Optoelectronic Properties of Self-Assembled Nanostructures of Polymer Functionalized Polythiophene and Graphene

Abstract

In this Feature Article, we discuss the variation of optoelectronic properties with the aggregation style of polythiophene (PT) graft copolymers and polymer-modified graphene systems. Grafting of flexible polymers on a PT chain exhibits several self-organized patterns under various conditions, causing different optical and electronic properties, arising from the different conformational states of the conjugated chain. Graphene, a zero band gap material, is functionalized with polymers both covalently and noncovalently to create a finite band gap importing new optoelectronic properties. The polymer-triggered self-assembled nanostructures of PT and graphene-based materials bring unique optical/electronic properties suitable for sensing toxic ions, nitroaromatics, and surfactants, for drug delivery, and also for fabricating molecular logic gates, electronic rectifiers, photocurrent devices, etc.