1304
(Invited) Semiconducting Polymer-Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Hybrid Nanocomposites

Wednesday, 4 October 2017: 11:50
Chesapeake E (Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center)
D. Lee (North Carolina State University), G. Park (Gachon University), H. J. Shin (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology), and W. J. Kim (Gachon University)
Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) show promise as core materials for next-generation solar cells and nanoelectronic devices. However, most commercial SWNT production methods generate mixtures of metallic SWNTs (m-SWNTs) and semiconducting SWNT (sc-SWNTs). Therefore, sc-SWNTs must be separated from their original mixtures before use. In this study, we investigated a polymer-based, noncovalent sc-SWNT separation approach, which is simple to perform and does not disrupt the electrical properties of the SWNTs, thus improving the performance of the corresponding sc-SWNT-based applications. By systematically investigating the effect that different structural features of the semiconductor polymers have on the separation of sc-SWNTs, we discovered that the length and configuration of the alkyl side chains and the rigidity of the backbone structure exert significant effects on the efficiency of sc-SWNT separation. We also found that electron transfer between the semiconducting polymers and sc-SWNTs is strongly affected by their energy-level alignment, which can be tailored by controlling the donor-acceptor configuration in the polymer backbone structures. Among the polymers investigated, the highly planar P8T2Z-C12 semiconducting polymer showed the best sc-SWNT separation efficiency and unprecedentedly strong electronic interaction with the sc-SWNTs, which is important for improving their performance in applications.