Remarkable Order of a High-Performance Polymer

TitleRemarkable Order of a High-Performance Polymer
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsC.J. Takacs, N.D. Treat, Stephan Kraemer, Zhihua Chen, Antonio Facchetti, M.L. Chabinyc, and A.J. Heeger
JournalNANO LETTERS
Volume13
Pagination2522-2527
Date PublishedJUN
ISSN1530-6984
Keywordshigh mobility polymer material, long-range order, Polymer morphology, TEM
AbstractWe directly image the rich nanoscale organization of the high performance, n-type polymer poly{[N,N'-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) -2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5'-(2,2'-bithiophene)} (P(NDI2OD-T2)) using a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrate that it is possible to spatially resolve ``face-on'' lamella through the 2.4 nm alkyl stacking distance corresponding to the (100) reflection. The lamella locally transition between ordered and disordered states over a length scale on the order of 10 nm; however, the polymer backbones retain long-range correlations over length-scales approaching a micrometer. Moreover, we frequently observe overlapping structure implying a number of layers may exist thickness of the film (similar to 20 nm). The results provide a simple picture, a highly ordered lamella nanostructure entire film and ordered domains with overlapping layers providing additional interconnectivity, which unifies contradictory conclusions surrounding this remarkable, high-mobility material.
DOI10.1021/nl4005805