Multi-Scale Ordering in Highly Stretchable Polymer Semiconducting Films
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2019
Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Abstract
Stretchable semiconducting polymers have been developed as a key component to enable skin-like wearable electronics, but their electrical performance must be improved to enable more advanced functionalities. Here, we report a solution processing approach that can achieve multi-scale ordering and alignment of conjugated polymers in stretchable semiconductors to substantially improve their charge carrier mobility. Using solution shearing with a patterned microtrench coating blade, macroscale alignment of conjugated-polymer nanostructures was achieved along the charge transport direction. In conjunction, the nanoscale spatial confinement aligns chain conformation and promotes short-range π–π ordering, substantially reducing the energetic barrier for charge carrier transport. As a result, the mobilities of stretchable conjugated-polymer films have been enhanced up to threefold and maintained under a strain up to 100%. This method may also serve as the basis for large-area manufacturing of stretchable semiconducting films, as demonstrated by the roll-to-roll coating of metre-scale films.
Publication Title
Nature Materials
First Page
594
Last Page
601
Recommended Citation
Xu, J.,
Wu, H.,
Zhu, C.,
Ehrlich, A.,
Shaw, L.,
Nikolka, M.,
Wang, S.,
Molina-Lopez, F.,
Gu, X.,
Luo, S.,
Zhou, D.,
Kim, Y.,
Wang, G. N.,
Gu, K.,
Feig, V. R.,
Chen, S.,
Kim, Y.,
Katsumata, T.,
Zheng, Y.,
Yan, H.,
Chung, J. W.,
Lopez, J.,
Murmann, B.,
Bao, Z.
(2019). Multi-Scale Ordering in Highly Stretchable Polymer Semiconducting Films. Nature Materials, 594-601.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/16509