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The structural anisotropy of various poly(alkylthiophene) films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, using both conventional methods and synchrotron radiation at grazing incidence. Solutioncast films orient with the side chains preferably normal to the film surface, whereas spin-cast films of nonstereoregular material orient with both the main and the side chains in the film plane. For thick (10-50 µm) solution-cast films, the degree of orientation depends strongly on the solvent used for casting, and on the stereoregularity of the polymer, films of stereoregular materials being more oriented than those of nonregular materials. The most oriented nonregular films are those cast from mixtures of chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. Thin (50-500 nm) solution-cast films are more oriented than the thicker ones, and the effects of different stereoregularity or different casting solvents are small. For spin-cast films, the degree of orientation is independent of substrate and solvent. Spin-cast films of stereoregular material have two different phases: One with the side chains normal to the substrate, and another where they are parallel to the substrate. The diffraction peaks of spin-cast poly(octylthiophene) narrow considerably upon heating.

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Various substituted poly(phenylthiophene)s have been studied by X-ray diffraction. They are semicrystalline, with very different degrees of crystallinity. Those with para-substituted phenyl groups have a low degree of crystallinity, whereas those with ortho-substituted phenyl groups are more crystalline. The most crystalline materials in this study have two equally long substituents on the phenyl ring, one at the ortho position and the other at the ortho or meta position on the opposite side of the phenyl ring. Poly(3-(2,5-dioctylphenyl)thiophene) (PDOPT) was most thoroughly studied, and a structural model is proposed. The structure of PDOPT is quite different from previously studied substituted polythiophenes in that the octyl side chains are directed normal to the thiophene planes. In this way, the conjugated polymer chains are kept separated from each other. Solution-cast and spin-cast PDOPT films are anisotropic, with the octyl side chains oriented normal to the film surface in both cases. This is contrary to the situation for poly(3-alkylthiophene)s, where solution-cast and spin-cast films orient in different ways.