Semiconducting Properties of the Hybrid Film of Elastic Poly(styrene-<i>b</i>-butadiene-<i>b</i>-styrene) Block Copolymer and Semiconducting Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanofibers

• Main Authors: Takanori Goto, Jun Morita, Yuya Maekawa, Shinji Kanehashi, Takeshi Shimomura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: conducting polymer; composite; nanofiber
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/9/2118

We investigated the electrical properties of a composite film loaded with semi-conductive poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibers dispersed in poly(styrene-<i>b</i>-butadiene-<i>b</i>-styrene) (SBS). This structure can be regarded as the hybrid of SBS matrix with elastic mechanical properties and P3HT nanofibers with semiconducting properties. The P3HT nanofibers were embedded in the fingerprint pattern of microphase-separated SBS, as observed by scanning force microscopy. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity and field-effect mobility of the composite films were evaluated. The field-effect mobility was estimated to be 6.96 × 10⁻³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, which is consistent with the results of previous studies on P3HT nanofibers dispersed in an amorphous polymer matrix including poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene, and we found that the P3HT nanofiber network was connected in the SBS bulk matrix. The film was stretchable; however, at elongation by two times, the nanofiber network could not follow the elongation of the SBS matrix, and the conductivity decreased drastically. The field-effect transistor of this film was operated by bending deformation with a radius of curvature of 1.75 cm, though we could not obtain an off-state and the device operated in a normally-on state.