Liquid crystal alignment behavior and OTFT performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene) blends with comb-like poly(oxyethylene)

Jin Woo Bae; Eun Ho Sohn; Hyo Kang; Jong Chan Lee; Kigook Song

Macromolecular Research, Vol.23, No.5, 436-441, May, 2015

DOI10.1007/s13233-015-3062-9 Export Citation

Liquid crystal alignment behavior and OTFT performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene) blends with comb-like poly(oxyethylene)

Jin Woo Bae, Eun Ho Sohn¹, Hyo Kang², Jong Chan Lee², and Kigook Song^†

Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information and Electronics, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 446-701, Korea
¹Interface Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejon, 305-343, Korea
²Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-744, Korea

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Alignment characteristics of nematic liquid crystal (LC) on the surface of conjugated semi-conducting polymer blends with a comb-like polymer were studied. Conoscopic polarized optical microscope images show vertical alignment of LC on the blend films regardless of blend ratio. The LC alignment behavior on the blended film surface can be explained by a preponderance of comb-like polymers at the film surface. The mobility values of organic thin film transistors (OTFT) prepared with the blend film as an active layer are found to be similar to those with a pure conjugated semi-conducting polymer film. This result suggests a novel route for effectively reducing the amount of active semi-conducting polymer without significant deterioration of charge carrier mobility in an OTFT device. Since the LC alignment can be controlled on the surface of channel layer of OTFT by employing the polymer blend as the semi-conducting layer, the LC alignment and OTFT performance with the blend composition can be investigated simultaneously.

Keywords:polymer blend;comb-like polymer;surface property;liquid crystal alignment;organic thin film transistor

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[2] Sohn EH, Kim BG, Chung JS, Lee JC, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 343(1), 115 (2010)

[3] Sohn EH, Ahn J, Kim BG, Lee JC, Langmuir, 27(5), 1811 (2011)

[4] Sohn EH, Kim SH, Lee M, Lee JC, Song K, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 360(2), 623 (2011)

[5] Sohn EH, Kang H, Kim DG, Song K, Lee JC, Chem. Phys. Chem., 13, 2061 (2012)

[6] Sohn EH, Kim J, Kim BG, Kang JI, Chung JS, Ahn J, Yoon J, Lee JC, Colloids Surf. B: Biointerfaces, 77, 191 (2010)

[7] Sohn EH, Lee M, Song K, Macromol. Res., 21(2), 234 (2013)

[8] Qi L, Lin YQ, Wang FS, Solid State Ion., 109(1-2), 145 (1998)

[9] Hou WH, Chen CY, Wang CC, Huang YH, Electrochim. Acta, 48(6), 679 (2003)

[10] Hou WH, Chen CY, Wang CC, Polymer, 44(10), 2983 (2003)

[11] Baklar MA, Koch F, Kumar A, Domingo EB, Campoy-Quiles M, Feldman K, Yu LY, Wobkenberg P, Ball J, Wilson RM, McCulloch I, Kreouzis T, Heeney M, Anthopoulos T, Smith P, Stingelin N, Adv. Mater., 22(35), 3942 (2010)

[12] Qiu L, Xu Q, Chen M, Wang X, Wang X, Zhang G, J. Mater. Chem., 22, 18887 (2012)

[13] Klauk H, Zschieschang U, Pflaum J, Halik M, Nature, 445, 74 (2007)

[14] Yan H, Chen ZH, Zheng Y, Newman C, Quinn JR, Dotz F, Kastler M, Facchetti A, Nature, 457, 679 (2009)

[15] Tsao HN, Cho DM, Park I, Hansen MR, Mavrinskiy A, Yoon DY, Graf R, Pisula W, Spiess HW, Mullen K, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133(8), 2605 (2011)

[16] Singh M, Haverinen HM, Dhagat P, Jabbour GE, Adv. Mater., 22(6), 673 (2010)

[17] Chen JY, Kuo CC, Lai CS, Chen WC, Chen HL, Macromolecules, 44(8), 2883 (2011)

[18] Salleo A, Arias AC, Adv. Mater., 19(21), 3540 (2007)

[19] Seo J, Park S, Nam S, Kim H, Kim Y, Sci. Rep., 3, 2452 (2013)

[20] Kaelble DH, J. Adhes., 2, 66 (1970)

[21] Owens DK, Wendt RC, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 13, 1741 (1969)

[22] Sohn EH, Kim SH, Lee M, Song K, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 343, 115

[23] Lin RL, Rogers JA, Nano Lett., 7, 1613 (2007)

[24] Chen C, Bos PJ, Kim J, Li Q, Anderson JE, J. Appl. Phys., 99, 123523 (2006)