Π-Conjugated Materials
Polymer based on carbazole and fluorene have been investigated extensively for their interesting optical and electronic properties which have propelled these materials into the forefront of research in plastic electronics such as transistors, light emitting diodes, solar cells and electrochromic displays. Recently carbazole and fluorene based materials have experienced a second wave of applications in sensing, gas separation and storage. The resurgence in the popularity of these materials has arisen from recent progress into the preparation of heterofluorenes (or dibenzometalloles), and the popularity of carbazole and fluorene as structural components in shape-persistent molecules which gives rise to novel properties that are unique to specific molecular- assemblies rather than the solvated molecules themselves. In the Veinot group we are preparing novel heterofluorenes for solar cell applications, and shape persistent carbazole macrocycles that self-assemble into soft carbon nanostructures.
Scheme 1
SEM images of spin cast solid nanospheres of tetramer R=H prepared in water/acetone mixtures, Where a) Xaq= 0.0, b) Xaq= 0.3, a) Xaq= 0.5, a) Xaq= 0.7.