Solution processing of polymer semiconductor: Insulator blends-Tailored optical properties through liquid-liquid phase separation control

Abstract

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. It has been demonstrated that the 0-0 absorption transition of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in blends with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) could be rationally tuned through the control of the liquid-liquid phase separation process during solution deposition. Pronounced J-like aggregation behavior, characteristic for systems of a low exciton band width, was found for blends where the most pronounced liquid-liquid phase separation occurred in solution, leading to domains of P3HT and PEO of high phase purity. Since liquid-liquid phase separation could be readily manipulated either by the solution temperature, solute concentration, or deposition temperature, to name a few parameters, our findings promise the design from the out-set of semiconductor:insulator architectures of pre-defined properties by manipulation of the interaction parameter between the solutes as well as the respective solute:solvent system using classical polymer science principles.