Conducting atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is an important technique in the study nanoscale charge transport properties of materials, and is of interest in the growing field of energy-related research. Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) are a particularly interesting class of materials, as they have been used in multiple applications such as an optical components in biosensors in solution, as an electron injection layer in conjugated polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), as an active layer in solar cells and in light-emitting electrochemical cells. Despite the many potential applications, very little is known about their electronic properties, such as charge transport and energy levels, although these parameters are crucial in determining device performance.
Andres Garcia and Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, University of California, Santa Barbara