Organic semiconductors functionalized nanostructures are becoming as promising materials for electronic device applications including organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have also been known as one of the best n-type organic semiconductors. PDI derivatives can form bulk materials, which are both photochemically and thermally stable and have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices. Due to the formation of high electron mobility of crystalline domains, they prefer to incorporate into a silsesquioxane network. Here, we describe the potential applicability of perylenediimide functionalized silsesquioxane nanoribbons (PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons) as an acceptor for optoelectronic devices. We have developed synthetic procedures to make the PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons by the substitution reaction and the modified Stöber method. The PDI-dimethylethoxy silane precursor was produced in high yield by substituting 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane on perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylicdianhydride as side chains. The optically active PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons were then formed upon hydrolysis with the certain concentration of ammonium hydroxide as a base. These nanoribbons were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, and polarized optical microscopy. The photophysical properties in solution phase were also studied. The synthesis procedure developed here will have a great promise in large-scale manufacturing. Different shapes of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanochains, and nanoparticles, were discovered while varying the base concentrations. Also the morphologies of these PDI nanostructures were studied using TEM. Future studies will focus on optimizing procedures of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures and exploring new derivatives like perylenediimide dimer functionalized silsesquioxane polymers.
","abstract_html":"<p>Organic semiconductors functionalized nanostructures are becoming as promising materials for electronic device applications including organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have also been known as one of the best n-type organic semiconductors. PDI derivatives can form bulk materials, which are both photochemically and thermally stable and have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices. Due to the formation of high electron mobility of crystalline domains, they prefer to incorporate into a silsesquioxane network. Here, we describe the potential applicability of perylenediimide functionalized silsesquioxane nanoribbons (PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons) as an acceptor for optoelectronic devices. We have developed synthetic procedures to make the PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons by the substitution reaction and the modified Stöber method. The PDI-dimethylethoxy silane precursor was produced in high yield by substituting 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane on perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylicdianhydride as side chains. The optically active PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons were then formed upon hydrolysis with the certain concentration of ammonium hydroxide as a base. These nanoribbons were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, and polarized optical microscopy. The photophysical properties in solution phase were also studied. The synthesis procedure developed here will have a great promise in large-scale manufacturing. Different shapes of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanochains, and nanoparticles, were discovered while varying the base concentrations. Also the morphologies of these PDI nanostructures were studied using TEM. Future studies will focus on optimizing procedures of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures and exploring new derivatives like perylenediimide dimer functionalized silsesquioxane polymers.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Xu, Lan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Department of Chemistry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Hemali Rathnayake (Director), Chad Snyder, Bangbo Yan"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:39Z","subjects":["Morphology","Polymerization","Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)","Organic-Based Photovoltaics (OPVs)","Organic Chemistry","Environmental Chemistry","Analytical Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1371","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Hemali Rathnayake (Director), Chad Snyder, Bangbo Yan"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Xu, Lan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Chemistry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Morphology","Polymerization","Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)","Organic-Based Photovoltaics (OPVs)","Organic Chemistry","Environmental Chemistry","Analytical Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1371"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Organic semiconductors functionalized nanostructures are becoming as promising materials for electronic device applications including organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have also been known as one of the best n-type organic semiconductors. PDI derivatives can form bulk materials, which are both photochemically and thermally stable and have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices. Due to the formation of high electron mobility of crystalline domains, they prefer to incorporate into a silsesquioxane network. Here, we describe the potential applicability of perylenediimide functionalized silsesquioxane nanoribbons (PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons) as an acceptor for optoelectronic devices. We have developed synthetic procedures to make the PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons by the substitution reaction and the modified Stöber method. The PDI-dimethylethoxy silane precursor was produced in high yield by substituting 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane on perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylicdianhydride as side chains. The optically active PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons were then formed upon hydrolysis with the certain concentration of ammonium hydroxide as a base. These nanoribbons were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, and polarized optical microscopy. The photophysical properties in solution phase were also studied. The synthesis procedure developed here will have a great promise in large-scale manufacturing. Different shapes of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanochains, and nanoparticles, were discovered while varying the base concentrations. Also the morphologies of these PDI nanostructures were studied using TEM. Future studies will focus on optimizing procedures of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures and exploring new derivatives like perylenediimide dimer functionalized silsesquioxane polymers.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Synthesis of Perylenediimide-Functionalized Silsesquioxane Nanostructures"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Hemali Rathnayake (Director), Chad Snyder, Bangbo Yan"],"dc:creator":["Xu, Lan"],"dc:description.abstract":["Organic semiconductors functionalized nanostructures are becoming as promising materials for electronic device applications including organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have also been known as one of the best n-type organic semiconductors. PDI derivatives can form bulk materials, which are both photochemically and thermally stable and have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices. Due to the formation of high electron mobility of crystalline domains, they prefer to incorporate into a silsesquioxane network. Here, we describe the potential applicability of perylenediimide functionalized silsesquioxane nanoribbons (PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons) as an acceptor for optoelectronic devices. We have developed synthetic procedures to make the PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons by the substitution reaction and the modified Stöber method. The PDI-dimethylethoxy silane precursor was produced in high yield by substituting 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane on perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylicdianhydride as side chains. The optically active PDI-dimethyl nanoribbons were then formed upon hydrolysis with the certain concentration of ammonium hydroxide as a base. These nanoribbons were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, and polarized optical microscopy. The photophysical properties in solution phase were also studied. The synthesis procedure developed here will have a great promise in large-scale manufacturing. Different shapes of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanochains, and nanoparticles, were discovered while varying the base concentrations. Also the morphologies of these PDI nanostructures were studied using TEM. Future studies will focus on optimizing procedures of PDI-dimethyl nanostructures and exploring new derivatives like perylenediimide dimer functionalized silsesquioxane polymers.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1371"],"dc:subject":["Morphology","Polymerization","Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)","Organic-Based Photovoltaics (OPVs)","Organic Chemistry","Environmental Chemistry","Analytical Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"],"dc:title":["Synthesis of Perylenediimide-Functionalized Silsesquioxane Nanostructures"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Chemistry"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:39Z"}