"Hairy" poly(3-hexylthiophene) particles prepared via surface-initiated Kumada catalyst-transfer polycondensation.
Herein, we present a new paradigm in the engineering of nanostructured hybrids between conjugated polymer and inorganic materials via a chain-growth surface-initiated Kumada catalyst-transfer polycondensation (SI-KCTP) from particles. Poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT, a benchmark material for organic electronics, was selectively grown by SI-KCTP from (nano)particles bearing surface-immobilized Ni catalysts supported by bidentate phosphorus ligands, that resulted in hairy (nano)particles with end-tethered P3HT chains. Densely grafted P3HT chains exhibit strongly altered optical properties compared to the untethered counterparts (red shift and vibronic fine structure in absorption and fluorescence spectra), as a result of efficient planarization and chain-aggregation. These effects are observed in solvents that are normally recognized as good solvents for P3HT (e.g., tetrahydrofurane). We attribute this to strong interchain interactions within densely grafted P3HT chains, which can be tuned by changing the surface curvature (or size) of the supporting particle. The hairy P3HT nanoparticles were successfully applied in bulk heterojunction solar cells.
Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Germany.
Volodymyr
V
Senkovskyy
Roman
R
Tkachov
Tetyana
T
Beryozkina
Hartmut
H
Komber
Ulrich
U
Oertel
Marta
M
Horecha
Vera
V
Bocharova
Manfred
M
Stamm
Suren A
SA
Gevorgyan
Frederik C
FC
Krebs
Anton
A
Kiriy
D002384:Catalysis; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
D013876:Thiophenes; C507295:poly(3-hexylthiophene); D009532:Nickel