Dopant Distributions in Conjugated Polymers from Resonant X-Ray Scattering

Project Description

Conjugated polymers are complex materials that pair the pliability and processability of plastics with the ability conduct both electricity and ions, making them adept for applications including batteries and organic electronics. Their structure contains crystalline domains with high electronic mobility pathways, and amorphous domains, considered ion-conductive. The doping process introduces dopant ions that charge-compensate electronic charge carriers, making the distribution of these dopants a pivotal question. To address this, we leverage the advanced capabilities of BioPACIFIC MIP. Our integrated approach pairs comprehensive characterization techniques with first-principles modeling to decode resonant scattering, a method sensitive to structure, chemistry, and orientation. We leverage this approach to demonstrate a comprehensive workflow to address the long-standing question of dopant distributions.

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