Variations in the optical properties of poly-3-hexylthiophene/C-60 blends and poly-3-hexylthiophene/sol-gel composites

We report the synthesis and characterization of thin photoemissive films of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)/C-60 blends. UV-Vis spectra of the P3HT/C-60 blends, with various amounts of C-60 added during film formation, show significant blue shifts. This indicates that an intimate association forms between P3HT and C-60 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.