Electrical monitoring of photoisomerization of block copolymers intercalated into graphene sheets

Electrical monitoring of photoisomerization of block copolymers intercalated into graphene sheets

Insulating polymers have received little attention in electronic applications. Here, we synthesize a photoresponsive, amphiphilic block copolymer (PEO-b-PVBO) and further control the chain growth of the block segment (PVBO) to obtain different degrees of polymerization (DPs). The benzylidene oxazolo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2020-03, Vol.11 (1), p.1324-1324, Article 1324
Main Authors: Kim, Semin, Le, Thanh-Hai, Choi, Yunseok, Lee, Haney, Heo, Eunseo, Lee, Unhan, Kim, Saerona, Chae, Subin, Kim, Yoong Ahm, Yoon, Hyeonseok
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Block copolymers
Copolymers
Electrical properties
Electrochemical analysis
Electrochemistry
Fast Fourier transformations
Fourier analysis
Fourier transforms
Graphene
Molecular conformation
Monitoring
Oxazolone
Polymerization
Polymers
Sheets
Time dependence
Ultraviolet radiation
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Summary:Insulating polymers have received little attention in electronic applications. Here, we synthesize a photoresponsive, amphiphilic block copolymer (PEO-b-PVBO) and further control the chain growth of the block segment (PVBO) to obtain different degrees of polymerization (DPs). The benzylidene oxazolone moiety in PEO-b-PVBO facilitated chain-conformational changes due to photoisomerization under visible/ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. Intercalation of the photoresponsive but electrically insulating PEO-b-PVBO into graphene sheets enabled electrical monitoring of the conformational change of the block copolymer at the molecular level. The current change at the microampere level was proportional to the DP of PVBO, demonstrating that the PEO-b-PVBO-intercalated graphene nanohybrid (PGNH) can be used in UV sensors. Additionally, discrete signals at the nanoampere level were separated from the first derivative of the time-dependent current using the fast Fourier transform (FFT). Analysis of the harmonic frequencies using the FFT revealed that the PGNH afforded sawtooth-type current flow mediated by Coulomb blockade oscillation.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723