Surface-induced conformational changes in poly(3-hexylthiophene) monolayer films

With the aim of elucidating the surface-induced molecular ordering in regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) monolayer films, we have controlled the intermolecular interactions at the interface between P3HT and the insulator substrate by using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) functionalized with two kinds of groups (-NH2 and -CH3). We have found that, depending on the surface properties of such modified insulator substrates, the P3HT chains in the monolayer films can adopt two different conformations (edge-on and face-on). This surprising variation in chain conformation arises because of the specific interactions of the P3HT chains with the modified insulator substrates, which can be explained in terms of the following factors: the unshared electron pairs of the SAM end groups (in the -NH2 system), the pi-H interactions between the thienyl backbone bearing pi systems and the H (hydrogen) atoms of the SAM end groups, and interdigitation between the alkyl chains of P3HT and the alkyl chains of the SAMs (in the -NH2 system).