3-D Sub-Nano Ordering from Poly(2-vinylpyridine)

Abstract

3-D molecular-level ordering is an important and challenging objective of current research in materials chemistry and physics. It can improve the efficiency of systems or generate entirely new types of systems containing functionalities that were previously unattainable. Self-assembly is emerging as an elegant and powerful approach to fabricating nano-structured materials. [1-4] However, controlling the precise arrangement of molecules on the molecular scale is most demanding due to the difficulty in making such small structures. [5,6] Molecular-level self recognition and organization during the chemical reaction of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) with 1,4-dibromobutane influence the tacticity of P2VP, leading to the sub-nanometer level molecular ordering of pyridine moieties in the polymer chain. This long range hexagonal organization switches P2VP from an amorphous to a 3-D metallic polymer.