The
development of processing methods to precisely control the solution
state properties of semiconducting polymers in situ have remained
elusive. Herein, a facile solution seed nucleation processing method
is presented in which nucleated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) solutions
are blended with well-solvated, non-nucleated counterparts as a means
to promote the formation of interconnected polymer networks. Nucleation
and growth of these networks was induced by preprocessing the solution
with UV irradiation and subsequent solution aging prior to deposition
via blade-coating. This process was adopted for both batch and continuous
flow processing. Superior charge carrier (hole) mobilities were observed
in samples with nucleated seeds compared to controls with 0% nucleated
P3HT and 100% nucleated P3HT. UV–vis spectral analysis identified
that an intermediate degree of solution aggregation (15–20%)
is most conducive to enhanced charge transport. The role of intrachain
and interchain ordering and alignment on the mesoscale and macroscale
is characterized via X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, and
optical microscopy techniques. The results presented here provide
a framework to enable in situ control of the nucleation and growth
process to achieve targeted solution state properties resulting in
reliable and reproducible performance when the solutions are used
for device fabrication.
In this paper, the incorporation and release of two types of drugs was carried out in microgels of hydroxypropylcellulose/polyacrylamide (HPC/PAAM) and hydroxyethylcellulose/polyacrylamide (HEC/PAAM). The two drugs were NSAIDs (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs)-one antipyretic and one analgesic-acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin, ASP) and iuprofen (IBU), respectively. First, the microgels were synthesized and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to identify the presence of functional groups for each polymer. The incorporation of the drug was made by swelling the microgels in a drug solution and finally carrying out the release of the substances listed at 37º C. The results were obtained by UV-visible spectroscopy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.