Optoelectronic Nanostructures via Polythiophene Block Copolymer Self-Assembly

共轭有机分子和聚合物具有无机半导体和金属的电子性质，同时具有更低的成本、更轻的重量和更适合于器件制造。此外，这些性质可以通过操纵分子或大分子结构来容易地控制，这提供了优于许多可比无机材料的明显优势。因此，有机复制品现在已经被应用于电线、发光二极管、传感器、场效应晶体管、光伏器件和激光器。然而，许多此类器件的优化依赖于平衡载流子传输或操纵激子的扩散，这两者都需要控制超分子结构。不幸的是，将共轭有机单元图案化成预定尺寸和形状的纳米级物体仍然是一个根本性的挑战。这个问题进一步放大了需要更复杂的架构，如结或分隔结构和复合材料，为广泛实现纳米级有机复制品的无机微电子组件。在这个合作的建议，我们的目标是概念研究的证明，将允许开发一个新的平台，用于创建功能的1-D半导体纳米结构的基础上，嵌段共聚物与结晶，π-共轭聚噻吩链段。这提供了溶液相自组装的简单性，但提供了对结构尺寸的潜在控制。此外，这种新方法还提供了令人兴奋的可能性，用于访问分隔和混合结构，这些结构应该作为各种纳米级器件的关键组件。

Conjugated organic molecules and polymers possess the electronic properties of inorganic semiconductors and metals, while being of lower cost, lighter weight and more amenable to device manufacture. Furthermore, these properties can be readily controlled by manipulation of the molecular or macromolecular structure, which offers a distinct advantage over many comparable inorganic materials. As a result, organic replicas have now found applications as wires, light-emitting diodes, sensors, field-effect transistors, photovoltaic devices and lasers.The optimisation of many such devices, however, relies on either balancing charge carrier transport or manipulating the diffusion of excitons, both of which require control over the supramolecular structure. Unfortunately, the patterning of conjugated organic units into nanoscale objects of predetermined size and shape remains a fundamental challenge. This problem is further amplified by the need for more complex architectures, such as junctions or compartmentalised structures and composites, for the extensive realisation of nanoscale organic replicas of inorganic microelectronic components.In this collaborative proposal we target proof of concept studies that will permit the development of a new platform for the creation of functional 1-D semiconducting nanostructures based on block copolymers with crystalline, pi-conjugated polythiophene segments. This offers the simplicity of solution phase self-assembly but affords potential control over the dimensions of the structure. Furthermore, this new method also offers exciting possibilities for accessing both compartmentalised and hybrid structures, which should function as key components in a variety of nanoscale devices.