Self-assembling semiconducting polymers--rods and gels from electronic materials

In an effort to favor the formation of straight polymer chains without crystalline grain boundaries, we have synthesized an amphiphilic conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly(fluorene-alt-thiophene) (PFT), which self-assembles in aqueous solutions to form cylindrical micelles. In contrast to many diblock copolymer assemblies, the semiconducting backbone runs parallel, not perpendicular, to the long axis of the cylindrical micelle. Solution-phase micelle formation is observed by X-ray and visible light scattering. The micelles can be cast as thin films, and the cylindrical morphology is preserved in the solid state. The effects of self-assembly are also observed through spectral shifts in optical absorption and photoluminescence. Solutions of higher-molecular-weight PFT micelles form gel networks at sufficiently high aqueous concentrations. Rheological characterization of the PFT gels reveals solid-like behavior and strain hardening below the yield point, properties similar to those found in entangled gels formed from surfactant-based micelles. Finally, electrical measurements on diode test structures indicate that, despite a complete lack of crystallinity in these self-assembled polymers, they effectively conduct electricity.

Ultrafast Studies of Exciton Migration and Polaron Formation in Sequentially Solution-Processed Conjugated Polymer/Fullerene Quasi-Bilayer Photovoltaics

We examine the ultrafast dynamics of exciton migration and polaron production in sequentially processed 'quasi-bilayer' and preblended 'bulk heterojunction' (BHJ) solar cells based on conjugated polymer films that contain the same total amount of fullerene. We find that even though the polaron yields are similar, the dynamics of polaron production are significantly slower in quasi-bilayers than BHJs. We argue that the different polaron production dynamics result from the fact that (1) there is significantly less fullerene inside the polymer in quasi-bilayers than in BHJs and (2) sequential processing yields polymer layers that are significantly more ordered than BHJs. We also argue that thermal annealing improves the performance of quasi-bilayer solar cells not because annealing drives additional fullerene into the polymer but because annealing improves the fullerene crystallinity. All of the results suggest that sequential processing remains a viable alternative for producing polymer/fullerene solar cells with a nanometer-scale architecture that differs from BHJs.

Simulating the formation of sodium:electron tight-contact pairs: watching the solvation of atoms in liquids one molecule at a time

The motions of solvent molecules during a chemical transformation often dictate both the dynamics and the outcome of solution-phase reactions. However, a microscopic picture of solvation dynamics is often obscured by the concerted motions of numerous solvent molecules that make up a condensed-phase environment. In this study, we use mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations to furnish the molecular details of the solvation dynamics that leads to the formation of a sodium cation-solvated electron contact pair, (Na(+), e(-)), in liquid tetrahydrofuran following electron photodetachment from sodide (Na(-)). Our simulations reveal that the dominant solvent response is comprised of a series of discrete solvent molecular events that work sequentially to build up a shell of coordinating THF oxygen sites around the sodium cation end of the contact pair. With the solvent response described in terms of the sequential motion of single molecules, we are then able to compare the calculated transient absorption spectroscopy of the sodium species to experiment, providing a clear microscopic interpretation of ultrafast pump-probe experiments on this system. Our findings suggest that for solute-solvent interactions similar to the ones present in our study, the solvation dynamics is best understood as a series of kinetic events consisting of reactions between chemically distinct local structures in which key solvent molecules must be considered to be part of the identity of the reacting species.

Watching the solvation of atoms in liquids one solvent molecule at a time

We use mixed quantum-classical molecular dynamics simulations and ultrafast transient hole-burning spectroscopy to build a molecular-level picture of the motions of solvent molecules around Na atoms in liquid tetrahydrofuran. We find that even at room temperature, the solvation of Na atoms occurs in discrete steps, with the number of solvent molecules nearest the atom changing one at a time. This explains why the rate of solvent relaxation differs for different initial nonequilibrium states, and reveals how the solvent helps determine the identity of atomic species in liquids.

The ultrafast charge-transfer-to-solvent dynamics of iodide in tetrahydrofuran. 1. Exploring the roles of solvent and solute electronic structure in condensed-phase charge-transfer reactions

Although they represent the simplest possible charge-transfer reactions, the charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) dynamics of atomic anions exhibit considerable complexity. For example, the CTTS dynamics of iodide in water are very different from those of sodide (Na-) in tetrahydrofuran (THF), leading to the question of the relative importance of the solvent and solute electronic structures in controlling charge-transfer dynamics. In this work, we address this issue by investigating the CTTS spectroscopy and dynamics of I- in THF, allowing us to make detailed comparisons to the previously studied I-/H2O and Na-/THF CTTS systems. Since THF is weakly polar, ion pairing with the counterion can have a substantial impact on the CTTS spectroscopy and dynamics of I- in this solvent. In this study, we have isolated "counterion-free" I- in THF by complexing the Na+ counterion with 18-crown-6 ether. Ultrafast pump-probe experiments reveal that THF-solvated electrons (e-THF) appear 380 +/- 60 fs following the CTTS excitation of "free" I- in THF. The absorption kinetics are identical at all probe wavelengths, indicating that the ejected electrons appear with no significant dynamic solvation but rather with their equilibrium absorption spectrum. After their initial appearance, ejected electrons do not exhibit any additional dynamics on time scales up to approximately 1 ns, indicating that geminate recombination of e-THF with its iodine atom partner does not occur. Competitive electron scavenging measurements demonstrate that the CTTS excited state of I- in THF is quite large and has contact with scavengers that are several nanometers away from the iodide ion. The ejection time and lack of electron solvation observed for I- in THF are similar to what is observed following CTTS excitation of Na- in THF. However, the relatively slow ejection time, the complete lack of dynamic solvation, and the large ejection distance/lack of recombination dynamics are in marked contrast to the CTTS dynamics observed for I- in water, in which fast electron ejection, substantial solvation, and appreciable recombination have been observed. These differences in dynamical behavior can be understood in terms of the presence of preexisting, electropositive cavities in liquid THF that are a natural part of its liquid structure; these cavities provide a mechanism for excited electrons to relocate to places in the liquid that can be nanometers away, explaining the large ejection distance and lack of recombination following the CTTS excitation of I- in THF. We argue that the lack of dynamic solvation observed following CTTS excitation of both I- and Na- in THF is a direct consequence of the fact that little additional relaxation is required once an excited electron nonadiabatically relaxes into one of the preexisting cavities. In contrast, liquid water contains no such cavities, and CTTS excitation of I- in water leads to local electron ejection that involves substantial solvent reorganization.

Controlling optical gain in semiconducting polymers with nanoscale chain positioning and alignment

We control the chain conformation of a semiconducting polymer by encapsulating it within the aligned nanopores of a silica host. The confinement leads to polarized, low-threshold amplified spontaneous emission from the polymer chains. The polymer enters the porous silica film from only one face and the filling of the pores is therefore graded. As a result, the profile of the index of refraction in the film is also graded, in the direction normal to the pores, so that the composite film forms a low-loss, graded-index waveguide. The aligned polymer chains plus naturally formed waveguide are ideally configured for optical gain, with a threshold for amplified spontaneous emission that is twenty times lower than in comparable unoriented polymer films. Moreover, the optimal conditions for ASE are met in only one spatial orientation and with one polarization. The results show that nanometre-scale control of semiconducting polymer chain orientation and position leads to novel and desirable optical properties.

The Structure of the Hydrated Electron. Part 2. A Mixed Quantum/Classical Molecular Dynamics Embedded Cluster Density Functional Theory: Single−Excitation Configuration Interaction Study

Adiabatic mixed quantum/classical (MQC) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to generate snapshots of the hydrated electron in liquid water at 300 K. Water cluster anions that include two complete solvation shells centered on the hydrated electron were extracted from the MQC MD simulations and embedded in a roughly 18 Ax18 Ax18 A matrix of fractional point charges designed to represent the rest of the solvent. Density functional theory (DFT) with the Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr functional and single-excitation configuration interaction (CIS) methods were then applied to these embedded clusters. The salient feature of these hybrid DFT(CIS)/MQC MD calculations is significant transfer (approximately 18%) of the excess electron's charge density into the 2p orbitals of oxygen atoms in OH groups forming the solvation cavity. We used the results of these calculations to examine the structure of the singly occupied and the lower unoccupied molecular orbitals, the density of states, the absorption spectra in the visible and ultraviolet, the hyperfine coupling (hfcc) tensors, and the infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of these embedded water cluster anions. The calculated hfcc tensors were used to compute electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra for the hydrated electron that compared favorably to the experimental spectra of trapped electrons in alkaline ice. The calculated vibrational spectra of the hydrated electron are consistent with the red-shifted bending and stretching frequencies observed in resonance Raman experiments. In addition to reproducing the visible/near IR absorption spectrum, the hybrid DFT model also accounts for the hydrated electron's 190-nm absorption band in the ultraviolet. Thus, our study suggests that to explain several important experimentally observed properties of the hydrated electron, many-electron effects must be accounted for: one-electron models that do not allow for mixing of the excess electron density with the frontier orbitals of the first-shell solvent molecules cannot explain the observed magnetic, vibrational, and electronic properties of this species. Despite the need for multielectron effects to explain these important properties, the ensemble-averaged radial wavefunctions and energetics of the highest occupied and three lowest unoccupied orbitals of the hydrated electrons in our hybrid model are close to the s- and p-like states obtained in one-electron models. Thus, one-electron models can provide a remarkably good approximation to the multielectron picture of the hydrated electron for many applications; indeed, the two approaches appear to be complementary.