Gel processing of electrically conductive blends of poly(3‐octylthiophene) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

Abstract

AbstractThe mechanical and electrical properties of solution‐processed [or gel‐spun] blends of poly(3‐octylthiophene) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene are discussed. Tensile drawing at elevated temperatures of the phase‐separated blends resulted in significant improvements of the mechanical properties, in comparison with those of the neat conducting polymer, with values of the Young's modulus reaching > 40 GPa and tensile strengths in excess of 2 GPa. Doping of the undrawn polyblend fibers with iodine vapor or FeCl3 resulted in materials of useful levels of electrical conductivity covering the full range of 10−15 to 10 S/cm. A distinct percolation threshold for electrical conductivity was not observed, even at poly(3‐octylthiophene) concentrations as low as 0.5 w/w %; the electrical conductivity of the latter blend, after doping with iodine vapor, was 8 × 10−8 S/cm.