skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Polymer Interchain Structure in Poly(phenylene vinylene) Derivatives

Journal Article · · Computational Science & Discovery
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. ORNL
  2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
  3. University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The structures and photophysical properties of single molecule MEH-PPV (2-methoxy-5-(2 -ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) and CN-PPV (2,5,2 ,5 -tetrahexyloxy-7,8 -dicyano-pphenylenevinylene)nanoparticles are investigated with electronic structure theory and high resolution fluorescence experiments. It is shown that electron withdrawing substitutients, such as CN, on the vinyl group of the PPV polymer backbone cause substantial change in the π electronic structure which subsequently decreases the interchain distance. Not only does CN-PPV have a smaller interchain separation compared to MEH-PPV, but also an increased binding energy and more efficient charge transport (carrier mobility) due to larger electronic coupling (charge transfer integrals). These changes help explain the enhanced luminescence quantum yield, photo-stability, and lifetime for CN-PPV versus MEH-PPV observed in experimental high resolution fluorescence imaging of individual single molecule nanoparticles.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
966092
Journal Information:
Computational Science & Discovery, Vol. 1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English