Multitype Electronic Interactions in Precursor Solutions of Molecular Doped P3HT PolymerShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B, ISSN 1520-6106, E-ISSN 1520-5207, Vol. 128, no 13, p. 3249-3257Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Spin-casting of molecularly doped polymer solution mixtures is one of the commonly used methods to obtain conductive organic semiconductor films. In spin-casted films, electronic interaction between the dopant and polymer is one of the crucial factors that dictates the doping efficiency. Here, we investigate excitonic couplings using ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to examine the different types of electronic interactions in ion pairs of the prototype F4TCNQ-doped P3HT polymer system in a precursor solution mixture for spin-casting. Off-diagonal peaks in the 2D spectra clearly establish the excitonic coupling between P3HT+ and F4TCNQ– ions in solution. The observed excitonic coupling is the direct manifestation of a Coulombic interaction between the ion pair. The excited-state lifetime of F4TCNQ– in ion pairs shows biexponential decay at 30 and 200 fs, which hints toward the presence of a heterogeneous population with different interaction strengths. To examine the nature of these different types of interactions in solution mixtures, we study the system using molecular dynamics simulations on a fully solvated model employing the generalized Amber force field. We retrieve three dominant interaction modes of F4TCNQ anions with P3HT: side chain, π-stack, and slipped stack. To quantify these interactions, we complement our studies with electronic structure calculations, which reveal the excitonic coupling strengths of ∼ 75 cm–1 for side chain, ∼ 150 cm–1 for π–π-stack, and ∼69 cm–1 for slipped stack. These various interaction modes provide information about the key geometries of the seed structures in precursor solution mixtures, which may determine the final structures in spin-casted films. The insights gained from our study may guide new strategies to control and ultimately tune Coulomb interactions in polymer-dopant solutions.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Chemical Society (ACS) , 2024. Vol. 128, no 13, p. 3249-3257
National Category
Physical Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-367016DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00584ISI: 001189957500001PubMedID: 38507573Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85188422421OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-367016DiVA, id: diva2:1983955
Note
QC 20250714
2025-07-142025-07-142025-07-14Bibliographically approved