Abstracto

Synthesis of T-Shaped Graft Copolymer and its Wire-like Micelle Formation

Jea Uk Lee

Conjugated oligothiophene and polythiophene have attracted an enormous scientific attention because of their high charge-carrier mobility and unique structural properties. In this study, we synthesized amphiphilic T-shaped graft copolymers and examined the micellar behavior of them in aqueous solution. The T-shaped graft copolymers consist of a poly(ethylene glycol) block covalently bonded to the center of conjugated oligothiophenes. As the length of the oligothiophene units increased from terthiophene to quinquethiophene, the rigidity of backbone of the graft copolymers increased, resulting in the change of micellar structure from sphere to cylinder in aqueous solution. These results are in good accordance with our previous dynamics simulation results.