Variations in the optical properties of poly-3-hexylthiophene/C60 blends and poly-3-hexylthiophene/sol-gel composites

We report the synthesis and characterization of thin photoemissive films of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)/C60 blends. UV-Vis spectra of the P3HT/C60 blends, with various amounts of C60 added during film formation, show significant blue shifts. This indicates that an intimate association forms between P3HT and C60 which alters polymer chain conformation through intimate complexation. Additionally, we have prepared a new type of luminescent glass by a sol-gel technique. This method incorporates P3HT into the final composite matrix as a semi-penetrating polymer network within the silica glass. This procedure yields glasses with novel stimulated photoluminescent properties. By slightly varying the synthetic conditions of composite gel fabricaton, these P3HT/sol-gel glasses can be made to emit light from blue to red, so as to cover emitted light in the whole visible spectrum.