Fabrication and morphology of uniaxially aligned perylenediimide nanowires

Abstract

Uniaxial alignment of crystalline nanowires consisting of N,N′-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (PTCDI-C8) was achieved on poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) layers prepared by friction transfer method on a glass substrate. The nanowires were formed by spin-coating a trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solution of PTCDI-C8 on the PTFE layers and were further grown under TFA vapor atmosphere. The morphology of the PTCDI-C8 nanowires were characterized using atomic force microscope (AFM) and fluorescence optical microscope with changing the dye concentration in the spin coating solution, annealing time in the TFA vapor, and substrate materials. The nanowires prepared on the PTFE layer on a silica-coated silicon or a mica substrate did not grow so well as those on the glass substrate. This result suggests that the surface roughness would affect the PTFE layer and the growth of the PTCDI nanowires.