Effect of heat-cool cycles on the behaviour of perylene bisimides

Perylene bisimides (PBIs) are low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) commonly used in organic electronic devices. In water, PBIs can self-assemble, with the arrangement of these molecules defining their electronic properties. These LMWGs are commonly used in electronic devices as thin films, which can be formed by thermal annealing. When heated and re-cooled, there is a significant increase in the viscosity of these LMWGs in water. We expect that the heat-cool cycle is altering the assembly of the PBIs in water and thereby changing their behaviour. Therefore, we hope to probe the effect of heating and cooling on the structures formed by various PBIs in water to understand these observations and give us the best performance in our thin films.