A new schematic for poly(3-alkylthiophene) in an amorphous film studied using a novel structural index in infrared spectroscopy.

The molecular structure of poly(3-alkylthiophene-2,5-diyl) in an amorphous film reveals that the short axis of the thiophene ring is kept highly oriented parallel to the substrate, whereas the long axis along the polymer chain is largely disordered. This is unveiled by infrared p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution spectroscopy (pMAIRS), achieved by analyzing the orientation angles of three mutually orthogonal vibrational modes localized on the thiophene ring with the aid of a newly developed structural index. This new analytical technique is useful irrespective of the crystallinity of the thin film. As a result, the intrinsic chemical parameters controlling the molecular orientation are understood in a unified manner, and the reason that the hexyl group gives the best results for a photovoltaic cell is also revealed.