A New Supramolecular Route for Using Rod-Coil Block Copolymers in Photovoltaic Applications

A new polymer blend formed by poly(3-hexylthiophene)-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P3HT-P4VP) block copolymers and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is reported. The P4VP and PCBM are mixed together by weak supramolecular interactions, and the resulting materials exhibit microphase separated morphologies of electron-donor and electron-acceptor rich domains. The properties of the blend, used in photovoltaic devices as active layers, are also discussed.