SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A POLY(PARA-PHENYLENEETHYNYLENE)-BLOCK-POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE) ROD-COIL BLOCK-COPOLYMER

The synthesis of the poly(para-phenyleneethynylene)-block-poly(ethylen e oxide) block copolymer (PPE-b-PEO) (1) via condensation of endfuncti onalized poly(para-phenyleneethynylene) (PPE) (5) and poly(ethylene ox ide) monomethyl ether (PEO) is reported. This is achieved by the initi al synthesis of a PPE homopolymer with quantitative terminal functiona lization, as proven by H-1 NMR and field desorption mass spectrometry (FD-MS). Reaction of the latter with PEO affords the block copolymer 1 , which was characterized by H-1 NMR spectroscopy, FD-MS and gel perme ation chromatography (GPC). Furthermore it is shown that matrix assist ed laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI -TOF-MS) is a suitable method to investigate PPE-b-PEO with respect to molecular weights and copolymer composition.