ABSTRACT
Block copolymers have fascinated polymer scientists due to their potential in the development of commercially viable materials with controlled physical properties resulting from their ability to self-assemble into periodic structures with domain spacings on the order of exciton diffusion. There are three main strategies used for the synthesis of fully conjugated block copolymers. They are polymerization of AB-type heterobifunctional monomers in the presence of a polymeric end-capper, polymerization of AA- and BB-type bifunctional monomers in the presence of a polymeric end-capper, and combining orthogonally end-functionalized polymers. The unique self-assembly properties of many fully conjugated block copolymers make the unique class of material particularly interesting for organic photovoltaics device applications, either as the active layer component or as compatibilizers to help stabilize the blend. For a comprehensive overview of block copolymers for this application, readers are encouraged to refer to a recently published review by Jones and coworkers.
