Assemblies of conjugated polymers: Intermolecular and intramolecular effects on the photophysical properties of conjugated polymers

Conjugated polymers are emerging materials for electronic applications due to the tunability of their properties through variation of their chemical structure. Their applications, which currently include light-emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), plastic lasers, batteries, and sensors, are expanding to many new areas. The two critical parameters that determine the function of conjugated polymer-based devices are chemical structure and nanostructure of a conjugated polymer in the solid state. While the physical properties of isolated polymers are primarily controlled by their chemical structure, these properties are drastically altered in the solid state due to electronic coupling between polymer chains as determined by their interpolymer packing and conformation. However, the development of effective and precise methods for controlling the nanostructure of polymers in the solid state has been limited because polymers often fail to assemble into organized structures due to their amorphous character and large molecular weight. In this review, recent developments of organizing methods of conjugated polymers and the conformation and interpolymer interaction effects on the photophysical properties of conjugated polymers are summarized.