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Characterization of chain alignment at buried interfaces using Mueller matrix spectroscopy

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Abstract

The stiffness of conjugated polymers should lead to chain alignment near buried interfaces, even if the polymer film is nominally amorphous. Although simulations predict that this alignment layer is approximately 1.5 times the persistence length, chain alignment at buried interfaces of amorphous polymers has not been experimentally measured. Using Mueller matrix spectroscopy, the optical response of regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) was modeled in order to extract the aligned layer thickness. By approximating the optical properties of the aligned layer as that of regioregular P3HT, the data can be effectively modeled. When the film is thicker than 150 nm, optical properties are best described with a 4-nm aligned layer, which is quantitatively consistent with previous predictions.

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Acknowledgments

Funding from the National Science Foundation through Award DMREF-1629006 and DMREF-1921854 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Prof. Tom Jackson for use of a spectroscopic ellipsometer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Bryan H. Smith, Renxuan Xie & Enrique D. Gomez

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA

    Dipendra Adhikari & Nikolas J. Podraza

  3. Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA

    Dipendra Adhikari & Nikolas J. Podraza

  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Wonho Lee

  5. Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Enrique D. Gomez

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Correspondence to Enrique D. Gomez.

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Smith, B.H., Xie, R., Lee, W. et al. Characterization of chain alignment at buried interfaces using Mueller matrix spectroscopy. MRS Communications 10, 292–297 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2020.19

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