Abstract
Functional polymers, such as semiconducting polymers and polyelectrolytes, play an essential role in polymeric devices due to their electronic properties. The performance of the devices depends on the properties of carriers within the molecules of functional polymers. Therefore, the carrier properties should be strongly influenced by the structures and physical properties of the films. In addition, an interfacial effect becomes more pronounced once the functional polymers are used in a thin-film state and integrated with other inorganic materials. How the chain packing and mobility affect the carrier properties in a thin film should be clarified to design more developed functional devises. In this focus review, the relationship among the aggregation states, the thermal molecular motion, and the carrier properties of the functional polymers and their interfacial effects are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
I thank Professor Keiji Tanaka of Kyushu University for his encouragement and consideration of this study. I also thank Prof. Norifumi L. Yamada at High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Dr. Taizo Kabe at Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (currently at the University of Tokyo), Dr. Taiki Hoshino at RIKEN (currently at Tohoku University), Prof. Motonori Watanabe and Prof. Tatsumi Ishihara at Kyushu University, Dr. Yudai Ogata, Dr. Tatsuki Abe, Mr. Shigeki Yonemori, Ms. Ayano Higasayama, and other staff and students in Tanaka laboratory at Kyushu University. This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI for Scientific Research (B) (No. JP20H02802) to DK from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan. GIWAXD measurements were carried out at BL03XU at SPring-8 constructed by the Consortium of the Advanced Softmaterial Beamline (FSBL) and at BL05XU, and at BL15 at SAGA Light Source. NR measurements were carried out at SOFIA at J-PARC.
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Kawaguchi, D. Aggregation states, thermal molecular motion and carrier properties in functional polymer thin films. Polym J 55, 1237–1245 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00820-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00820-6