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Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) is a staple of the family of conjugated polymers with desirable optoelectronic properties for applications including light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic devices. Although the significant impact of olefin geometry on the steady-state optical properties of PPVs has been extensively studied, PPVs with precise stereochemistry have yet to be investigated using nonlinear optical spectroscopy for quantum sensing, as well as light harvesting for biological applications. Herein, we report our investigation of the influence of olefin stereochemistry on both linear and nonlinear optical properties through the synthesis of all-cisand all-transPPV copolymers. We performed two-photon absorption (TPA) using a classical and entangled light source and compared both classical TPA and entangled two-photon absorption (ETPA) cross sections of these stereodefined PPVs. Whereas the TPA cross section of the all-transPPV was expectedly higher than that of all-cisPPV, presumably because of the larger transition dipole moment, the opposite trend was measured via ETPA, with the all-cisPPV exhibiting the highest ETPA cross section. DFT calculations suggest that this difference might stem from the interaction of entangled photons with lower-lying electronic states in the all-cisPPV variant. Additionally, we explored the photoinduced processes for both cisand transPPVs through time-resolved fluorescence upconversion and femtosecond transient absorption techniques. This study revealed that the sensitivity of PPVs in two-photon absorption varies with classical versus quantum light and can be modulated through the control of the geometry of the repeating alkenes, which is a key stepping stone toward their use in quantum sensing, bioimaging, and the design of polymer-based light-harvesting systems.

In this paper, we present a synergistic, experimental, and computational study of the self-assembly of N,N′-disubstituted polysulfamides driven by hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between the H-bonding donor and acceptor groups present in repeating sulfamides as a function of the structural design of the polysulfamide backbone. We developed a coarse-grained (CG) polysulfamide model that captures the directionality of H-bonds between the sulfamide groups and used this model in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the self-assembly of these polymers in implicit solvent. The CGMD approach was validated by reproducing experimentally observed trends in the extent of crystallinity for three polysulfamides synthesized with aliphatic and/or aromatic repeating units. After validation of our CGMD approach, we computationally predicted the effect of repeat unit bulkiness, length, and uniformity of segment lengths in the polymers on the extent of orientational and positional order among the self-assembled polysulfamide chains, providing key design principles for tuning the extent of crystallinity in polysulfamides in experiments. Those computational predictions were then experimentally tested through the synthesis and characterization of polysulfamide architectures.

The cis/transgeometry of olefins is known to dramatically influence the thermal and mechanical properties of polyalkenamers. Yet, polymerization methods that efficiently control this parameter are scarce. Here we report the development of a stereoretentive acyclic diene metathesis polymerization that uses the reactivity of dithiolate Ru carbenes combined with cismonomers. These Ru catalysts exhibit exquisite retention of the cisgeometry and tolerate many polar functional groups, enabling the synthesis of all-cispolyesters, polycarbonates, polyethers and polysulfites. The stereoretentive acyclic diene metathesis polymerization is also characterized by low catalyst loadings and tolerance towards transimpurities in the monomer batch, which should facilitate large-scale implementation. Modulation of the reaction temperature and time leads to an erosion of stereoretention, permitting a stereocontrolled synthesis of polyalkenamers with predictable cis:transratios. The impact of the stereochemistry of the repeating alkenes on the thermal properties is clearly demonstrated through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.

Poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)s (PPVs) are some of the most widely studied conjugated polymers in academia and industry, but most production methods lack precise control over molar masses and alkene stereochemistry. These critical parameters have a large influence on processability, polymer morphology, and optical properties. Herein, we report the stereoretentive ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of [2.2]paracyclophane dienes bearing either a linear alkyl substituent or a branched alkoxy substituent to form all‐cisPPVs with great solubility in organic solvents. The introduction of 2‐ethylhexyloxy side‐chains permits the preparation of PPV with uncharacteristically high molar masses (up to 108.8 kg/mol) for a polymerization with living characteristics. Exposure to UV light (365 nm) rapidly induces isomerization of all‐cisalkenes leading to the formation of all‐transPPV. This study proposes an attractive strategy to synthesize soluble all‐cisand all‐transPPVs with tunable, high molar masses through careful design of the ROMP monomer.

Herein, we report a synthesis of medicinally relevant β-ketosulfonamides via a photomediated 1,3-rearrangement of alkenyl sulfamates. This protocol tolerates a wide array of sensitive functional groups including alkenes, alkynes, and nitrogen-based heterocycles. Additionally, this work provides a general approach toward alkenyl sulfamates via a two-step Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) sequence capitalizing on SO2F2as a linchpin to efficiently couple readily available ketones and amines without a large excess of either partner.

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s (PPVs), a staple of the conductive polymer family, consist of alternating alkene and phenyl groups in conjugation. The physical properties of this organic material are intimately linked to the cis/transconfiguration of the alkene groups. While many synthetic methods afford PPVs with all-transstereochemistry, very few deliver the all-ciscongeners. We report herein a synthesis of all-cisPPVs with living characteristics via stereoretentive ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Exquisite catalyst control allows for the preparation of homopolymers or diblock copolymers with perfect stereoselectivity, narrow dispersities, and predictable average molar masses. All-cisPPVs can then serve as light-responsive polymers through clean photoisomerization of the stilbenoid units.

Cationic polymerizations provide a valuable strategy for preparing macromolecules with excellent control but are inherently sensitive to impurities and commonly require rigorous reagent purification, low temperatures, and strictly anhydrous reaction conditions. By using pentacarbomethoxycyclopentadiene (PCCP) as the single-component initiating organic acid, we found that a diverse library of vinyl ethers can be controllably polymerized under ambient conditions. Additionally, excellent chain-end fidelity is maintained even without rigorous monomer purification. We hypothesize that a tight ion complex between the PCCP anion and the oxocarbenium ion chain end prevents chain-transfer events and enables a polymerization with living characteristics. Furthermore, terminating the polymerization with functional nucleophiles allows for chain-end functionalization in high yields.

The cis/transstereochemistry of repeating alkenes in polymers provides a powerful handle to modulate the thermal and mechanical properties of these soft materials, but synthetic methods to precisely dictate this parameter remain scarce. We report herein a cis-selective acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization of readily available α,ω-diene monomers with high functional group tolerance. Identification of a highly stereoselective cyclometalated Ru catalyst allowed the synthesis of a broad array of polymers with ciscontents up to 99%. This platform was leveraged to study the impact of the cisgeometry on the thermal and mechanical properties of polyalkenamers, including an ABA triblock copolymer synthesized via extension of a cis-rich telechelic polyoctenamer with d,l-lactide. These results suggest that cis-selective ADMET affords an efficient strategy to tune the properties of a variety of polymers.