Novel conjugated polymers of the metallo-supramolecular and polyelectrolyte class

This thesis targets the development of conjugated polymers with improved processability from solutions. Two types of ionic polymers are addressed: (i) conjugated metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs) composed of conjugated heteroaromatic unimers (building blocks) linked to chains by various metal ions giving charged main chains, and (ii) polythiophene polyelectrolytes containing ionic pendants. Processing advantages of conjugated polyelectrolytes consist in the possibility of their processing from solutions in green solvents such as alcohols or even water. The advantages of MSPs consist in the thermodynamic control of the degree of polymerization (length) of their chains in solutions by the choice of solvent and temperature. As a result, MSPs reversibly provide systems of low viscosity that can be processed from solutions more easily than high-molar- mass polymers giving highly viscous solutions. Synthesis of appropriately designed unimer(s) is the key step of preparation of an MSP. Within this thesis, a series of novel unimers composed of linear oligothiophene type (mono-, bi-, ter- a thieno-thiophene -diyl) central blocks capped with 2,6-bis(2-oxazolinyl)pyridine (pybox) or 2,6-bis(2-imidazolyl)pyridine (bzimpy) end- groups have been successfully prepared, characterized and assembled with..