Esterification on solid support by surface‐initiated ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone from benzylic hydroxyl‐functionalized Wang resin bead

Biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) was formed on benzylic hydroxyl‐functionalized Wang resin surface by surface‐initiated ring‐opening polymerization (SI‐ROP). The SI‐ROP of ε‐caprolactone was achieved first by treating Wang resin with Tin(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] to form Tin(II) complex, and then followed by polymerization of ε‐caprolactone in anhydrous toluene at 60°C. Thus, the polymer‐grafted Wang resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), optical microscopy (OM), and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). The FTIR spectroscopic analysis of polymer‐grafted Wang resin (Wang‐g‐PCL) reveals the formation of ester linkage between PCL and hydroxyl‐terminated Wang resin. The DSC thermogram shows melting peak corresponding to PCL polymer on Wang resin surface. Thermogravimetric investigation shows increase in PCL content on the Wang resin surface in terms of percentage of weight loss with increase in reaction time. The formation of polymeric layers on the Wang resin surface can be directly visualized from OM and SEM images. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation and kinetic analysis of PS‐b‐PBA block copolymer by 4‐oxo‐TEMPO capped polystyrene macroinitiators

Polystyrene‐block‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate) block copolymers were prepared from 4‐oxo‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinooxy (4‐oxo‐TEMPO) capped polystyrene macroinitiators at a high temperature, 165°C. It was found that the number‐average molecular weight of PBA chains in block copolymers could reach above 10,000 rapidly at early stage of polymerization with a narrow polydispersity index of 1.2–1.4, but after that, the polymerization seemed to be retarded. Furthermore, according to the kinetic analysis, the concentration of 4‐oxo‐TEMPO was increased mainly by the hydrogen transfer reaction of hydroxylamine (4‐oxo‐TEMPOH) to growing radicals during polymerization. This increase in 4‐oxo‐TEMPO concentration could retard the growth of polymer chains. The rate constant of the hydrogen transfer reaction of 4‐oxo‐TEMPOH to growing radicals, k_H, estimated by the kinetic model is about 9.33 × 10⁴M^‐1s^?1 at 165°C. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Catalyzed chain extension of poly(butylene adipate) and poly(butylene succinate) with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline)

Low‐molecular‐weight HOOC‐terminated poly(butylene adipate) prepolymer (PrePBA) and poly(butylene succinate) prepolymer (PrePBS) were synthesized through melt‐condensation polymerization from adipic acid or succinic acid with butanediol. The catalyzed chain extension of these prepolymers was carried out at 180–220°C with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline) as a chain extender and p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TSA) as a catalyst. Higher molecular weight polyesters were obtained from the catalyzed chain extension than from the noncatalyzed one. However, an improperly high amount of p‐TSA and a high temperature caused branching or a crosslinking reaction. Under optimal conditions, chain‐extended poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) with a number‐average molecular weight up to 29,600 and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.82 dL/g were synthesized. The chain‐extended polyesters were characterized by IR spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and tensile testing. DSC, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and thermogravimetric analysis characterization showed that the chain‐extended PBA and PBS had lower melting temperatures and crystallinities and slower crystallization rates and were less thermally stable than PrePBA and PrePBS. This deterioration of their properties was not harmful enough to impair their thermal processing properties and should not prevent them from being used as biodegradable thermoplastics. The tensile strength of the chain‐extended PBS was about 31.05 MPa. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Monomers for adhesive polymers, 8a crosslinking polymerization of selected N‐substituted bis(acrylamide)s for dental filling materials

The free‐radical polymerization of bis‐(N‐ethylacrylamido)‐ethylenglycol ( I ), N,N′‐dimethyl‐1,6‐bis (acrylamido)‐hexan ( II ), and N,N′‐diethyl‐1,3‐bis(acrylamido)‐propan ( III ) were investigated. The cross‐linking polymerization was followed in bulk by using the ampoules technique and gravimetry. Polymerizations exhibited an abnormal kinetic behavior. For the monomer II , for example, the reaction order to 2,2′‐ azobisisobutyronitril (AIBN) initiator of 1.28, and the polymerization overall activation energy of 151 kJ/mol between 50 and 75°C were determined. The increasing temperature and decreasing initiator concentration resulted in an increase of double bonds consumption in the formed polymer network. At 75°C the residual unsaturation was under 2%, compared with 9.9% at 50°C. The monomer conversion‐time dependences were complemented also with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) recording the heat released during polymerization. The extension of peak time with decreasing the instant heat flow rate at this point sort the studied bis(acrylamide)s according the reactivity in the following sequence: monomer III > I > II . The polymer samples sol–gel analyses in ethanol allowed the determination of the molecular weight M_c between the network crosslinks. The presence of microgel particles at the very beginning of polymerization and the changes in chain conformation with temperature we consider as the way in which was affected the polymerization kinetics of these monomers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Poly(1‐octene) synthesis using high performance supported titanium catalysts

Poly(1‐octene) was synthesized by polymerization of 1‐octene using high performance MgCl₂‐supported TiCl₄ in combination with triethyl aluminum (TEAl) as cocatalyst in n‐hexane for 2 h. Two catalysts, C₁ (diester catalyst) having di‐isobutyl phthalate as internal donor and C₂ (monoester catalyst) having ethyl benzoate as internal donor were utilized for the atmospheric polymerizations to evaluate the influence of structurally different internal donors on the productivity, rate of polymerization and molecular weight profiles. The kinetic profile assessed in terms of variation of reaction parameters like temperature, cocatalyst to catalyst molar ratio and monomer concentration was found to be dependent on them. From these kinetic analyses, optimize conditions for polymerizations of 1‐octene using diester as well as monoester catalyst were elucidated. The difference in the performance of diester and monoester catalyst system can be explained in terms of stability of active titanium species and chain transfer process. NMR spectroscopy of synthesized poly(1‐octene) indicate predominantly isotactic nature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

How the monomer concentration of polymerization influences various properties of polybenzimidazole: A case study with poly(4,4′‐diphenylether‐5,5′‐bibenzimidazole)

In this work, a series of poly(4,4′‐diphenylether‐5,5′‐bibenzimidazole)s (OPBIs) were synthesized from 4,4′‐oxybis(benzoic acid) and 3,3′,4,4′‐tetraaminobiphenyl through the variation of the initial monomer concentration with a solution polycondensation technique in a poly(phosphoric acid) medium. The resulting polymers were characterized by various techniques such as infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermogravimetric analysis. The initial monomer concentration in the polymerization mixture played an important role in controlling the molecular weight of the resulting polymers. A temperature‐dependent IR study showed that the free movement of the ? NH group of the imidazole ring was blocked by the absorbed moisture. The DMA study showed that the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) varied with the molecular weight, and the presence of the ether linkage in the OPBI polymer backbone had a significant influence on T_g. A high‐molecular‐weight OPBI polymer tended to form a supramolecular organization, which influenced the thermal characteristic of the polymer. Photophysical studies demonstrated the fluorescent characteristics of the OPBI polymers in both solid and solution states. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis of rosin‐based flexible anhydride‐type curing agents and properties of the cured epoxy

BACKGROUND: Although rosin acid derivatives have received attention in polymer synthesis in recent years, to the best of our knowledge, they have rarely been employed as epoxy curing agents. The objective of the study reported here was to synthesize rosin‐based flexible anhydride‐type curing agents and demonstrate that the flexibility of a cured epoxy resin can be manipulated by selection of rosin‐based anhydride‐type curing agents with appropriate molecular rigidity/flexibility. RESULTS: Maleopimarate‐terminated low molecular weight polycaprolactones (PCLs) were synthesized and studied as anhydride‐type curing agents for epoxy curing. The chemical structures of the products were confirmed using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins were studied. The results indicate that both the epoxy/anhydride equivalent ratio and the molecular weight of PCL diol play important roles in the properties of cured resins. CONCLUSION: Rosin‐based anhydride‐terminated polyesters could be used as bio‐based epoxy curing agents. A broad spectrum of mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins can be obtained by varying the molecular length of the polyester segment and the epoxy/curing agent ratio. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Indirect Synthesis of Bis(2‐PhInd)ZrCl2 Metallocene Catalyst,Kinetic Study and Modeling of Ethylene Polymerization

Bis(2‐phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride (bis(2‐PhInd)ZrCl₂) catalyst was synthesized via the preparation of bis(2‐phenylindenyl)zirconium dimethyl (bis(2‐PhInd)ZrMe₂) followed by chlorination to obtain the catalyst. Performance of the catalyst for ethylene polymerization and its kinetic behavior were investigated. Activity of the catalyst increased as the [Al]:[Zr] molar ratio increased to 2333:1, followed by reduction at higher ratios. The maximum activity of the catalyst was obtained at a polymerization temperature of 60 °C. The rate‐time profile of the reaction was of a decay type under all conditions. A general kinetic scheme was modified by considering a reversible reaction of latent site formation, and used to predict dynamic polymerization rate and viscosity average molecular weight of the resulting polymer. Kinetic constants were estimated by the Nelder‐Mead numerical optimization algorithm. It was shown that any deviation from the general kinetic behavior can be captured by the addition of the reversible reaction of latent site formation. Simulation results were in satisfactory agreement with experimental data.     

Binary phase solid‐state photopolymerization behavior of acrylate cryogels under different light sources

Two types of cryogels were obtained using 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) by homogeneous mixing with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as crosslinker at subzero temperature followed by photopolymerization with two different light initiation sources (high‐pressure Hg arc lamp and UV‐LED).The solution was frozen unidirectionally at ?60 °C before polymerization and finally photopolymerized at the same temperature. The cryogels were characterized using photo‐DSC, UV–vis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The cryogels cured with an LED light showed a higher polymerization rate and better morphological characteristics than ones cured with a high‐pressure Hg arc. The water intake ratio of HEA/PEGDA was higher than HEMA/PEGDA for both curing sources. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46686.     

Polymerization of styrene using bis(β‐ketoamino)nickel(II)/methylaluminoxane catalytic systems

Styrene (St) was polymerized in toluene solution by using bis(β‐ketoamino)nickel(II) complex as the catalyst precursor and methylaluminoxane (MAO) as the cocatalyst. The polymerization conditions, such as Al : Ni ratio, monomer concentration, reaction temperature, and polymerization time, were studied in detail. Both of the bis(β‐ketoamino)nickel(II)/MAO catalytic systems exhibited higher activity for polymerization of styrene, and polymerization gave moderate molecular weight of polystyrene with relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.6). The obtained polymer was confirmed to be atactic polystyrene by analyzing the stereo‐triad distributions mm, mr, and rr of aromatic carbon C¹ in NMR spectrum of the polymer. The mechanism of the polymerization was also discussed and a metal–carbon coordination mechanism was proposed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Ethylene polymerization using a novel MgCl2/SiO2‐supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst

A novel MgCl₂/SiO₂‐supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst was prepared using a new one‐pot ball milling method. Using this catalyst, polyethylenes with different molecular weight distributions were synthesized. The effects of the [Si]/[Mg] ratio, polymerization temperature and [Al]/[Ti] ratio on the catalytic activity, the kinetic behaviour and the molecular weight and the polydispersity of the resultant polymer were studied. It was found that the polydispersity index of the polymer could be adjusted over a wide range of 5–30 through regulating the [Si]/[Mg] ratio and polymerization temperature, and especially when the [Si]/[Mg] ratio was 1.70, the polydispersity index could reach over 25. This novel bi‐supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst is thus useful for preparing polyethylene with a required molecular weight distribution using current equipment and technological processes. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ring‐opening polymerization of trimethylenecarbonate and its copolymerization with ϵ‐caprolactone by lanthanide (II) aryloxide complexes

Lanthanide metal (II) 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenoxide complexes (ArO)₂Ln(THF)₃ (Ln = Sm 1 , Yb 2 ) alone have been developed to catalyze the ring‐opening polymerization of trimethylenecarbonate (TMC) and random copolymerization of TMC and ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) for the first time. The influence of reaction conditions, such as initiator, initiator concentration, polymerization temperature, and polymerization time, on monomer conversion, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution of the resulting PTMC was investigated. It was found that the divalent complex 1 showed higher activity for the polymerization of TMC than complex 2 . The random structure and thermal behavior of the copolymers P(TMC‐co‐CL) have been characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, GPC, and DSC analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Structure–property relationship of blocked diisocyanates: synthesis of polyimides using imidazole‐blocked isocyanates

Imidazole, 2‐methylimidazole and benzimidazole‐blocked aromatic and aliphatic diisocyanates have been prepared and polymerized with pyromellitic dianhydride in the presence of a basic catalyst. The polymers are characterized with FTIR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and GPC, DSC and TGA. The structure–property relationship of blocked diisocyanates are discussed in terms of molecular weight of the polyimides obtained. Considering the blocking agent, GPC results show that the benzimidazole blocked adduct yields higher molecular weight polymer than the 2‐methylimidazole‐blocked adduct which, in turn, yields higher molecular weight polymer than the imidazole‐blocked adduct. Considering the structure of the isocyanate, the molecular weight of polymer increases from isophorone diisocyanate to hexamethylene diisocyanate and to toluene diisocyanate (TDI). DSC traces of the polymers derived from TDI show glass transitions (T_g) in the temperature range 152–180 °C and the values increase from the polymer based on imidazole‐blocked TDI to 2‐methylimidazole‐blocked TDI and to benzimidazole‐blocked TDI. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Syntheses,characterization, and hydrolytic degradation of P(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐δ‐valerolactone) copolymers: Influence of molecular weight

Biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐δ‐valerolactone) copolymers were synthesized and investigated to study their behavior in aqueous medium. The copolyesters were produced by ring opening polymerization between ε‐caprolactone (CL) and δ‐valerolactone (VL) in bulk at 140°C using tin(II) octoate as catalyst. They were characterized by using ¹H NMR, size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry. Reactivity ratio determination gave an insight on their microstructure. Hydration, hydrolytic degradation, and biocide release of P(CL‐VL) films with different molecular weights values were studied. A one‐order kinetic whose rate constant decreases with copolymer macromolecular weight was observed. Although the molecular weight decrease remained relatively weak after 8 months of immersion, a correlation between molecular weight and hydrolysis rate was shown by high performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The ability of the P(CL‐VL) films to release active compounds dispersed in the films was studied by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The release behavior of all copolymers was identical with a zero‐order kinetic. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43007.     

Synthesis and characterization of ABA type tri‐block copolymers derived from p‐dioxanone,L‐lactide and poly(ethylene glycol)

A series of triblock co‐polymers, consisting of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) central block joined to two blocks of random p‐dioxanone‐co‐L ‐lactide copolymers were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of p‐dioxanone (PDO) and L ‐lactide (LLA) initiated by PEG in the presence of stannous 2‐ethylhexanoate catalyst. The resulting copolymers were characterized by various techniques including ¹H and ¹³C NMR and FTIR spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography, inherent viscosity, wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometry (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The conversion of PDO and L ‐lactide into the polymer was studied various mole ratios and at different polymerization temperature from ¹H NMR spectra. Results of WAXD and DSC showed that the crystallinity of PEG macroinitiator was greatly influenced by the composition of PDO and L ‐lactide in the copolymer. The triblock copolymers with low molecular weight were soluble in water at below room temperature. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene

Polystyrene latex particles in an emulsifier‐free emulsion were prepared by purified styrene (St) as monomer and 2,2′‐azobis (2‐amidino propane) dihydrochloride (ABA, 2HCl) as initiator. The optimized condition of polymerization of styrene was obtained by using the various parameters such as different amounts of monomer (0.009, 0.051, and 0.071 mol styrene/mol Water), different amounts of initiator (6.02, 4.62, 2.41, and 1.00 weight percent of initiator relative to styrene), and pH (range 1–7). Quantitative and qualitative analyses of prepared polymer were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), and ¹H‐NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy, that were used, respectively, to show the morphology of particles, the glass transition temperature (T_g), the average molecular weight, and the structure of the prepared polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1898–1904, 2004     

The preparation of α‐bis and α,ω‐tetrakis aromatic oxazolyl‐ and carboxyl‐functionalized polymers using 1,1‐bis[4‐(2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazolyl))phenyl]ethylene in atom transfer radical polymerization reactions

The preparation of new compounds, 1,1‐bis[4‐(2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazolyl))phenyl]ethanol and a new symmetrically disubstituted 1,1‐diphenylethylene derivative, 1,1‐bis[4‐(2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazolyl))phenyl]ethylene, is described. 1,1‐Bis[4‐(2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazolyl))phenyl]ethylene was utilized as a dioxazolyl initiator precursor for the polymerization of styrene by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) methods to produce α‐bis(oxazolyl) polystyrene. The kinetic study of the polymerization process indicated that the free radical polymerization reaction for the preparation of α‐bis(oxazolyl) polystyrene follows first‐order rate kinetics with respect to monomer consumption. α,ω‐Tetrakis(oxazolyl) polystyrene was prepared by a new, in situ, controlled/living, post‐ATRP chain‐end‐functionalization reaction which involves the direct addition of 1,1‐bis[4‐(2‐(4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐oxazolyl))phenyl]ethylene to the ω‐terminus of the α‐bis(oxazolyl) polystyrene derivative, without the isolation and purification of the polymeric precursor. α‐Bis(carboxyl) and α,ω‐tetrakis(carboxyl) polystyrene derivatives were obtained by the quantitative chemical transformation of the oxazoline groups of the respective aromatic oxazolyl chain‐end‐functionalized polystyrene derivatives to the aromatic carboxyl groups. The organic precursor compounds, the dioxazolyl‐functionalized 1,1‐diphenylethylene derivative and the functionalized polymers were characterized using ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size‐exclusion and thin‐layer chromatography and non‐aqueous titration measurements. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microstructure‐thermal property relationship of high trans‐1,4‐poly(butadiene) produced by anionic polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene using an initiator composed of alkyl aluminum,n‐butyl lithium,and barium alkoxide

This article deals with the characterization of high trans‐1,4‐poly(butadiene) (TPBD) prepared by means of an anionic polymerization using an initiator composed of alkyl aluminum, n‐butyl lithium, and barium alkoxide. By controlling both initiator composition and polymerization temperature, a set of TPBD was prepared with well‐known number of 1,4‐trans units, molecular weight distribution, and average molecular weight. Analyses by differential scanning calorimetry and diffraction of wide‐angle X‐rays showed a direct relationship between the microstructure of the polymer and its thermal properties. By increasing the number of 1,4‐trans units (70–90%), the crystallinity of the polymer was increased (10–30%); polymers with less than 65% of 1,4‐trans units were amorphous, whereas TPBD with a number of 1,4‐trans units greater than 80% were polymorphous and presented two endothermic transitions. Summing up, the results presented in this article indicate that cyclohexane solutions of alkyl aluminum, n‐butyl lithium, and barium alkoxide allow produce polybutadienes with enough amount of 1,4‐trans units to display a regular microstructure that makes them susceptible to experience‐induced crystallization, likewise at a reaction rate similar to that observed for the commercial production of poly(butadiene) with n‐butyl lithium. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis and structure of the poly(methyl methacrylate) microlatex

Microemulsion polymerization is a new approach for preparing nanosize polymer materials. In this article, a nanosize poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was prepared by a novel microemulsion polymerization. The kinetics of the polymerization and the effects of the temperature, the monomer, and emulsifier/water ratio on the polymerization were investigated by means of the conversion, the transmittance, and the refractive index measurements. The structure of the obtained PMMA microlatex was studied through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐NMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the polymerization exhibits typical kinetic characteristics of a microemulsion polymerization, i.e., there only exists two rate stages: a stage of increasing rate, and a stage of decreasing rate, and no constant rate stage is observed during the polymerization. The obtained PMMA microparticles are very uniform, regular, and small, being about 17–33 nm in the number‐average diameter. The polymer has higher molecular weight (1.71 × 10⁶ viscosity average molecular weight), higher tacticity (51% syndiotacticity), and higher glass transition temperature (127°C), much different from the commercial PMMA. Experimentally, a stable and transparent PMMA microlatex with higher polymer content (30–40 wt %), lower weight ratio of emulsifier to water (E/W ≤ 0.03) and emulsifier to monomer (E/M ≤ 0.05) as well as smaller particle size (d_p < 40 nm), has been prepared, which is very important for the industrialization of the microemulsion polymerization technique. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 2839–2844, 2002     

A polythiophene derivative with dioctyloxyltriphenylamine‐vinylene conjugated side chain: Synthesis,hole mobility,and photovoltaic property

A new polythiophene derivative with dioctyloxyl triphenylamine‐vinylene ( DOTPAV ) conjugated side‐chain, DOTPAV‐PT , was synthesized by the Stille coupling method and characterized by ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, elemental analysis, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The polymer DOTPAV‐PT is soluble in common organic solvents and possesses good thermal stability with 5% weight loss temperature of 310°C. The weight‐average molecular weight of DOTPAV‐PT is 8.0 K with a polydispersity index of 1.24. The hole mobility of the polymer determined from space‐charge‐limited current model was 1.25 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1. The bulk heterojunction polymer solar cell with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT : PSS/polymer : PCBM (1 : 1)/Ca/Al was fabricated, and the power conversion efficiency of the device was 0.16% under the illumination of AM1.5, 100 mW cm^?2. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009