Investigating how thermal annealing near the glass transition temperature affects PMMA films in helping to organize crystalline perylene diimide aggregates within the film.*

We investigate the effects of thermal annealing and different solvents on the thickness and uniformity of PMMA films containing crystalline perylene diimide (PDI) aggregates. The objective of this research is to improve the conductivity of perylene diimide-based organic semiconductor films. The solvents utilized in this study include acetone, chloroform, and toluene, with toluene yielding the most favorable results. Acetone, however, produced an irregular effect, causing the PMMA to turn white, which is unusual given the typical transparency of PMMA. After thermal annealing, this white discoloration disappeared, and the PMMA returned to its transparent state. Additionally, we examined the influence of the glass transition temperature of the PMMA matrix on the formation of PDI aggregates.