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π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers
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π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 7322

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shiyong Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Materials Metallurgy and Chemistry, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Interests: π-functional materials; step and atom economic synthesis; direct C-H arylation; conjugated porous polymers; organic electronics; organic photovoltaics; photocatalysis; photocatalytic water splitting
Dr. Guangfu Liao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Material Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: photo- and electrocatalysis; polymer synthesis and applications; polymer membranes; redox flow batteries; nanoporous and nanostructured materials; biomaterials; gas storage and energy conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jiabin Qiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Materials Metallurgy and Chemistry, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Interests: π-functional materials; direct C-H arylation; p-conjugated polymers; organic electronics; organic photovoltaics; photocatalysis; photocatalytic water splitting; diphenylacrylonitrile; aggregation-induced emission (AIE); fluorescent probe

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

π-conjugated functional molecules and polymers, as the fundamental building blocks for organic optoelectronics, have found wide-ranging applications in optics, electronics and renewable energies, such as aggregation-induced emissions (AIEs), nonlinear optics (NLOs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field effect transistors (OFETs), organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), photocatalysis, etc. The development of new and high-performance π-functional materials is critical to push the above technologies into practical applications. Moreover, the efficient synthesis of and knowledge on structure–property–performance correlations are crucial for the development and optimization of new π-functional materials. This Special Issue aims to gather papers on the latest advances in this field from a materials chemistry point of view from across the scientific community. Key aspects, such as molecular design, synthesis, optoelectronic properties and the performance of the any π-functional material, including conjugated molecules and polymers, covalent organic framework, MOF and conjugated porous polymers, will be considered in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Shiyong Liu
Dr. Guangfu Liao
Dr. Jiabin Qiu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • π-conjugated functional materials
  • conjugated porous polymers
  • covalent organic framework
  • metal–organic framework
  • synthetic methodology
  • aggregation-induced organic emissions
  • nonlinear optics
  • light-emitting diodes
  • organic field effect transistors
  • organic photovoltaic cells
  • photocatalysis

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2026 KiB  
Article
Doping Ferrocene-Based Conjugated Microporous Polymers with 7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
by Shenglin Wang, Qianqian Yan, Hui Hu, Xiaofang Su, Huanjun Xu, Jianyi Wang and Yanan Gao
Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081738 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 437
Abstract
The design and synthesis of organic photocatalysts remain a great challenge due to their strict structural constraints. However, this could be mitigated by achieving structural flexibility by constructing permanent porosity into the materials. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are an emerging class of porous [...] Read more.
The design and synthesis of organic photocatalysts remain a great challenge due to their strict structural constraints. However, this could be mitigated by achieving structural flexibility by constructing permanent porosity into the materials. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are an emerging class of porous materials with an amorphous, three-dimensional network structure, which makes it possible to integrate the elaborate functional groups to enhance photocatalytic performance. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel CMP, named TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP, constructed by 1,1′3,3′-tetra(4-aminophenyl)ferrocene (TAPFc) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(4-formylphenyl)pyrene (TFPPy) monomers. The integration of the p-type dopant 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) into the TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP improved the light adsorption performance, leading to a decrease in the optical bandgap from 2.00 to 1.43 eV. The doped CMP (TCNQ@TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP) exhibited promising catalytic activity in photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light, yielding 546.8 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO with a selectivity of 96% and 5.2 μmol g−1 h−1 of CH4. This represented an 80% increase in the CO yield compared to the maternal TAPFc-TFPPy-CMP. The steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence lifetime (FL) measurements reveal faster carrier separation and transport after the doping. This study provides guidance for the development of organic photocatalysts for the utilization of renewable energy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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14 pages, 4512 KiB  
Article
Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO2 Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H2 Evolution
by Hao Gong, Yuqin Xing, Jinhua Li and Shiyong Liu
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051103 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 666
Abstract
Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO2 has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) performance. However, [...] Read more.
Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO2 has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) performance. However, studies on polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions, composed of D-A type CPs and TiO2, for boosting the PHP efficiency are still rare. Herein, an elucidation that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity can actually be improved by forming polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions TFl@TiO2, TS@TiO2 and TSO2@TiO2, facilely synthesized through efficient in situ direct C–H arylation polymerization, is given. The compatible energy levels between virgin TiO2 and polymeric semiconductors enable the resulting functionalized CP@TiO2 heterojunctions to exhibit a considerable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER). Especially, the HER of TSO2@TiO2 heterojunction reaches up to 11,220 μmol g−1 h−1, approximately 5.47 and 1260 times higher than that of pristine TSO2 and TiO2 photocatalysts. The intrinsic merits of a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer and the interfacial interaction between CP and TiO2 account for the excellent PHP activity, facilitating the separation of photo-generated excitons. Considering the outstanding PHP behavior, our work discloses that the coupling of inorganic semiconductors and suitable D-A conjugated CPs would play significant roles in the photocatalysis community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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12 pages, 4626 KiB  
Article
Organic Transistors Based on Highly Crystalline Donor–Acceptor π-Conjugated Polymer of Pentathiophene and Diketopyrrolopyrrole
by Shiwei Ren, Zhuoer Wang, Jinyang Chen, Sichun Wang and Zhengran Yi
Molecules 2024, 29(2), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020457 - 17 Jan 2024
Viewed by 840
Abstract
Oligomers and polymers consisting of multiple thiophenes are widely used in organic electronics such as organic transistors and sensors because of their strong electron-donating ability. In this study, a solution to the problem of the poor solubility of polythiophene systems was developed. A [...] Read more.
Oligomers and polymers consisting of multiple thiophenes are widely used in organic electronics such as organic transistors and sensors because of their strong electron-donating ability. In this study, a solution to the problem of the poor solubility of polythiophene systems was developed. A novel π-conjugated polymer material, PDPP-5Th, was synthesized by adding the electron acceptor unit, DPP, to the polythiophene system with a long alkyl side chain, which facilitated the solution processing of the material for the preparation of devices. Meanwhile, the presence of the multicarbonyl groups within the DPP molecule facilitated donor–acceptor interactions in the internal chain, which further improved the hole-transport properties of the polythiophene-based material. The weak forces present within the molecules that promoted structural coplanarity were analyzed using theoretical simulations. Furthermore, the grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scanning (GIWAXS) results indicated that PDPP-5Th features high crystallinity, which is favorable for efficient carrier migration within and between polymer chains. The material showed hole transport properties as high as 0.44 cm2 V−1 s−1 in conductivity testing. Our investigations demonstrate the great potential of this polymer material in the field of optoelectronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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10 pages, 3622 KiB  
Communication
Incorporation of Diketopyrrolopyrrole into Polythiophene for the Preparation of Organic Polymer Transistors
by Shiwei Ren, Zhuoer Wang, Wenqing Zhang, Abderrahim Yassar, Jinyang Chen and Sichun Wang
Molecules 2024, 29(1), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010260 - 03 Jan 2024
Viewed by 873
Abstract
Polythiophene, as a class of potential electron donor units, is widely used in organic electronics such as transistors. In this work, a novel polymeric material, PDPPTT-FT, was prepared by incorporating the electron acceptor unit into the polythiophene system. The incorporation of the DPP [...] Read more.
Polythiophene, as a class of potential electron donor units, is widely used in organic electronics such as transistors. In this work, a novel polymeric material, PDPPTT-FT, was prepared by incorporating the electron acceptor unit into the polythiophene system. The incorporation of the DPP molecule assists in improving the solubility of the material and provides a convenient method for the preparation of field effect transistors via subsequent solution processing. The introduction of fluorine atoms forms a good intramolecular conformational lock, and theoretical calculations show that the structure displays excellent co-planarity and regularity. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray (GIWAXS) results indicate that the PDPPTT-FT is highly crystalline, which facilitates carrier migration within and between polymer chains. The hole mobility of this π-conjugated material is as high as 0.30 cm2 V−1 s−1 in organic transistor measurements, demonstrating the great potential of this polymer material in the field of optoelectronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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13 pages, 1729 KiB  
Article
Systematic Assessment of the Catalytic Reactivity of Frustrated Lewis Pairs in C-H Bond Activation
by Yongjie Guo, Xueqi Lian, Hao Zhang, Xueling Zhang, Jun Chen, Changzhong Chen, Xiaobing Lan and Youxiang Shao
Molecules 2024, 29(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010024 - 19 Dec 2023
Viewed by 890
Abstract
Unreactive C-H bond activation is a new horizon for frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry. This study provides a systematic assessment of the catalytic reactivity of recently reported intra-molecular FLPs on the activation of typical inert C-H bonds, including 1-methylpyrrole, methane, benzyl, propylene, and [...] Read more.
Unreactive C-H bond activation is a new horizon for frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry. This study provides a systematic assessment of the catalytic reactivity of recently reported intra-molecular FLPs on the activation of typical inert C-H bonds, including 1-methylpyrrole, methane, benzyl, propylene, and benzene, in terms of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reactivity of FLPs is evaluated according to the calculated reaction thermodynamic and energy barriers of C-H bond activation processes in the framework of concerted C-H activation mechanisms. As for 1-methylpyrrole, 14 types of N-B-based and 15 types of P-B-based FLPs are proposed to be active. Although none of the evaluated FLPs are able to catalyze the C-H activation of methane, benzyl, or propylene, four types of N-B-based FLPs are suggested to be capable of catalyzing the activation of benzene. Moreover, the influence of the strength of Lewis acid (LA) and Lewis base (LB), and the differences between the influences of LA and LB on the catalytic reactivity of FLPs, are also discussed briefly. This systematic assessment of the catalytic activity of FLPs should provide valuable guidelines to aid the development of efficient FLP-based metal-free catalysts for C-H bond activation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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12 pages, 1241 KiB  
Communication
A Simple and Practical Bis-N-Heterocyclic Carbene as an Efficient Ligand in Cu-Catalyzed Glaser Reaction
by Jie Liu, Yao Zhu, Jun Luo, Ziyi Zhu, Lin Zhao, Xiaoyan Zeng, Dongdong Li, Jun Chen and Xiaobing Lan
Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5083; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135083 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1176
Abstract
Conjugated diyne derivatives are important scaffolds in modern organic synthetic chemistry. Using the Glaser reaction involves the coupling of terminal alkynes which can efficiently produce conjugated diyne derivatives, while the use of a stoichiometric amount of copper salts, strong inorganic base, and excess [...] Read more.
Conjugated diyne derivatives are important scaffolds in modern organic synthetic chemistry. Using the Glaser reaction involves the coupling of terminal alkynes which can efficiently produce conjugated diyne derivatives, while the use of a stoichiometric amount of copper salts, strong inorganic base, and excess oxidants is generally needed. Developing an environmentally friendly and effective method for the construction of symmetrical 1,3-diynes compounds by Glaser coupling is still highly desirable. In this study, we present an economical method for the production of symmetric diynes starting from various terminal acetylenes in a Glaser reaction. A simple and practical bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand has been introduced as efficient ligands for the Cu-catalyzed Glaser reaction. High product yields were obtained at 100 °C for a variety of substrates including aliphatic and aromatic terminal alkynes and differently substituted terminal alkynes including the highly sterically hindered substrate 2-methoxy ethynylbenzene or 2-trifluoromethyl ethynylbenzene and a series of functional groups, such as trifluoromethyl group, ester group, carboxyl group, and nitrile group. The established protocol is carried out in air under base-free condition and is operationally simple. These research work suggest that bis-N-heterocyclic carbene could also an appealing ligand for Glaser reaction and provide a reference for the preparation of symmetric 1,3-diynes in industrial filed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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11 pages, 2487 KiB  
Article
Effect of Controlling Thiophene Rings on D-A Polymer Photocatalysts Accessed via Direct Arylation for Hydrogen Production
by Dongnai Ye, Lei Liu, Qimin Peng, Jiabin Qiu, Hao Gong, Aiguo Zhong and Shiyong Liu
Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4507; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114507 - 01 Jun 2023
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 1671
Abstract
Conjugated polymer photocatalysts for hydrogen production have the advantages of an adjustable structure, strong response in the visible light region, adjustable energy levels, and easy functionalization. Using an atom- and step-economic direct C–H arylation method, dibromocyanostilbene was polymerized with thiophene, dithiophene, terthiophene, and [...] Read more.
Conjugated polymer photocatalysts for hydrogen production have the advantages of an adjustable structure, strong response in the visible light region, adjustable energy levels, and easy functionalization. Using an atom- and step-economic direct C–H arylation method, dibromocyanostilbene was polymerized with thiophene, dithiophene, terthiophene, and fused thienothiophene and dithienothiophene, respectively, to produce donor–acceptor (D-A)-type linear conjugated polymers containing different thiophene derivatives with different conjugation lengths. Among them, the D-A polymer photocatalyst constructed from dithienothiophene could significantly broaden the spectral response, with a hydrogen evolution rate up to 12.15 mmol h−1 g−1. The results showed that the increase in the number of fused rings on thiophene building blocks was beneficial to the photocatalytic hydrogen production of cyanostyrylphene-based linear polymers. For the unfused dithiophene and terthiophene, the increase in the number of thiophene rings enabled more rotation freedom between the thiophene rings and reduced the intrinsic charge mobility, resulting in lower hydrogen production performance accordingly. This study provides a suitable process for the design of electron donors for D-A polymer photocatalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue π-Conjugated Functional Molecules & Polymers)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole (DTPBT)-based Conjugated Molecules and Polymers
Author: Patel
Highlights: π-Conjugated organic molecules Ladder-type conjugated polymers Dithienopyrrolobenzothiadiazole

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