Using SESANS to investigate film formation of perylene bisimide film

In our research we have demonstrated how we can assemble perylene bisimides in solution to form a variety of different structures based on pH, solvent, temperature, concentration, molecular structure which we can characterise through SANS. Depending on the morphology formed from the assembly, this leads to different bulk properties of the materials we form, from mechanical to conductive. In many of these applications we form a xerogel or a thin film from the aggregates in solution to form a device. With the limited and flawed information we can gather form imaging techniques, we can see there are significant drying effects. Here we wish to use SESANS to determine how much these aggregates have changed upon drying, and if the initial morphology is maintained in order to fully and accurately characterise our film devices.