Organic electronic and optoelectronic materials that are light-weight, flexible and can be manufactured using energy-efficient and high-throughput methods. The solution printability at near ambient conditions enables deposition on flexible polymer substrates to create wearable, stretchable, imperceptible (opto)electronic devices for use in applications unimagined before. On the other hand, key challenges remain: how does molecular assembly proceed during solution printing and how to control the resulting thin film morphology? The significance of this challenge lies in the fact that charge transport in printed thin films is highly sensitive to their morphological parameters from molecular, mesoscopic to device scale. Addressing this challenge can open up new avenues for attaining high (opto)electronic performances, facilitating the much needed structure-property relationship studies in polymer-based electronic devices.<br/><br/>In this talk, we present several strategies we recently developed for controlling multi-scale assembly of conjugated polymers that are directly compatible with solution printing. In particular, we highlight the critical roles of multiphase interfaces and fluid-flow in directing the non-equilibrium assembly process. We developed a new concept of dynamic templating to expedite polymer nucleation and the ensuing assembly process, inspired by biomineralization templates capable of surface reconfiguration. Molecular dynamic simulations reveal that surface reconfigurability is key to promoting template-polymer interactions, thereby lowering polymer nucleation barrier. Using this method, we achieved high degree of global and local alignment over large area. In certain cases, we even observed small-molecule-like morphology for high molecular weight conjugated polymers, which has been rarely observed before. With high degree of control over thin film alignment, molecular packing and mesostructures, we further correlate these morphological characteristics with anisotropic charge transport properties towards establishing structure-property relationships.

Printing semiconductor polymers to order: Critical roles of interfaces and fluid flow

255th National Meeting (2018)

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