Nanocylinders pave way for polymer electronics

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and their American collaborators have combined the advantageous properties of classical polymers with those of crystals by synthesising clusters of fluorine-containing dendritic polymers.

They achieved their results by attaching single electron donor or electron acceptor groups to the end of the dendrons of the polymers, resulting in the formation of wedge-shaped building blocks, which then organised themselves into tiny supramolecular cylinders.

The donor-acceptor complexes in the centre of these molecules display promising optoelectronic properties, while the fluorinated periphery of the molecules protects the inner core from external influences, ie, humidity, similar to a Teflon-coating.

Using such techniques, researchers will now be able to synthesise supramolecular liquid crystals from different organic materials through this self-organisation process.