Issue 8, 2022

Edge-on lamellar crystallization of oligo(3-methoxythiophene) in polyester matrix films and a gold tone development thereof

Abstract

A recently developed anion-doped 3-methoxythiophene oligomer was demonstrated to form edge-on lamellar crystallites in its drop-cast films. These films exhibit a stable gold-like lustrous color owing to the specific optical properties of the lamellar crystallites. Based on this previous result, we wished to investigate whether edge-on lamellar crystallites are formed in the blend films of the oligomer and conventional transparent resins, and whether or not a gold tone gloss develops. Thus, we herein investigated blend films of the oligomer and polyester. The specular reflectance, chromaticity, X-ray diffraction patterns, and optical constants revealed that the thiophene oligomer formed edge-on lamellar crystallites even in the blend films, and a gold tone color was produced due to the large optical constants of the crystallites. More in-depth analyses showed that the thiophene oligomer was localized in the direction of the film thickness, particularly at the film surface and at the interface with the substrate. This unique distribution was responsible for the hue and electrical conductivity of the film. These results showed that edge-on lamellar crystallites, which are the structures responsible for the gold tone color, were formed even in the presence of foreign polymers. Moreover, paints and inks suitable for practical use were obtained, which provided films with a high scratch strength.

Graphical abstract: Edge-on lamellar crystallization of oligo(3-methoxythiophene) in polyester matrix films and a gold tone development thereof

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Oct 2021
Accepted
18 Feb 2022
First published
19 Feb 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Mater. Adv., 2022,3, 3428-3437

Edge-on lamellar crystallization of oligo(3-methoxythiophene) in polyester matrix films and a gold tone development thereof

R. Tamura, K. Miyamoto, S. Tsukada and K. Hoshino, Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 3428 DOI: 10.1039/D1MA00994J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements