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Title: Unconventional Molecular Weight Dependence of Charge Transport in the High Mobility n‐type Semiconducting Polymer P(NDI2OD‐T2)

Abstract

The charge transport and microstructural properties of five different molecular weight (MW) batches of the naphthalenediimide‐thiophene copolymer P(NDI2OD‐T2) are investigated. In particular, the field‐effect transistor (FET) performance and thin‐film microstructure of samples with MW varying from M n = 10 to 41 kDa are studied. Unlike conventional semiconducting polymers such as poly(3‐hexylthiophene) where FET mobility dramatically drops with decreasing molecular weight, the FET mobility of P(NDI2OD‐T2)‐based transistors processed from 1,2‐dichlorobenzene is found to increase with decreasing MW. Using a combination of grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine‐structure spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and resonant soft X‐ray scattering, the increase in FET mobility with decreasing MW is attributed to the pronounced increase in the orientational correlation length (OCL) with decreasing MW. In particular, the OCL is observed to systematically increase from <100 nm for the highest MW samples to ≈1 µm for the lowest MW samples. The improvement in OCL and hence mobility for low MW samples is attributed to the lack of aggregation of low MW chains in solution promoting backbone ordering, with the pre‐aggregation of chains in 1,2‐dichlorobenzene found to suppress longer‐range liquid crystalline order.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering Monash University Victoria 3800 Australia
  2. Institut für Makromolekulare Chemie University of Freiburg Stefan‐Meier‐Str. 31 79104 Freiburg Germany, Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum FMF University of Freiburg Stefan‐Meier‐Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany, Freiburger Institut für interaktive Werkstoffe und bioinspirierte Technologien FIT University of Freiburg Georges‐Köhler‐Allee 105 79110 Freiburg Germany
  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering Monash University Victoria 3800 Australia, Australian Synchrotron Victoria 3800 Australia
  4. Australian Synchrotron Victoria 3800 Australia
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1401892
Grant/Contract Number:  
DE‐AC02‐05CH11231
Resource Type:
Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Advanced Functional Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Advanced Functional Materials Journal Volume: 27 Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 1616-301X
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Nahid, Masrur M., Matsidik, Rukiya, Welford, Adam, Gann, Eliot, Thomsen, Lars, Sommer, Michael, and McNeill, Christopher R. Unconventional Molecular Weight Dependence of Charge Transport in the High Mobility n‐type Semiconducting Polymer P(NDI2OD‐T2). Germany: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1002/adfm.201604744.
Nahid, Masrur M., Matsidik, Rukiya, Welford, Adam, Gann, Eliot, Thomsen, Lars, Sommer, Michael, & McNeill, Christopher R. Unconventional Molecular Weight Dependence of Charge Transport in the High Mobility n‐type Semiconducting Polymer P(NDI2OD‐T2). Germany. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201604744
Nahid, Masrur M., Matsidik, Rukiya, Welford, Adam, Gann, Eliot, Thomsen, Lars, Sommer, Michael, and McNeill, Christopher R. Wed . "Unconventional Molecular Weight Dependence of Charge Transport in the High Mobility n‐type Semiconducting Polymer P(NDI2OD‐T2)". Germany. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201604744.
@article{osti_1401892,
title = {Unconventional Molecular Weight Dependence of Charge Transport in the High Mobility n‐type Semiconducting Polymer P(NDI2OD‐T2)},
author = {Nahid, Masrur M. and Matsidik, Rukiya and Welford, Adam and Gann, Eliot and Thomsen, Lars and Sommer, Michael and McNeill, Christopher R.},
abstractNote = {The charge transport and microstructural properties of five different molecular weight (MW) batches of the naphthalenediimide‐thiophene copolymer P(NDI2OD‐T2) are investigated. In particular, the field‐effect transistor (FET) performance and thin‐film microstructure of samples with MW varying from M n = 10 to 41 kDa are studied. Unlike conventional semiconducting polymers such as poly(3‐hexylthiophene) where FET mobility dramatically drops with decreasing molecular weight, the FET mobility of P(NDI2OD‐T2)‐based transistors processed from 1,2‐dichlorobenzene is found to increase with decreasing MW. Using a combination of grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine‐structure spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and resonant soft X‐ray scattering, the increase in FET mobility with decreasing MW is attributed to the pronounced increase in the orientational correlation length (OCL) with decreasing MW. In particular, the OCL is observed to systematically increase from <100 nm for the highest MW samples to ≈1 µm for the lowest MW samples. The improvement in OCL and hence mobility for low MW samples is attributed to the lack of aggregation of low MW chains in solution promoting backbone ordering, with the pre‐aggregation of chains in 1,2‐dichlorobenzene found to suppress longer‐range liquid crystalline order.},
doi = {10.1002/adfm.201604744},
journal = {Advanced Functional Materials},
number = 9,
volume = 27,
place = {Germany},
year = {Wed Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Wed Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201604744

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