Combining Step-growth And Chain-growth Polymerizations in One Pot: Light-induced Fabrication of Conductive Nanoporous Pedot-Pcl Scaffold.

A novel method based on light-induced fabrication of a poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polycaprolactone (PEDOT-PCL) scaffold using phenacyl bromide (PAB) as a single-component photoinitiator is presented. HBr released from the step-growth polymerization of EDOT, is utilized as in situ catalyst for the chain-growth polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Detailed investigations disclose the formation of self-assembled nanoporous electroconductive scaffold (1.2 mS/cm). Fluorescence emission spectra of the fabricated scaffold exhibits a mixed solvatochromic behavior, indicating specific interactions between the self-assembled scaffold and solvents with varying polarities, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the same light-induced technique can also be applied for bulk photopolymerization showcasing the versatility and wide-ranging scope of the originated method. In brief, this study introduces a novel approach for light-induced polymerization reactions that is merging step-growth and chain-growth mechanisms. This innovative approach is promising to facilitate in situ polymerization of monomers possessing diverse functionalities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.