KCS

The self-assembly of conjugated block copolymers has emerged as a promising approach to achieving the hierarchical and morphological control needed for understanding and optimizing the charge separation and shuttling processes inherent to organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. We will describe our latest efforts toward synthesizing various polythiophene-containing rod-rod and rod-coil diblock copolymers, particularly those that are capable of self-assembling into higher order structures. In particular, we will present two complementary synthetic approaches developed in our laboratories: a grafting-from approach, where an end-functionalized polythiophene is used as a macroinitiator for the chain extension polymerization of a second block, and grafting-to approach, whereby the constituent homopolymers are independently synthesized and then subsequently linked together. The copolymers prepared using these methods containg homopolymer blocks that were designed to assemble into micelles, wormlike micelles, and other higher order structures in solution, and adopt similar advanced structures in the solid state. Characterization of these materials will be discussed, as well as their potential applications in organic photovoltaics and other electronic devices.