Water Processable Polythiophene Nanowires by Photo-Cross-Linking and Click-Functionalization

Replacing or minimizing the use of halogenated organic solvents in the processing and manufacturing of conjugated polymer-based organic electronics has emerged as an important issue due to concerns regarding toxicity, environmental impact, and high cost. To date, however, the processing of well-ordered conjugated polymer nanostructures has been difficult to achieve using environmentally benign solvents. In this work, we report the development of water and alcohol processable nanowires (NWs) with well-defined crystalline nanostructure based on the solution assembly of azide functionalized poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT-azide) and subsequent photo-cross-linking and functionalization of these NWs. The solution-assembled P3HT-azide NWs were successfully cross-linked by exposure to UV light, yielding good thermal and chemical stability. Residual azide units on the photo-cross-linked NWs were then functionalized with alkyne terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG-alkyne) using copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition chemistry. PEG functionalization of the cross-linked P3HT-azide NWs allowed for stable dispersion in alcohols and water, while maintaining well-ordered NW structures with electronic properties suitable for the fabrication of organic field effect transistors (OFETs).