Facile preparation of nanoporous C60/P3HT thin films from PLA-b-C60-b-P3HT triblock copolymers

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 458; pp. 70 - 76
• Main Authors: Yang, Zhenglong, Fu, Kangyu, Yu, Jing, Shi, Xujing, Zhou, Peiting, Cheng, Zhihao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.11.2018
• Subjects: Block copolymers; Fullerene; Nanoporous films; Poly(3-hexylthiophene); Ring-opening polymerization; Fullerene; Ring-opening polymerization; Poly(3-hexylthiophene); Nanoporous films; Block copolymers
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.07.076

Nanoporous C60/P3HT films were prepared from PLA-b-C60-b-P3HT triblock copolymer by casting the copolymer followed by thermal annealing and chemical etching of the PLA chains. [Display omitted] •Di(PLA-C60)-P3HT triblock copolymer were synthesized and characterized.•After etching the PLA microphase, an ordered nanoporous separation film were formed.•Photoinduced electron transfer was enhanced due to increased interface between P3HT and fullerene.•Through such morphological control, the idealized ordered bulk heterojunction can be achieved. Polylactide-b-fullerene-b-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (PLA-b-C60-b-P3HT) triblock copolymer via a combination of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction and controlled ring-opening polymerization technique was successfully synthesized. The structure, morphology and crystallinity of PLA-b-C60-b-P3HT copolymer were characterized by 1H NMR, GPC, DSC, TGA, XRD, UV–vis, PL and AFM measurements. Nanoporous C60/P3HT films were easily prepared from PLA-b-C60-b-P3HT triblock copolymer by casting the copolymer followed by thermal annealing and chemical etching of the PLA chains. Fullerene molecules could self-assembly between P3HT and PLA to form a continuous film. An ordered nanoporous C60/P3HT film was formed in AFM by chemically etching the PLA microphase with NaOH solution. Photoluminescence analysis showed that the photoinduced electron transfer of the ordered nanoporous C60/P3HT film was significantly improved compared to the physically blending sample due to the increased interface between the P3HT and the C60.