Miscibility of polythiophene-graft-poly (methyl methacrylate) brushes with poly (vinylidene fluoride): morphology, optical and conductivity properties

Abstract

Polythiophene-graft-poly(methyl methacrylate) brushes are synthesized by ATRP. They form miscible blends with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) due to specific interactions between the >C=O groups of PT-g-PMMA with the >CF₂ groups of PVDF. PT-g-PMMA remains in the interlamellar, interfibrillar and interspherulitic regions of the PVDF crystals at both laterally and longitudinally aggregated states. In the blends both PVDF and PT-g-PMMA brushes have nanometer sizes, producing nanostructured polymer blends. The PL intensity can be tuned by varying the PT-g-PMMA concentration, and the blend exhibits good dc conductivity with a percolation threshold at 10 wt.-% PT-g-PMMA. Conductivity data indicate a conformational transition of PT-g-PMMA chains with increasing temperature.