Structure property relationships for exciton transfer in conjugated polymers

Abstract

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are useful materials that combine the optoelectronic properties of semiconductors with the mechanical properties and processing advantages of plastics. In general, CPs in their neutral state are wide band-gap semiconductors with direct band gaps [1]. Many CPs have an extremely large absorption cross section (σ ≈ 10-15 cm 2) because the π → π*transition is allowed and the quasi one-dimensional electronic wavefunctions have a high density of states at the band edge [2]. Additionally, a CP can exhibit strong luminescence depending on the system. The luminescence efficiency is primarily related to the delocalization and polarization of the electronic structure of the CP [1]. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.