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Title
Scrolled/Flat Crystalline Structures of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and Poly(ethylene glycol) Block Copolymers Subsuming Unseeded HalfRing-Like and Seeded Cubic, Epitaxial, and Fibrillar Crystals
Type of Research Article
Keywords
Scrolled; P3HT; Conductive nanostructures
Abstract
Three distinct types of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based crystals were developed using unseeded and seeded protocols. First, unseededflatfibrillar and scrolled halfring-like crystals were prepared by isothermal crystallization of homo-P3HT and P3HT-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block copolymers. Anisotropic accumulation of grafted coily PEG blocks on the opposite surfaces of P3HT half-rings having extended backbones reflected scrolling, and their subsequent crystallization also further intensified this scrolling. The PEGs assembled into lamellae on both sides of P3HT half-rings with dissimilar crystalline features, i.e., the outer PEG lamella was thicker (17.4 nm) and wider (23.1 nm) compared to the inner one (15.0 and 18.1 nm). Furthermore, the crystallinity of PEG coily blocks accumulated on the P3HT crystals did not change the extended state of P3HT backbones (17.5 nm) and also the thickness of half-rings (11.0 nm). Second, with seeding homogeneous P3HT 7000 -b-PEG 5000 solution using homo-PEG 5000 tiny crystals, the cubic PEG single crystals were sandwiched between grafted regioregular P3HT chains (>99%). The appearance of (020)P3HT and (100)P3HT spots for tethered P3HTs beside (120)PEG prisms demonstratedflat-on orderly tethered P3HT backbones on the PEG single crystalline substrate. Via conjunction between block copolymer and homopolymer single crystals in channel (PEG)/wire (P3HT-covered PEG)/channel (PEG) epitaxials, the P3HT rigid brushes were found to be extended (17.35 nm) on lamellar PEG substrate (6.15 nm). Third, when homogenized P3HT7000 -b-PEG 5000 solutions were seeded by homoP3HT7000tiny crystals, the edge-on orientated fibrillar P3HT single crystals were acquired. Although the thickness (20−22 nm) and length (60−63μm) of P3HT7000 -b-PEG 5000fibrillar single crystals resembled those of homo-P3HT7000ones, their backbone lamination in the caxis were significantly different (2 versus 21); because the P3HT backbones were not capable of laminating fr
Researchers Samira Agbolaghi (First Researcher)، Sahar Zenoozi (Second Researcher)، Zahra Hosseini (Third Researcher)، (Fourth Researcher)