Electrical monitoring of photoisomerization of block copolymers intercalated into graphene sheets

Semin Kim, Thanh-Hai Le, Yunseok Choi, Haney Lee, Eunseo Heo, Unhan Lee, Saerona Kim, Subin Chae, Yoong Ahm Kim and Hyeonseok Yoon ()
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Semin Kim: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Thanh-Hai Le: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Yunseok Choi: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Haney Lee: Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute & School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University
Eunseo Heo: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Unhan Lee: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Saerona Kim: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Subin Chae: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Yoong Ahm Kim: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University
Hyeonseok Yoon: Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15132-z

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