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Novel Carbon Nanotube‐Conjugated Polymer Nanohybrids Produced By Multiple Polymer Processing
Author(s) -
Stranks Samuel D.,
Habisreutinger Severin N.,
Dirks Beate,
Nicholas Robin J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201205250
Subject(s) - materials science , polymer , carbon nanotube , conjugated system , nanostructure , nanotechnology , chirality (physics) , coaxial , nanotube , composite material , chiral symmetry breaking , physics , engineering , quantum mechanics , quark , nambu–jona lasinio model , electrical engineering
We describe two methods in which we manipulate the binding of multiple conjugated polymers to single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to produce new and novel nanostructures. One method first utilizes the selective binding of poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl) (PFO) to a narrow distribution of semiconducting SWNTs and then uses a polymer exchange to transfer this purity to other nanotube‐polymer combinations, using technologically useful polymers such as poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(9,9′‐dioctylfluorene‐ co ‐benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) as first examples. The other method involves controlling the competitive binding of P3HT and F8BT to SWNTs to produce coaxial nanostructures consisting of both polymers simultaneously bound in ordered layers. We show that these two simple solution‐processing techniques can be carried out sequentially to afford new dual‐polymer nanostructures comprised of a semiconducting SWNT of a single chirality. This allows the favorable properties of both polymers and purified semiconducting SWNTs to be implemented into potentially highly efficient organic photovoltaic devices.