RIGID STAR-SHAPED MULTIPODES - MOLECULES DESIGNED FOR MOLECULAR REINFORCEMENT

Star-like rigid multipodes consisting of an adamantane core and rigid oligophenylenes arms with various lengths were synthesized with the ai m to induce molecular reinforcement effects in mixtures of such multip odes with polymer matrices. The expectations based on theoretical cons iderations were that multipodes display an enhanced solubility both in low molar mass solvents and in polymer matrices. We investigated the shape of such multipodes, their structure formation and dynamics in th e condensed state as well as their miscibility. The finding is that th e peculiar shape of such multipodes does not prevent a dense packing a nd crystallization in the condensed state. The solubility in low molar mass solvents can be enhanced by up to three orders of magnitude just by increasing the arm length by one phenyl group. Finally, we conside r the properties of mixtures of such multipodes with polymer matrices.