title: Aqueous dispersion of conjugated polymers by colloidal clays and their film photoluminescence.
abstract: The plate-shaped clays enabled us to disperse water-insoluble conjugated polymers (CPs) into a colloidal form and an aqueous process for making CP films. Simple pulverization of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) with silicate clays rendered the powder mixture an unusual dispersing behavior in water. The most effective clay was selected from screening several natural and synthetic clays including synthetic fluorinated mica (Mica), sodium montmorillonite (MMT), synthetic smectite (SWN), and cationic layered double hydroxide (LDH). A high aspect ratio and intensive charge density (2.1 e nm(-1)) of Mica were highly effective for promoting the CP dispersion. The enhancement for dispersing MEH-PPV is rated in the following trend: Mica > MMT > SWN > LDH. The result is rationalized by the influences of their geometric shape and ionic charge of clay on MEH-PPV in water. Two other representative CPs, sulfonated polyaniline (SPA) and triphenyl phosphine oxide cored polyaniline (TPOPA), were used to generalize the CP/clay colloidal behavior. All of the three CPs as in an aqueous form can be coated into hybrid films. Under an ultraviolet lamp, these films showed color emissions, orange for MEH-PPV/Mica, olive for SPA/Mica, and green for TPOPA/Mica, which are consistent with the photoluminescence measurements.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Rong-Ho
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jiang-Jen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lin