Molecular Self-Assembly of Conducting Polymers: A New Layer-by-Layer Process for Fabricating Heterostructure Thin Films

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ABSTRACT Proposal Number: CTS-9312760 P.I.: Rubner Institution: M.I.T. The primary objective of this research is to develop the chemistry and nanoscale processing techniques needed to control the molecular and supermolecular organizations of electroactive conjugated polymers. This work is driven by the notion that the unique optical and electrical properties of these fascinating materials can be successfully tailored at the molecular level if suitable techniques are developed to manipulate and control the manner in which they organize in the solid state. To accomplish this goal, two new layer-by-layer molecular self-assembly processes recently discovered in our laboratory will be investigated; the self-assembly of conjugated polyions and the self-assembly of the p-type doped conducting polymers. The ability to readily fabricate multilayer thin films of conjugated polymers via molecular self-assembly processes is expected to open up completely new vistas with regard to the thin film processing of conducting polymers and related electoactive materials. In addition, self-assembled films can be used to fabricated and examine new heterostructure based thin film devices and sensors and to tailor the electrical and optical properties of various surfaces at the molecular level. The multilayer and heterostructure thin films fabricated with these new techniques will be characterized and evaluated in the form of various technologically relevant thin film devices such as thin film capacitors and Schottky light emitting diodes.