Adv Polym Sci (2014) 265: 83–106
DOI: 10.1007/12_2014_280
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Published online: 9 July 2014
Understanding the Structure
and Crystallization of Regioregular Poly
(3-hexylthiophene) from the Perspective
of Epitaxy
Martin Brinkmann, Lucia Hartmann, Navaphun Kayunkid,
and David Djurado
Abstract Conjugated polymers form a remarkable class of macromolecules with
fascinating electronic properties as well as structural features that make them very
different from the more classical and flexible polyolefins. In thin films, the structure
and the nanomorphology are two important parameters that control solid state
properties such as charge transport. Due to the high anisotropy of electronic
properties in conjugated polymers, it is essential to control both crystallization
and domain orientation over large length scales. This review demonstrates that
epitaxial growth is an original method for bringing macromolecules like
regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) to a high level of order. Various
orientation methods based on epitaxy are presented and the peculiar morphological
and structural aspects of oriented P3HT, as analyzed by transmission electron
microscopy (TEM), are described. The use of TEM on epitaxied layers is shown
to shed some new light on the intriguing crystallization, structure, and growth of
this key polymer for organic electronic applications.
M. Brinkmann (*) and N. Kayunkid
Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS-Universite ´ de Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67034 Strasbourg,
France
e-mail: martin.brinkmann@ics-cnrs.unistra.fr
L. Hartmann
Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS-Universite ´ de Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67034 Strasbourg,
France
UMR SPrAM 5819 (CEA-CNRS-UJF) and SP2M, CEA Grenoble/INAC, 38054 Grenoble
Cedex, France
D. Djurado
UMR SPrAM 5819 (CEA-CNRS-UJF) and SP2M, CEA Grenoble/INAC, 38054 Grenoble
Cedex, France
DOI: 10.1007/12_2014_280
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Published online: 9 July 2014
Understanding the Structure
and Crystallization of Regioregular Poly
(3-hexylthiophene) from the Perspective
of Epitaxy
Martin Brinkmann, Lucia Hartmann, Navaphun Kayunkid,
and David Djurado
Abstract Conjugated polymers form a remarkable class of macromolecules with
fascinating electronic properties as well as structural features that make them very
different from the more classical and flexible polyolefins. In thin films, the structure
and the nanomorphology are two important parameters that control solid state
properties such as charge transport. Due to the high anisotropy of electronic
properties in conjugated polymers, it is essential to control both crystallization
and domain orientation over large length scales. This review demonstrates that
epitaxial growth is an original method for bringing macromolecules like
regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) to a high level of order. Various
orientation methods based on epitaxy are presented and the peculiar morphological
and structural aspects of oriented P3HT, as analyzed by transmission electron
microscopy (TEM), are described. The use of TEM on epitaxied layers is shown
to shed some new light on the intriguing crystallization, structure, and growth of
this key polymer for organic electronic applications.
M. Brinkmann (*) and N. Kayunkid
Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS-Universite ´ de Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67034 Strasbourg,
France
e-mail: martin.brinkmann@ics-cnrs.unistra.fr
L. Hartmann
Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS-Universite ´ de Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67034 Strasbourg,
France
UMR SPrAM 5819 (CEA-CNRS-UJF) and SP2M, CEA Grenoble/INAC, 38054 Grenoble
Cedex, France
D. Djurado
UMR SPrAM 5819 (CEA-CNRS-UJF) and SP2M, CEA Grenoble/INAC, 38054 Grenoble
Cedex, France