Development of Hyperbranched Polymers for Application in Electronic Devices A

Abstract

described. The hyperbranched polymers were prepared through AB2 polycondensation strategy using trans-esterification reactions with a single oxadiazole-based monomer, in the presence and absence of the core molecule 4-nitrophenyl acetate. In Chapter 3, oxadiazole-based hyperbranched polymers using A2 and B3 monomers were prepared through an A2B3 polycondensation approach to obtain ether linked copolymers. In Chapter 4, the Suzuki polycondensation method was utilised to synthesise four hyperbranched polymers with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) properties. These polymers were based on oxadiazole units and were prepared employing a side chain approach. Through copolymerisation with varied monomer ratios, TADF units (10-(4-(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenyl)-10H phenoxazine (TRZ-PXZ)) were attached as part of the polymers repeat units. Mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, 1H NMR and 13C NMR, and other techniques were used to investigate the structure of the intermediate monomers and hyperbranched polymers prepared. Studies of the optical, electrochemical and thermal properties of all of the hyperbranched polymers were undertaken using several techniques that included UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).