Realizing Intrinsically Stretchable Semiconducting Polymer Films by Nontoxic Additives
- Hao-Wen ChengHao-Wen ChengDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Hao-Wen Cheng
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- Song ZhangSong ZhangDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Song Zhang
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- Lukas MichalekLukas MichalekDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Lukas Michalek
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- Xiaozhou JiXiaozhou JiDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Xiaozhou Ji
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- Shaochuan LuoShaochuan LuoDepartment of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaMore by Shaochuan Luo
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- Christopher B. CooperChristopher B. CooperDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Christopher B. Cooper
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- Huaxin GongHuaxin GongDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Huaxin Gong
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- Shayla NikzadShayla NikzadDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Shayla Nikzad
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- Jerika A. ChiongJerika A. ChiongDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Jerika A. Chiong
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- Yilei WuYilei WuDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Yilei Wu
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- Yu ZhengYu ZhengDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Yu Zheng
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- Qianhe LiuQianhe LiuDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Qianhe Liu
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- Donglai ZhongDonglai ZhongDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Donglai Zhong
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- Yusheng LeiYusheng LeiDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Yusheng Lei
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- Yoko TomoYoko TomoDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, JapanMore by Yoko Tomo
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- Kung-Hwa WeiKung-Hwa WeiDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 3001, TaiwanMore by Kung-Hwa Wei
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- Dongshan ZhouDongshan ZhouDepartment of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaMore by Dongshan Zhou
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- Jeffrey B.-H. TokJeffrey B.-H. TokDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Jeffrey B.-H. Tok
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- Zhenan Bao*Zhenan Bao*E-mail: [email protected]Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United StatesMore by Zhenan Bao
Abstract
Stretchable polymer semiconductors are essential materials to realize soft skin-like electronics. However, most high-mobility semiconducting polymers suffer from poor stretchability and strain-dependent charge carrier mobility. Herein, we report an approach to improve the stretchability of semiconducting polymers while maintaining charge carrier mobility. The strain independent performance was accomplished by incorporating a nontoxic small molecule, namely triacetin (TA), into high-mobility conjugated polymers. We observed that TA molecules substantially increased the stretchability of the high-mobility semiconducting polymer diketopyrrolopyrrole-thienyl-vinyl-thiophene (DPP-TVT), with a crack onset strain >100%, while the neat DPP-TVT polymer only shows a low crack onset strain <25%. The organic field-effect transistor (OFET) devices fabricated using the TA blend films maintain similar charge carrier mobility compared to the neat DPP-TVT-based devices. The influences of TA additive were further characterized, which included reduced glass transition temperature of polymer backbones, decreased modulus, and breakage of the polymer chain aggregations. The TA additive functions as a plasticizer residing in between lamellae layers of semiconducting polymers, which helps to preserve the crystalline molecular packing under deformation. We demonstrated the applicability of this approach by improving the stretchability of various semiconducting polymers using TA and its analog tricaproin. Last, a stretchable OFET array was fabricated with TA blended films, and it showed a well-maintained charge carrier mobility even after 1000 stretch–release cycles at 50% strain.
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