Polythiophene processes

1. A method of modifying mobility of a polythiophene, the method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising polythiophene and a liquid comprising at least one hydrocarbon having at least 6 carbon atoms;

(b) heating the composition to a temperature of at least about 50° C., wherein about 1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of said polythiophene is dissolved in the liquid; and

(c) separating solid polythiophene from the heated composition;

wherein the molecular weight distribution of said polythiophene is narrowed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating (a) to (c) one or more times using the solid polythiophene separated in (c).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said liquid comprises at least one alkane or cycloalkane with from 6 to about 20 carbon atoms.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said liquid comprises at least one alkane or cycloalkane with from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said liquid comprises at least one alkane or cycloalkane with about 7 carbon atoms.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said liquid comprises at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-heptane, 2-methylhexane, 3-methylhexane, cycloheptane and methylcyclohexane.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in (b), said composition is heated to a temperature of from about 60° C. to about the boiling point of the liquid.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said liquid has a boiling point of from about 60° C. to about 125° C.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said polythiophene contains the following repeating unit:

where each R, which may be the same or different, is an alkyl or substituted alkyl.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said polythiophene is

11. The method according claim 1 , wherein said method increases the average mobility of the polythiophene to at least about 0.08 cm 2 /V.s.

12. A method of modifying mobility of a polythiophene, the method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising polythiophene and an organic liquid;

(b) heating the composition to dissolve a portion of said polythiophene in said organic liquid; and

(c) separating solid polythiophene from the heated composition;

wherein the molecular weight distribution of said polythiophene is narrowed.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising repeating (a) to (c) one or more times using the solid polythiophene separated in (c).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said organic liquid comprises at least one alkane or cycloalkane having at least about 6 carbon atoms.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said organic liquid comprises at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-heptane, 2-methylhexane, 3-methylhexane, cycloheptane and methylcyclohexane.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the portion of the polythiophene that is dissolved is from about 1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %.

17. A method of modifying mobility of a polythiophene, the method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising polythiophene and a liquid comprising at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of n-heptane, 2-methylhexane, 3-methylhexane, cycloheptane and methylcyclohexane;

(b) heating the composition to a temperature of from about 70° C. to about 95° C.;

(c) filtering the composition at a temperature of from about 70° C. to about 95° C. to separate solid polythiophene from the filtrate; and

(d) optionally repeating (a) to (c) one or more times using the solid polythiophene separated in (c);

wherein the molecular weight distribution of said polythiophene is narrowed.