Lahann, Joerg | Search NASA

DOE OSTI2018

Templated nanofiber synthesis via chemical vapor polymerization into liquid crystalline films

Extrusion, electrospinning, and microdrawing are widely used to create fibrous polymer mats, but these approaches offer limited access to oriented arrays of nanometer-scale fibers with controlled size, shape, and lateral organization. We show that chemical vapor polymerization can be performed on surfaces coated with thin films of liquid crystals to synthesize organized assemblies of end-attached polymer nanofibers. The process uses low concentrations of radical monomers formed initially in the vapor phase and then diffused into the liquid-crystal template. This minimizes monomer-induced changes to the liquid-crystal phase and enables access to nanofiber arrays with complex yet precisely defined structures and compositions. Finally, the nanofiber arrays permit tailoring of a wide range of functional properties, including adhesion that depends on nanofiber chirality.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2018

Work Function Modification via Combined Charge-Based Through-Space Interaction and Surface Interaction

Work function modification of electrodes is an important factor to achieve high performance in organic electronics. However, a clear explanation of the origin of work function modification has remained elusive. Here, it is investigated how the work function of electrodes is affected by the charge-based through-space interaction with the well-known surface interaction. The studies reveal that the formation of a surface dipole leads to a work function shift, even when the work function modifying layer and substrate are separated. A work function shift is also demonstrated by electrophoretic deposition of ionic polyelectrolytes while the same polyelectrolytes do not cause any work function shift when they are spin cast. More noteworthy is that a neutral (nonionic) polymer which has no specific surface-interacting functional groups can induce work function shift of its substrate by a charge-based through-space interaction when deposited by electrospraying. These results provide a more comprehensive understanding of work function modification and motivate the design and selection of a wide range of effective work function modifying layers for organic electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗