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PMMA as an effective protection layer against the oxidation of P3HT and MDMO-PPV by ozone

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Abstract

The protective effect of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) cover layers against the degradation of π-conjugated polymers by ozone and photo-oxidation, respectively, has been investigated by UV/Vis spectroscopy. The PMMA films were cast from solution at thicknesses between 20 and 100 nm on top of films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]. PMMA layers of more than 65 nm in thickness reduce the oxidation rate of the π-conjugated polymers under 15 ppm of ozone in the dark by more than three orders of magnitude, whereas photo-oxidation rates under dry and humid air remain unaffected. The PMMA cover layers are hardly affected by ambient ozone over thousands of hours. Calculations of ozone and oxygen fluxes through the PMMA films reveal that ozonation rates are limited by the diffusion of ozone, whereas photo-oxidation rates are not limited by the diffusion of oxygen, due to the much larger pressure gradient of the latter.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Dr. Alexandru Oprea for support with the gas flow and sensor equipment. We thank E. Nadler for performing the FE-SEM and EDX measurements. The Hitachi SU8030 FE-SEM was partially funded by the German Research Council (DFG) under contract number INST 37/829-1 FUGG. The Bavarian State Government is acknowledged for financial support of the “Solar Factory of the Future” as part of the Energy Campus Nuremberg (FKZ 20.2-3410.5-4-5).

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  1. Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Andreas Früh, Holger Hintz, Dustin Quinones, Heiko Peisert & Thomas Chassé

  2. Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, Solar Factory of the Future, 90429, Nuremberg, Germany

    Hans-Joachim Egelhaaf & Christoph J. Brabec

  3. iMEET, Friedrich Alexander-University, Erlangen, 91058, Germany

    Christoph J. Brabec

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  1. Andreas Früh
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  2. Hans-Joachim Egelhaaf
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Früh, A., Egelhaaf, HJ., Hintz, H. et al. PMMA as an effective protection layer against the oxidation of P3HT and MDMO-PPV by ozone. Journal of Materials Research 33, 1891–1901 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.74

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