One and Two-Dimensional Semiconducting Nanostructures Self-Assembly of Conjugated Oligomers

The properties of organic electronic materials in the solid-state are determined not only by those of individual molecules but also by those of ensembles of molecules. The ability to control the architectures of these ensembles is thus essential for optimising the properties of conjugated materials for use in electronic devices (light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, solar cells,…) and is primordial for potential technological applications in nanoelectronics. Here, we report on the observation by atomic force microscopy (AFM) of 1D and 2D nanoscale architectures obtained in the solid-state from solutions of molecularly-dissolved conjugated block copolymers or oligomers, and demonstrate that the conjugated molecules can organize onto a surface over lengthscales from nanometers to several microns, forming semiconducting fibrils by π-stacking processes.