(112c) Multiscale Analysis and Determination of Structure-Property Relationships in Organogels of Conjugated Polymers

Conjugated polymers, such as polythiophenes, are known to form fibrilar structures when solvent quality is reduced. At high concentrations, solutions of conjugated polymers will also self-assemble and form elastic networks of interconnected fibers (organogels). This talk will describe a systematic evaluation of the structure of these networks covering a wide range of length scales (0.1 ? 10,000 nm) using non-invasive scattering techniques (SAXS and SANS). The complementary characterization of mechanical (rheology), optical and electronic properties of the organogels allows us to also formulate structure-property relationships for this new class of materials. The talk will also discuss the implications of our findings in the context of the design of novel organic electronic and photovoltaic technologies.