Article

Self-Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers for Photovoltaic Applications

  1. Nicolas Sary1,
  2. Laurent Rubatat1,
  3. Cyril Brochon2,
  4. Georges Hadziioannou2,
  5. Raffaele Mezzenga1,3,*

Article first published online: 21 JUL 2008

DOI: 10.1002/masy.200850806

Issue

Macromolecular Symposia

Macromolecular Symposia

Special Issue: Advanced Polymer Materials for Photonics and Electronics

Volume 268, Issue 1, pages 28–32, July 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sary, N., Rubatat, L., Brochon, C., Hadziioannou, G. and Mezzenga, R. (2008), Self-Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers for Photovoltaic Applications. Macromol. Symp., 268: 28–32. doi: 10.1002/masy.200850806

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Ch. Musée 3, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

  2. 2

    Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Polymères pour les Hautes Technologies, UMR 7165, Université Louis Pasteur, Ecole Européenne de Chimie, Polymères et Matériaux, 25, Rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France

  3. 3

    Nestlé Research Center,Vers-Chez-Les-Blanc,1000 Lausanne 26(Switzerland)

*Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Ch. Musée 3, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 JUL 2008
  2. Article first published online: 21 JUL 2008

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Keywords:

  • C60;
  • fullerene;
  • P4VP;
  • poly(diethylhexyl-p-phenylenevinylene);
  • poly-4-vinylpyridine;
  • PPV;
  • rod-coil block copolymer

Abstract

Summary: Two different approaches to obtain electron donor-acceptor interfaces via self-assembly of block copolymer systems are discussed, where the donor domains are formed by a π-conjugated rod-like polymer and the acceptor domains result from a coiled polymer modified by C60 fullerenes. In the first strategy, C60 is chemically grafted onto the coil polymer, typically a statistical copolymer of styrene and chloromethyl styrene. This has as major effect the increase in molecular weight and volume fraction of the coil block, which can markedly perturb the self-assembled block copolymer final morphologies and eventually suppress any microseparated nanostructure in favour of fully isotropic homogeneous phases. We discuss how the presence of free homopolymer rods in the system can help recovering a microphase separated morphology suitable for photovoltaic applications. In the second approach we discuss the poly(diethylhexyl-p-phenylenevinylene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (PPV-P4VP) rod-coil block copolymer system and we argue how supramolecular interactions among P4VP and free C60 can be exploited to blend rod-coil block copolymers and C60 preserving the original lamellar phase.

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