Abstract
This thesis attempts to explore the combination of a potential thin-film manufacturing technique of electropolymerisation with structural self-ordering of discotic liquid crystals. It details a new approach to the synthesis of organic semiconducting materials using the covalent attachment of discotic liquid
crystal derivatives to pyrrole groups. Included is the synthesis of stable discotic materials which include pyrrole units that are incorporated into the molecular structure. The two discotic materials focused on are triphenylene and perylene-based derivatives. Stable electropolymerisation conditions for both are refined. Triphenylene is formed both prior to film formation and electrolytically in situ.
The thin films are characterised using vibrational spectroscopy, electrochemistry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photovoltaic devices are fabricated and tested using electropolymerisation and dipcoating techniques. All devices are
synthesised using both solvent deposition and electrodeposition techniques. Although the electropolymerised materials did not demonstrate liquid-crystal-like structural ordering, the stability of the electropolymerised films was drastically increased and their photovoltaic capacity demonstrated.