Size Impact of Ordered P3HT Nanofibers on Optical Anisotropy

• Poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) nanofibers are 1D crystalline structures with semiconductor properties. When P3HT nanofi bers are dispersed in nonconducting solvent, they react to external alternate electric field by aligning along the field lines. This can be used to create layers of ordered nanofi bers and is referred to as alternating current poling method. P3HT nanofi bers with three different size distributions are fabricated, using self-assembly mechanism in marginal solvents, and used for the alignment studies. Anisotropic absorption of oriented 2 mu m long nanofi bers exponentially increases with the magnitude of applied field to a certain asymptotic limit at 0.8 V mu m(-1), while 100-500 nm long nanofi bers respond to electric field negligibly. Effective optical birefringence of oriented 2 mu m long nanofi bers is calculated, based on the phase shift at 633 nm and the average layer thickness, to be 0.41. These results combined with further studies on real-time control over orientation of P3HT nanofi bers in liquid solution or host system are promising in terms of exploiting them in electroabsorptive and electrorefractive applications.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Polymerteknologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Polymer Technologies (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Pappers-, massa- och fiberteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Annan kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Other Chemistry Topics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

anisotropic optical materials

electro-optical materials

optical properties

polymers

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