Morphology and Microstructure of Aggregates and Gelation Behaviour of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) in Xylene Solution

Abstract:

In this work, we investigate the morphology and microstructure of the aggregates, and the gelation behaviour of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) conjugated polymer in xylene solution as functions of P3HT concentration and aging time by the means of ageing time test, wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible absorption (UV-vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The result reveals that the gelation time of P3HT/xylene solution decreases markedly with increasing P3HT concentration. The photophysical properties of the P3HT aggregates in P3HT/xylene solution increase as P3HT concentration and ageing time are raised. It indicates that the well soluble P3HT polymer chains in xylene solution present microphase separation and self-assemble into stiff sheetlike structure, which associates by rodlike nanowhiskers of P3HT polymers during aging. Upon prolonged aging, the sheetlike structure of P3HT aggregates to from the three-dimension network that improves the electronic particle mobility in the organic solar cell.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 479-480)
• Pages: 115-120
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.479-480.115
• Online since: December 2013
• Authors: Jean Hong Chen, Jian Yi Li, Lung Chuan Chen, Ching Iuan Su
• Keywords: Microstructure, Photophysical Properties, Poly(3-hexylthiophene)

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