The solid-state microstructure of
semiconducting polymers is known
to influence properties relevant for their function in optoelectronic
devices. While several strategies exist in the literature for controlling
desired morphological organization, preaggregation in solution via
polymer chain end-functionalization remains relatively unexplored.
In this work, we synthesized two poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) derivatives
with different end-groups by using click chemistry. End-groups chosen
for this study were derivatives of sulforhodamine 101 dye and phenyl-C<sub>61</sub>-butyric acid methyl ester (PC<sub>60</sub>BM). The chemical
functionality of the end-group is found to influence the aggregation
properties as a function of solvent quality. End-group-induced preaggregation
ultimately impacts the optical properties and molecular orientation
in the solid state. These results suggest future applications of this
structural modification strategy to modulate device characteristics