Thin Films Bearing Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles Fabricated by Microliter-Scale Layer-by-Layer Deposition

A conjugated polymer, poly(9,9-bis(6-bromohexyl)-9H-fluorene-alt-1,4-phenylene), is synthesized, converted to nanoparticles via a nanoprecipitation process, and utilized to fabricate thin films including conjugated polymer nanoparticles. The nanoparticles with surface bromides can be conjugated with an amine-functionalized dendrimer via a nucleophilic coupling reaction. Thus, when microliter solutions of the particulates are dragged at a constant velocity on substrates alternately in a layer-by-layer manner, thin films composed of the nanoparticles and dendrimers can be successfully built up on the substrates. Our results suggest a methodology to control the deposition of thin films bearing conjugated polymer nanoparticles while minimizing processing time and decreasing material consumption. By meniscus-dragging deposition in a layer-by-layer manner, conjugated polymer nanoparticles with surface bromides are conjugated with amine-functionalized dendrimers to build up nanocomposite thin films.