Principles of "majority rules" and "sergeants and soldiers" applied to the aggregation of optically active polythiophenes: Evidence for a multichain phenomenon

The organization of the polymer chains as a function of the optical purity of the side chains substituents and mixing-annealing experiments of chiral and achiral polythiophenes are described. The cooperative interactions between chiral and achiral side chains affect the optical activity of the polythiophene aggregates in a nonlinear fashion. The majority-rules principle is applicable to polythiophenes carrying both R and S optically active side chains. The magnitude of the effect, however, is less pronounced than for the helical main chain polyisocyanates. The mixing-annealing experiments give direct evidence of interactions between different polymer chains during the ordering process and give credence to a kind of sergeants-and-soldiers principle.