Rapid Meniscus-Assisted Solution-Printing of Conjugated Block Copolymers for Field-Effect Transistors

The ability to rapidly and precisely position semiconducting pi-conjugated polymers over a large area is necessary for various device-related applications. However, the investigation into conjugated block copolymer-based patterned materials and devices is somewhat limited. Herein, a robust meniscus-assisted solution printing (MASP) route to highly ordered stripe arrays of conjugated poly(3-butylthiophene)-block-poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (P3BT-b-P3DDT) is reported, and different periodic stripes are correlated to their charge mobilities. The MASP renders the confined evaporation of P3BT-b-P3DDT solution between two nearly parallel plates and deposition into periodic stripes owing to the coffee-ring effect. Remarkably, two types of stripe arrays, namely, large-size stripe arrays and hierarchical arrays comprising small secondary stripes located between neighboring large-size primary stripes are yielded, where their dimension and period can be delicately tailored. Finally, a distinct correlation between various stripe arrays of P3BT-b-P3DDT and the corresponding charge mobility is revealed. Conceptually, such convenient production of P3BT-b-P3DDT stripe arrays via MASP can be readily extended to other pi-conjugated polymers and diversity of nanomaterials for potential applications in optoelectronic devices.