Synthesis of regioregularity controlled P3HT-b-PLA block copolymers and their self-assembly in thin films

Abstract

Conjugated polymer based rod-coil copolymers have been considered interesting class of materials due to their great potential for the construction of ideal nanostructures in organic opto-electronics. Herein, we syntehsized regioregularity controlled poly(3-hexylthiophene) varied from 95% to 65% as a model rod backbone. And we developed a seires of rod-coil block copolymers, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(L-lactic acid) (P3HT-b-PLLA). Previous attempts to generate ordered morphology in P3HT-based block copolymers have failed due to high crystallinity of P3HT. The regioregularity control allows for regulation of rod-rod interaction, so it influence on the microphase self-assembly. Here we demonstrated the horizontally oriented PLLA cylinder embedded in a semiconducting P3HT. And also we observed the aligned P3HT cylinder in PLLA matrix.