ao6b00264_si_liveslides.zip (7.22 MB)
Macroscopic Domains within an Oriented TQ1 Film Visualized Using 2D Polarization Imaging
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posted on 2017-02-01, 13:23 authored by Daniela Täuber, Wanzhu Cai, Olle Inganäs, Ivan G. ScheblykinLarge-area self-assembly
of functional conjugated polymers holds
a great potential for practical applications of organic electronic
devices. We obtained well-aligned films of poly[2,3-bis(3-octyloxyphenyl)quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-thiophene-2,5-diyl] (TQ1) using the floating film transfer
method. Thereby, a droplet of the TQ1 solution was injected on top
of the surface of an immiscible liquid substrate, at the meniscus
formed at the edge of a Petri dish, from where the polymer solution
and the film spread in one direction. Characterization of the TQ1
film using the recently developed two-dimensional polarization imaging
(2D POLIM) revealed large, millimeter-sized domains of oriented polymer
chains. The irregular shape of the contact line at the droplet source
induced the appearance of disordered stripes perpendicular to the
spreading direction. A correlation of polarization parameters measured
using 2D POLIM revealed the microstructure of such stripes, providing
valuable information for further improvement and possible upscaling
of this promising method.