Abstract
The problem of transport across grain boundaries in semicrystalline polymers was investigated quantitatively using a directional crystallization technique to make anisotropic thin films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with controlled grain-boundary placement and orientation. 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (TCB), a small-molecule solvent that is solid at room temperature, acts first as a solvent and second as a substrate for polymer epitaxy. The solvent/polymer solution is then undercooled, allowing for the selective crystallization of TCB to be induced by the introduction of a heat sink. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirms the presence of a continuous film, and reveals the anisotropic fiber structure. The X-ray scattering data confirms the semicrystalline nature of the films, and reveals a pronounced in-plane film texture. The high-resolution GIXS experiments confirm the crystalline anisotropy in the plane of the substrate.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1568-1572 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Advanced Materials |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 16 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 27 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2023-02-14ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mechanics of Materials
- General Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering