(Invited) Manipulating Photoexcitations of Flexible-Chain Polymer Semiconductors Via the Local Environment

Abstract

Semiconducting:ferroelectric blends are interesting as an optoelectronic system because the strong coulombic interactions in excitons may be reduced by an enhanced polar environment provided by the ferroelectric component. Here, we demonstrate variations in the photoluminescence and charge dynamics of photo-induced absorption with model blends of the archetypal semiconducting polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and ferroelectric commodity polymer poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF). This result suggests correlations between local polarity and photophysical processes of exciton dissociation and recombination, likely due to some degree of intermixing in specific blend ratios. Indeed, we see evidence of vitrification, i.e. glass formation, often leading to intermixing in these blends by varying the composition and molecular weight of the blend components. Furthermore, we will exploit the ferroelectric nano-domains, exhibited by the ter-polymer of PVDF, poly[(vinylidene fluoride‐co-trifluoro ethylene‐co-chlorotrifluoro ethylene)] [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] to deliver fundamental insights into the required length scale of intermixing for photophysical processes.