Ordered porous conjugated poly(p-phenylene)s films self-assembled through alcohol-controlled breath figure method

Abstract

Abstract Because of their wide applications, the polymer porous films with regular patterned structure have attracted more and more attention. Herein, the porous films created from the poly(p-phenylene)s/CHCl3 solutions have been self-assembled in an alcohol-water mixed vapor atmosphere. The results show that the patterns of the films depend on the polymer concentration and the ratio of alcohols to water. The introduction of a small amount of alcohols can improve the regular pore patterns of the porous films. Using the mixed water/methanol droplets as soft templates, the ordered porous films can be obtained from a high-concentration polymer solution. The low-concentration polymer solution and a high ratio of alcohol to water lead to form large pores in the films. The alcohol-controlled breath figure method is a facile way to design and fabricate ordered porous films based on a conjugated polymer.