Ordered conjugated polymer nano- and microstructures: Structure control for improved performance of organic electronics

Conjugated polymers (CPs), containing conjugated chains with pi-electrons delocalized along the polymer backbone, have numerous potential applications in solution processed organic electronics. The charge transport mechanism of CPs and anisotropic charge transport characteristics in organic electronics require the control of CP structures at intra-molecular, inter-molecular and inter-grain level. This review focuses on the technologies that grant the control of the structure and orientation of CP crystal structures, especially the approaches of using graphitic surfaces to guide the crystallization of CPs, and provides an insight into the impact of the orientation of CP nano- and microstructures on CP-based organic electronics such as field-effect-transistors and organic photovoltaics. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.