Tuning the Mechanical and Electric Properties of Conjugated Polymer Semiconductors: Side-Chain Design Based On Asymmetric Benzodithiophene Building Blocks

Authors

Deyu Liu, Stanford UniversityFollow
Xiaozhou Lei, Stanford University
Yilei Wu, Stanford UniversityFollow
Yangju Lin, Stanford University
Yunfei Wang, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Song Zhang, Stanford UniversityFollow
Yu Zheng, Stanford UniversityFollow
Yuelang Chen, Stanford University
Jian-Cheng Lai, Stanford UniversityFollow
Donglai Zhong, Stanford UniversityFollow
Hao-Wen Cheng, Stanford University
Jerika A. Chiong, Stanford UniversityFollow
Xiaodan Gu, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Sangah Gam, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology
Youngjun Yun, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology
Jeffrey B.-H. Tok, Stanford UniversityFollow
Zhenan Bao, Stanford UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-26-2022

School

Polymer Science and Engineering

Abstract

Understanding molecular design rules for stretchable polymer semiconductors is important for enabling next generation stretchable electronic circuits. To simultaneously improve both electrical properties and mechanical stretchability, a design strategy is reported in introducing conjugated rigid fused-rings with bulky side groups in semiconducting polymers. In this work, the understanding of this design concept is improved by systematically investigating the effect of different types of bulky side groups asymmetrically substituted on conjugated polymer semiconductor backbones. Specifically, four types of side groups are investigated, including naphthalene (NaPh), biphenyl (PhPh), thienylphenyl (ThPh), and alkylphenyl (C4Ph), asymmetrically substituted on benzodithiophene units, namely asy-BDT. With the four types of side groups installed on BDT-containing conjugated polymers in an asymmetrical fashion, it is observed that they reduced the polymer chain aggregation and film crystallinity, hence improving the film stretchability. Furthermore, the fully conjugated polymer backbone allows maintenance of good charge carrier mobilities. Specifically, polymer PDPP-C4Ph (with C4Ph side groups) shows the highest mobility in the fully stretchable transistor and maintained its mobility even after being subjected to hundreds of stretching-releasing cycles at 25% strain. Overall, the results provide anunderstanding of the use of asymmetrically substituted fused-ring conjugated polymer structures to tune mechanical and charge transport properties.

Publication Title

Advanced Functional Materials

Volume

32

Issue

44

Recommended Citation

Liu, D., Lei, X., Wu, Y., Lin, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, S., Zheng, Y., Chen, Y., Lai, J., Zhong, D., Cheng, H., Chiong, J. A., Gu, X., Gam, S., Yun, Y., Tok, J. B., Bao, Z. (2022). Tuning the Mechanical and Electric Properties of Conjugated Polymer Semiconductors: Side-Chain Design Based On Asymmetric Benzodithiophene Building Blocks. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(44).
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/20754