POSS-containing polynorbornene with pendant perylene diimide: from a unique supramolecular structure to tunable luminescence properties

POSS-containing polynorbornene with pendant perylene diimide (PPDI-POSS) has been synthesized, with alkyl-containing polynorbornene (PPDI-C10C8) as the reference. The supermolecular structure and photoluminescence properties were elucidated using UV-Vis absorption spectra, and one- and two-dimensional X-ray diffraction. The experimental results reveal that PPDI-C10C8 possesses a lamellar structure with close PDI stacking to meet the requirement for minimum free energy. However, the introduction of POSS cages endows PPDI-POSS with a unique hexagonal columnar structure and enhanced photoluminescence properties due to the steric hindrance of POSS cages. These results may contribute to the understanding of the structure-property relationship of the optical polymers and provide some useful information for the design of polymer materials with a controllable supramolecular structure and tunable luminescence properties.