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We report on X‐ray scattering measurements of helical poly[9,9‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐fluorene‐2,7‐diyl] by mapping the sample with 10 μm spatial resolution from 0.3 GPa to 36 GPa. We follow the strongest 00l reflection, which moves toward higher scattering angles with pressure indicating planarization of helical polyfluorene. Lateral inhomogeneity is increased for >10 GPa concomitant with the solidification of the pressure transmitting medium (a 4:1 mixture of methanol and ethanol). We also follow the 00l reflection with increasing temperature at the constant pressure of 4.3 GPa in neon. We observe a sharp shift toward higher scattering angles indicative of a phase transition at 167–176 °C. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 392–396 X‐ray scattering data from polyfluorene polymer is collected by mapping the sample with 10 μm spatial resolution from 0.3 GPa to 36 GPa. The structural inhomogeneity is characterized. The data are also collected with increasing temperature at 4.3 GPa. A phase transtion is identified at about 170°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The role of high pressure on a low molecular weight nematic liquid crystalline organic semiconductor, ethyl-hexyl substituted polyfluorene (PF2/6) is investigated using photoluminescence (PL), Raman scattering, and X-ray scattering studies at pressures from 1 to 8 GPa. The PL and the Raman data under pressure are consistent with each other with no abrupt changes in the pressure coefficients of PL or Raman peaks. The PL energies redshift and broaden, consistent with both enhanced intra- and interchain interactions. The Raman peak positions yield pressure coefficients similar to other phenyl based π-conjugated polymers. The broadening of a doublet peak in the 1135 cm−1 region indicates a more planar backbone conformation with increasing pressure. X-ray scattering indicates that the torsion angle between adjacent repeats reduces with increasing pressure and reverts back with decompression. The intermolecular structure is weakly ordered (frozen nematic) and essentially maintained with increasing pressure, in contrast to a high molecular weight PF2/6. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1014-1023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]