Enhancement of gas sensing performance and mechanical properties by controlling the molecular weight of polythiophene
발표자
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초록
내용
The molecular weight of polymer has a significant impact on chain entanglement, molecular packing structure, and the charge carrier transport in thin-film. Low molecular weight polymers experience deteriorated charge carrier transport even in highly ordered films due to defects like chain ends. In contrast, high molecular weight enhances charge carrier mobility by reducing free volume. These study showed that electrical and mechanical characteristics are strongly influenced by free volume and molecular order, which are dependent on molecular weight. This research explored the gas-detection capabilities of different gases (NO2, SO2, and CO2) and the mechanical properties fabricated from poly(3-hexylthiophene) with varying molecular weight and molecular order. We found that in amorphous films, decreasing molecular weight led to significant improvements in gas sensor performance and flexibility due to increased free volume, while the opposite trend was observed in crystalline films.