Recent Research

In this study, newly designed perylene diimide based polymers P1 and P2 were synthesized and used as hole transportingmaterials in place of the more common spiro-OMeTAD in perovskite solar cells. Both polymers show steady state photoluminescence quenching when blended with perovskite. Perovskite solar cell devices fabricated using P1-P2 in place of spiro-OMeTAD show power conversion efficiencies of 13.02% and 10.74%, respectively and manifest the potential of this class of materials as promising alternatives to conventionally used spiro-OMeTAD.

“Perylene diimide based low band gap copolymers: synthesis, characterization and their applications in perovskite solar cells” S. Meena, P. Chhillar, S. Pathak, B. Roose, J. Jacob, Journal of Polymer Research, 2020, 27, 226.

A novel, rigid, solution processable, blue-emitting chromophore based on an extended core of truxene (ExT) wasdesigned and synthesized. The core, ExT based on a fusedcyclic trimer of indenofluorene, was found to be planar in nature and a potential precursor for blue emission. The trisubstituted pyrene derivative ExT-P shows faster singlet state decay and less triplet state formation in the case of the pyrene coupled ExT-P (∼1.6 ns) compared to ExT (∼17 ns). The negligible bathochromic shift in the solidstate emission and narrow FWHM suggests practically no aggregation and pure blue emission in the target molecule due to bulky and rigid core.

“Design, synthesis and selective functionalization of a rigid, truxene derived pure blue-emitting chromophore” B. Kaur, S. Karuthedath, C. S. P. De Castro, F. Laquai, J. Jacob, Chemistry Select, 2020, 5, 109-16.

A new styrene based polymer P10 bearing dimethyl iminodiacetate group was designed and synthesized for sequestration and removal of dissolved heavy metal ions from aqueous waste streams.The water soluble polymer P10 was investigated for its ability to bind various heavy metal ions by UV–vis spectroscopy and was found to efficiently sequester Cu^2+, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cr³⁺, Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The reported results suggest that this water-soluble chelating homopolymer is an excellent material with very high potential for application in wastewater treatment.

“Design and synthesis of water-soluble chelating polymeric materials for heavy metal ion sequestration from aqueous waste” R. Tyagi, J. Jacob, Reactive and Functional Polymers 2020, 154, 104687

Naturally occurring sugar-based monomers are attractive substrates in the design of functional glycopolymers. We report on the development of D-galactose based organogels of varying crosslink density capable of phase-selective solvent removal and selective cationic dye adsorption. Free radical polymerization of 6-O-Methacryloyl-1,2;3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-D-galactose in the presence of nonamethylene glycoldimethacrylate generated novel crosslinked polymers.

Goel, Shubhra, and Josemon Jacob. “D-galactose-based organogelator for phase-selective solvent removal and sequestration of cationic dyes.” S. Goel, J. Jacob, Reactive and Functional Polymers 2020, 157, 104766

In the current work, a series of pentaerythritol derived phosphorous based flame retardants (FRs labeled FR1, FR2, FR3, and FR4) were synthesized, and their suitability for TPU thin films (<100 micron) was explored. Vertical flammability tests revealed that a blend of FR2 and TPU at 2% phosphorous content exhibited excellent flame suppression and complete stoppage of melt dripping.

“Pentaerythritol derived phosphorous based bicyclic compounds as promising flame retardants for thermoplastic polyurethane films.” Shikha, M. Meena, and J. Jacob, Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2020, 50375.