Processing of Mono- and Multi-layer Thin Films of ConductingSurface Active Polymers

本项目的目标是利用Langmuir-Blodgett(LB)膜平衡技术将电活性聚合物加工成具有明确分子结构和新颖的电学和光学性质的薄膜形式。为了实现这一点，含有可聚合的吡咯头基团的表面活性单体将被操纵成单层和多层薄膜，然后转化为导电的多层组装。此外，还将合成具有溶剂性、导电性的聚吡咯和聚噻吩类化合物，并将其制备成单层和多层薄膜。无法制备厚度可控的大面积电活性聚合物薄膜一直是这些材料成功应用的主要障碍之一。利用该项目中开发的技术，首次有可能制备结构明确的聚合物薄膜，其中导电聚合物链由已知尺寸和取向的绝缘区隔开。我们将评估这些薄膜的电学和光学性质，以确定分子超结构对这些高度各向异性组织的输运行为的影响。

The objective of this project is to utilize the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film balance technique to process electroactive polymers into thin film forms with well defined molecular structures and novel electrical and optical properties. In order to accomplish this, surface active monomers containing polymerizable pyrrole head groups will be manipulated into mono- and multi-layer thin films using the LB technique and subsequently converted into electrically conductive multi-layer assemblies. In addition, solvent-soluble, electrically- conductive polypyrroles and polythiophenes that satisfy the structural requirements for LB manipulation will be synthesized and fabricated into mono- and multi-layer thin films. The inability to fabricate large area thin films of electroactive polymers with controllable thickness has been one of the major stumbling blocks to the successful utilization of these materials. Using the techniques developed in this project, it will be possible for the first time to prepare structurally well-defined thin polymer films in which an electrically conductive polymer chain is separated by insulating regions of known dimensions and orientation. The electrical and optical properties of these films will be evaluated in order to determine the influence of molecular superstructure on the transport behavior of these highly anisotropic organizations.