Self-assembly of all-conjugated poly(3-alkylthiophene) diblock copolymer nanostructures from mixed selective solvents.
The use of mixed selective solvents provides an effective means to control self-assembly of the all-conjugated diblock copolymer poly(3-butylthiophene)-b-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3BHT) into nanostructured morphologies. The solvent and temperature effects on the self-assembly of P3BHT during cooling and subsequent crystallization were explored for the first time. Depending on the poor/good solvent ratio (i.e., anisole/chloroform), P3BHT chains experience different kinetic pathways, yielding nanowires at a low anisole/chloroform ratio (< or =2:1), and nanorings coexisted with some nanowires at a high anisole/chloroform ratio (> or =6:1). The nanowires are formed as a direct consequence of strong interchain pi-pi stacking, while the formation of nanorings is governed by solvophobic interactions between conjugated blocks and the poor solvent anisole to minimize the unfavorable contacts between the P3BT block ( approximately 50 degrees C) and later P3HT (below 35 degrees C) block and anisole.
He
Ming
M
The Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Ministry of Education, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Zhao
Lei
L
Wang
Jun
J
Han
Wei
W
Yang
Yuliang
Y
Qiu
Feng
F
Lin
Zhiqun
Z
D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry*
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012997:Solvents; D013876:Thiophenes; C507295:poly(3-hexylthiophene); C072020:2-n-butylthiophene