BIOTINYLATED POLY(3-HEXYLTHIOPHENE-CO-3-METHANOLTHIOPHENE) - A LANGMUIR MONOLAYER-FORMING COPOLYMER

Copolymers of 3-substituted thiophenes have been synthesized by organo synthetic routes. The chemical synthesis of the copolymer was carried out by dehydrogenation of 3-hexylthiophene and 3-methanolthiophene. At tachment of biotin to the resulting copolymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene-c o-3-methanolthiophene) [PMHT], is accomplished by room temperature est erification using N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 4-pyrrolidino pyridine as catalyst. The resulting copolymers have well-defined chemi cal and electronic structures and molecular weights. The biotinylated copolymer forms a stable monolayer at the air-water interface due to t he polar groups along the polymer backbone.