Structure and Morphology Control in Thin Films of Regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene)

This review focuses on the structural control in thin films of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a workhorse among conjugated semiconducting polymers. It highlights the correlation existing between processing conditions and the resulting structures formed in thin films and in solution. Particular emphasis is put on the control of nucleation, crystallinity and orientation. P3HT can generate a large palette of morphologies in thin films including crystalline nanofibrils, spherulites, interconnected semicrystalline morphologies and nanostructured fibers, depending on the elaboration method and on the macromolecular parameters of the polymer. Effective means developed in the recent literature to control orientation of crystalline domains in thin films, especially by using epitaxial crystallization and controlled nucleation conditions are emphasized. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1218-1233, 2011