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Title: Reduced bleaching in organic nanofibers by bilayer polymer/oxide coating

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3427561· OSTI ID:21476248
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. NanoSyd, Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Alsion 2, DK-6400 Soenderborg (Denmark)
  2. Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, D-12205 Berlin (Germany)

Para-hexaphenylene (p-6P) molecules exhibit a characteristic photoinduced reaction (bleaching) resulting in a decrease in luminescence intensity upon UV light exposure, which could render the technological use of the nanofibers problematic. In order to investigate the photoinduced reaction in nanofibers, optical bleaching experiments have been performed by irradiating both pristine and coated nanofibers with UV light. Oxide coating materials (SiO{sub x} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) were applied onto p-6P nanofibers. These treatments caused a reduction in the bleaching reaction but in addition, the nanofiber luminescence spectrum was significantly altered. It was observed that some polymer coatings [a statistical copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and 2,2-bis-trifluoromethyl-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxole, P(TFE-PDD), and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA] do not interfere with the luminescence spectrum from the p-6P but are not effective in stopping the bleaching. Bilayer coatings with first a polymer material, which should work as a protection layer to avoid modifications of the p-6P luminescence spectrum, and second an oxide layer used as oxygen blocker were tested and it was found that a particular bilayer polymer/oxide combination results in a significant reduction in bleaching without affecting significantly the emission spectrum from the nanofibers.

OSTI ID:
21476248
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3427561; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English