Polymer reaction of poly(p-phenylene-ethynylene) by addition of decaborane: modulation of luminescence and heat resistance

Polymer reactions of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) based on the addition reaction of decaborane to the carbon-carbon triple bond were successfully carried out. The platform polymer was synthesized through Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling polymerization. The effective introduction of the boron cluster, and thus the subsequent formation of o-carborane, was supported by H-1 and B-11 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. The introduction rate of decaborane to the polymer main chain was proportional to the feed ratio of decaborane. Ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence studies illustrate the shortening of the effective pi-conjugation length caused by the introduction of carborane clusters. Furthermore, the introduction of the boron cluster by the polymer reaction efficiently enhanced the heat resistance of PPE. Polymer Journal (2010) 42, 363-367; doi:10.1038/pj.2010.13; published online 17 March 2010