Recent Advances in Optically Active Polymer‐Based Nanowires and Nanotubes

Abstract

to their wide range of tunable and potentially enhanced properties, as well as solution processing. Among the numerous conducting and semiconducting conjugated polymers processed into NWs and NTs and mentioned in this report, one can point out polythiophene (PT) and its derivatives, such as poly(3-metylthiophene) (P3MT), poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) andpoly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) (PEDOT), polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANi), polyphenylene-vinylene (PPV) andpoly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene](MEH-PPV), poly(9,9-dioctylfl uorene) (PFO), poly(9,9dioctylfluoreneco -benzothiadiazole) (F8BT), etc. Additionally, polymer nanocomposites, i.e. functional nanoparticles (NPs) inserted into a conjugated or notconjugated polymer matrix, are an exciting alternative to benefi t from the intrinsic properties of NPs and from the processability of polymers for 1D nanostructuring. Polymer nanocomposites have been processed into nanofi bers, for example by electrospinning and templating methods. Ultimately, optimal design with the juxtaposition of two or more materials in a 1D-like nanostructure is expected to promote improved properties, new behaviors, or to meet technological challenges. This is an emerging domain with very exciting perspectives.Although nanowires and nanotubes are the most common 1D-like morphologies, many others have been achieved with polymers, including nanofi bers, nanoribbons, nanorods, and nanosprings. The assembly and manipulation of such 1D building-blocks are still quite challenging due to their relative mechanical weakness because of their small diameter and very large aspect ratio. While in-solution methods are well developed for the assembly of nanostructures, the chemical stability of polymers in many commonly used liquids can also be a restraining factor.In the fi rst part of this review, the principles and recent developments of the main strategies used to synthesize polymeric 1D nanostructures are exposed. An emphasis is made on hardtemplating and electrospinning methods because structures with very high aspect ratios can be achieved, as are required for many photonic applications. In the second part, the various optical, optoelectronic, and photonic properties measured for these one-dimensional nanostructures are reviewed, including There is tremendous interest in one-dimensional nanostructures, since they permit enhanced properties as well as new paradigms for electronic, optical, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Besides inorganic systems, nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) containing an optically active polymer are now being intensively investigated. This article reviews recent developments in the various preparation methods and in the optically related properties of polymer-based NWs and NTs. The case of both conjugated polymers (CPs) and polymers containing photo-active species is described herein. The latest developments in synthesis methods allow the design of NWs and NTs with improved features or with more complex architect...

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“…Conjugated polymer nanowires from solution processing are particularly attractive due to their advantages in excellent performance and postprocessing free in organic thin‐film transistor (OTFT) and organic solar cell (OSC) . The built‐up process of nanowires in solution is generally considered to go through two steps: nucleation and growth .…”

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