Ionic polyacetylene with a unique nanostructure and high stability by metathesis cyclopolymerization-induced self-assembly

Abstract

Polymerization-induced self-assembly has emerged as an effective tool for the production of nano-objects with fascinating properties. A metathesis cyclopolymerization-induced self-assembly technique was used to synthesize fully conjugated block copolymers of ionic polyacetylene, which can spontaneously self-assemble into unique nanostructured morphologies such as spheres, ultra-long nanowires, large nanorings, and vesicles during in situ polymerization or post-dissolving in selective solvents, driven by the solubility discrepancy between the blocks and the π–π stacking interaction of the conjugated backbone. Although pristine polyacetylene was unstable in air, polyacetylenes with bulky ionic pendants and self-assembled nanostructures showed high stability even after exposure to air for some days.