Science Daily June 9, 2023
Researchers in South Korea investigated the effects of an azide photocrosslinker’s molecular length and structure on the microstructural, electrical features, and stretchability of photocrosslinked conjugated polymer films. For a systematic comparison, they synthesized a series of nitrene-induced photocrosslinkers (n-NIPSs) with different numbers of ethylene glycol repeating units (n = 1, 4, 8, 13) that bridge two tetrafluoro-aryl azide end groups. Two semicrystalline conjugated polymers and two nearly amorphous conjugated polymers were co-processed with n-NIPSs and crosslinked by brief exposure to UV light. They found that among the synthesized n-NIPSs, the shortest one (1-NIPS) is the most efficient in improving the stretchability of crosslinked indacenodithiophene-benzothiadiazole films and the improvement was achieved only with nearly amorphous polymers, not with semicrystalline conjugated polymers. According to the researchers the crosslinking density in amorphous regions is important in improving thin film stretchability… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Length-Modulated Azide Photocrosslinker. Credit: Advanced Functional Materials, Volume 33, Issue 23 2370142, June 2, 2023Â