showing fingerprint pattern with iridescence via imprinting of Ch-LC medium were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, circular dichroism, scanning electron microscopy, polarizing microscopy, and reflectance spectroscopy to evaluate optical characters and structural color. The polymer showed optically active–electrochromism. The intramolecular donor–accepter type polymer has intermolecular chiral aggregation in the manner of Ch-LC by molecular form imprinting.

KEYWORDS:

• Chirality
• cholesteric liquid crystal
• conjugated polymers
• donor–acceptor
• low bandgap polymers

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mr. Takahiro Seino (University of Tsukuba, Japan). We would like to thank the Glass Workshop and Research Facility Center for Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba. This work was supported by JST, the establishment of university fellowships toward the creation of science technology innovation, Grant Number JPMJFS2106. The butterfly pattern Teflon (poly(tetrafluoroethylene)) spacer sheet for the electrochemical polymerization was made by Ms. Madoka Mochida.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/25740881.2024.2321619.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency [JPMJFS2106].

Notes on contributors

Kyoka Komaba

Kyoka Komaba, is a D3 student in University of Tsukuba.

Hiromasa Goto

Hiromasa Goto, received his PhD with a focus on liquid crystalline conjugated polymers from University of Tsukuba under supervision of Prof. Hideki Shirakawa (2000 Nobel Prize laureate). Goto has continued his research on polymer liquid crystals and conducting polymer/natural materials composites as PI at the historical former Shirakawa lab. In 1994, he proposed employment of chiral dopants to achiral nematic liquid crystal for construction of liquid crystal chemical asymmetric reaction field. He developed asymmetric electro-polymerization, and asymmetric liquid crystal chemical polymerization.