Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated heterofluorene-containing donor-acceptor systems.

A series of oligothiophene-perfluoro-9-heterofluorene donor-acceptor (DA) compounds was synthesized via a combination of nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S(N)Ar(F)) and palladium coupling reactions. These compounds are of interest as possible building blocks for materials with useful electron transport properties, since they possess relatively low LUMO energy levels of -3.3 to -3.

Synthesis and characterization of 2,7-bis(pentafluorophenylethynyl)hexafluoroheterofluorenes: new materials with high electron affinities.

The synthesis, optical, electrochemical and physical characterization of 2,7-bis(pentafluorophenylethynyl)hexafluoroheterofluorenes is described along with a preliminary evaluation of their performance in photovoltaic applications.

Hierarchical nanostructure control in rod-coil block copolymers with magnetic fields.

Magnetic field alignment of rod-coil block copolymers is shown to proceed through coupling to the diamagnetic moment of individual rod blocks. Block copolymer self-assembly then leads to alignment of the interfaces perpendicular to the field lines and long range order on a 10 nm lengthscale. This is in contrast to previously demonstrated alignment techniques, which couple to the block copolymer interfaces rather than individual molecules.