Correlating structure with fluorescence emission in phase-separated conjugated-polymer blends

Blends of conjugated polymers are frequently used as the active semiconducting layer in light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices. Here we report the use of scanning near-field optical microscopy, scanning force microscopy and nuclear-reaction analysis to study the structure of a thin film of a phase-separated blend of two conjugated polymers prepared by spin-casting. We show that in addition to the well-known micrometre-scale phase-separated morphology of the blend, one of the polymers preferentially wets the surface and forms a 10-nm-thick, partially crystallized wetting layer. Using near-field microscopy we identify unexpected changes in the fluorescence emission from the blend that occurs in a 300-nm-wide band located at the interface between the different phase-separated domains. Our measurements provide an insight into the complex structure of phase-separated conjugated-polymer thin films. Characterizing and controlling the properties of the interfaces in such films will be critical in the further development of efficient optoelectronic devices.