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Kahl RT, Erhardt A, Krauss G, Seibold F, Dolynchuk O, Thelakkat M, Thurn-Albrecht T. Effect of Chemical Modification on Molecular Ordering in Polydiketopyrrolopyrrole Copolymers: From Liquid Crystalline to Crystalline. Macromolecules 2024; 57:5243-5252. [PMID: 38882198 PMCID: PMC11173490 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The chemical architecture of conjugated polymers is often designed by contemplating and understanding the consequences of structural changes on electronic properties at the molecular level. However, even minor changes to the chemical structure of a polymer can significantly influence the packing arrangement, which also influences the electronic properties of the bulk material. Here, we investigate the molecular arrangement in the ordered state at room temperature of a series of three different polydiketopyrrolopyrroles (PDPPs) in bulk and oriented thin films in detail by wide-angle X-ray scattering and by atomic force microscopy. The changes in the chemical structure of the investigated PDPPs, namely, an additional side chain or a different flanking unit, lead to an increase in long-range order and thereby to a change in the phase state from sanidic ordered via sanidic rectangular or oblique to crystalline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Kahl
- Experimental Polymer Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Andreas Erhardt
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Gert Krauss
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Ferdinand Seibold
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Oleksandr Dolynchuk
- Experimental Polymer Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Mukundan Thelakkat
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Thurn-Albrecht
- Experimental Polymer Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
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Daoulas KC, Markina AA. Effect of Materials Parameters on the Shape of Face-On Lamellae in Semi-Conducting Polymers: Insights From Qualitative Theory. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024; 45:e2300437. [PMID: 37811808 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Polymer semiconductors frequently form crystals or mesophases with lamellae, that comprise alternating layers of stacked backbones and side chains. Controlling lamellar orientation in films is essential for obtaining efficient charge carrier transport. Herein, lamellar orientation is investigated in an application-relevant setup: lamellae assembled on a substrate that strongly favors face-on orientation, but exposed to a film surface that promotes orientation along an "easy" direction, other than face on. It is assumed that the face-on order propagates from the substrate, but the lamellae bend to reduce their surface energy. A qualitative free-energy model is developed. The deformation is investigated as a function of film thickness, effective Young modulus, anchoring coefficient, and easy direction at the free surface. The calculations highlight the importance of elastic constants - lamellae can substantially deform already when Young moduli are only an order of magnitude smaller than the values that are reported for crystals. Softer Young moduli are expected when lamellar assembly occurs in a non-solidified mesophase that can be an equilibrium or (more speculatively) a transient state prior to crystallization. The alternative scenario of a two-layered film is also evaluated, where edge-on and face-on grains form, respectively, at the free surface and substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Ch Daoulas
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anastasia A Markina
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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Kuebler J, Loosbrock T, Strzalka J, Fernandez-Ballester L. Direct Observation of Two-Step, Stratified Crystallization and Morphology in Conjugated Polymer Thin Films. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Kuebler
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Tucker Loosbrock
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Joseph Strzalka
- X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Lucia Fernandez-Ballester
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
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Dolynchuk O, Thurn‐Albrecht T. On Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Interface‐Induced Crystallization in Polymers. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202200455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Dolynchuk
- Experimental Polymer Physics Institute of Physics Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg D‐06120 Halle Germany
| | - Thomas Thurn‐Albrecht
- Experimental Polymer Physics Institute of Physics Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg D‐06120 Halle Germany
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Wenzel FA, Welz H, van der Zwan KP, Stäter S, Kreger K, Hildner R, Senker J, Schmidt HW. Highly Efficient Supramolecular Nucleating Agents for Poly(3-hexylthiophene). Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Felix A. Wenzel
- Macromolecular Chemistry I and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hannes Welz
- Macromolecular Chemistry I and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kasper P. van der Zwan
- Inorganic Chemistry III, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian Stäter
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus Kreger
- Macromolecular Chemistry I and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Richard Hildner
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Senker
- Inorganic Chemistry III, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hans-Werner Schmidt
- Macromolecular Chemistry I and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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Boehm BJ, Huang DM. A simple predictor of interface orientation of fluids of disk-like anisotropic particles and its implications for organic semiconductors. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:1843-1857. [PMID: 35169825 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00026a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
From classical molecular dynamics simulations, we identify a simple and general predictor of molecular orientation at solid and vapour interfaces of isotropic fluids of disk-like anisotropic particles based on their shape and interaction anisotropy. For a wide variety of inter-particle interactions, temperatures, and substrate types within the range of typical organic semiconductors and their processing conditions, we find remarkable universal scaling of the orientation at the interface with the free energy calculated from pair interactions between close-packed nearest neighbours and an empirically derived universal relationship between the entropy and the shape anisotropy and bulk volume fraction of the fluid particles. The face-on orientation of fluid particles at the solid interface is generally predicted to be the equilibrium structure, although the alignment can be controlled by tuning the particle shape and substrate type, while changing the strength of fluid-fluid interactions is likely to play a less effective role. At the vapour interface, only the side-on structure is predicted, and conditions for which the face-on structure may be preferred, such as low temperature, low interaction anisotropy, or low shape anisotropy, are likely to result in little orientation preference (due to the low anisotropy) or be associated with a phase transition to an anisotropic bulk phase for systems with interactions in the range of typical organic semiconductors. Based on these results, we propose a set of guidelines for the rational design and processing of organic semiconductors to achieve a target orientation at a solid or vapour interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda J Boehm
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - David M Huang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
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Amado E, Hasan N, Busse K, Kressler J. Microscopic Characterization of Poly(Sulfur Nitride). MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202100113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elkin Amado
- Department of Chemistry Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) D‐06120 Germany
| | - Nazmul Hasan
- Department of Chemistry Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) D‐06120 Germany
| | - Karsten Busse
- Department of Chemistry Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) D‐06120 Germany
| | - Jörg Kressler
- Department of Chemistry Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) D‐06120 Germany
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Heterogeneous Crystal Nucleation from the Melt in Polyethylene Oxide Droplets on Graphite: Kinetics and Microscopic Structure. CRYSTALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11080924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that the crystallization of liquids often initiates at interfaces to foreign solid surfaces. In this study, using polarized light optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), we investigate the effect of substrate–material interactions on nucleation in an ensemble of polyethylene oxide (PEO) droplets on graphite and on amorphous polystyrene (PS). The optical microscopy measurements during cooling with a constant rate explicitly evidenced that the graphite substrate enhances the nucleation kinetics, as crystallization occurred at approximately an 11 °C higher temperature than on PS due to changes in the interactions at the solid interface. This observation allowed us to conclude that graphite induces heterogeneous nucleation in PEO. By employing the classical nucleation theory for analysis of the data with reference to the amorphous PS substrate, the obtained results indicated that the crystal nuclei with contact angles in the range of 100–117° were formed at the graphite interface. Furthermore, we show that heterogeneous nucleation led to a preferred orientation of PEO crystals on graphite, whereas PEO crystals on PS had isotropic orientation. The difference in crystal orientations on the two substrates was also confirmed with AFM, which showed only edge-on lamellae in PEO droplets on graphite compared to unoriented lamellae on PS.
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