Polystyrene-based polymers that feature pendant Ru(II) polypyridine chromophores have been prepared by using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization combined with the azide–alkyne click reaction. RAFT polymerization was effected using 4-chloromethylstyrene to afford functional polymers with M n values of 3300 and 8600 g/mol with low polydispersity. Reaction of the resulting poly(4-chloromethylstyrene)s with azide ion afforded the corresponding poly(4-azidomethylstyrene)s, which were further reacted in an azide–alkyne click reaction with (5-ethynyl-1,10-phenanthroline)-bis(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) to afford the chromophore loaded polymers. The reactions were followed by using nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, and the results suggest that the click reactions lead to nearly quantitative functionalization of the azidomethyl functional polymers. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the Ru functional polymers were characterized in solution. Emission quantum yield and lifetime studies reveal that the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state is quenched in the polymers relative to a model Ru complex chromophore. This finding indicates that the thiol end-group on the polymers that arises from the thiocarbonylthio RAFT chain transfer agent is able to quench the MLCT state, presumably by a charge transfer mechanism. Stern–Volmer quenching studies show that the polymers are quenched with very high efficiency by negatively charged ions compared to model systems, revealing amplified quenching takes place.

We demonstrate the use of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), and its pyrene-containing copolymer, as solution-processable work function reducers for inverted organic electronic devices. A notable feature of PSBMA is its orthogonal solubility relative to solvents typically employed in the processing of organic semiconductors. A strong permanent dipole moment on the sulfobetaine moiety was calculated by density functional theory. PSBMA interlayers reduced the work function of metals, graphene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) by over 1 eV, and an ultrathin interlayer of PSBMA reduced the electron injection barrier between indium tin oxide (ITO) and C70 by 0.67 eV. As a result, the performance of organic photovoltaic devices with PSBMA interlayers is significantly improved, and enhanced electron injection is demonstrated in electron-only devices with ITO, PEDOT:PSS, and graphene electrodes. This work makes available a new class of dipole-rich, counterion-free, pH insensitive polymer interlayers with demonstrated effectiveness in inverted devices.

The most efficient architecture for achieving high donor/acceptor interfacial area in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) would employ arrays of vertically interdigitated p- and n- type semiconductor nanopillars (NPs). Such morphology could have an advantage in bulk heterojunction systems; however, precise control of the dimension morphology in a crystalline, interpenetrating architecture has not yet been realized. Here we present a simple, yet facile, crystallization technique for the growth of vertically oriented NPs utilizing a modified thermal evaporation technique that hinges on a fast deposition rate, short substrate-source distance, and ballistic mass transport. A broad range of organic semiconductor materials is beneficial from the technique to generate NP geometries. Moreover, this technique can also be generalized to various substrates, namely, graphene, PEDOT-PSS, ZnO, CuI, MoO3, and MoS2. The advantage of the NP architecture over the conventional thin film counterpart is demonstrated with an increase of power conversion efficiency of 32% in photovoltaics. This technique will advance the knowledge of organic semiconductor crystallization and create opportunities for the fabrication and processing of NPs for applications that include solar cells, charge storage devices, sensors, and vertical transistors.

This Letter describes the synthesis and photophysical characterization of a Ru(II) assembly consisting of metal polypyridyl complexes linked together by a polyfluorene scaffold. Unlike many scaffolds incorporating saturated linkages, the conjugated polymer in this system acts as a functional light-harvesting component. Conformational disorder breaks the conjugation in the polymer backbone, resulting in a chain composed of many chromophore units, whose relative energies depend on the segment lengths. Photoexcitation of the polyfluorene by a femtosecond laser pulse results in the excitation of polyfluorene, which then undergoes direct energy transfer to the pendant Ru(II) complexes, producing Ru(II)* excited states within 500 fs after photoexcitation. Femtosecond transient absorption data show the presence of electron transfer from PF* to Ru(II) to form charge-separated (CS) products within 1-2 ps. The decay of the oxidized and reduced products, PF(+•) and Ru(I), through back electron transfer are followed using picosecond transient absorption methods.

We report the synthesis of novel azulene-substituted methacrylate polymers by free radical polymerization, in which the azulene moieties represent hydrophobic dipoles strung pendant to the polymer backbone and impart unique electronic properties to the polymers. Tunable optoelectronic properties were realized by adjusting the azulene density, ranging from homopolymers (having one azulene group per repeat unit) to copolymers in which the azulene density was diluted with other pendant groups. Treating these polymers with organic acids revealed optical and excitonic behavior that depended critically on the azulene density along the polymer chain. Copolymers of azulene with zwitterionic methacrylates proved useful as cathode modification layers in bulk-heterojunction solar cells, where the relative azulene content affected the device metrics and the power conversion efficiency reached 7.9%.