Organic Electronics (OE) are a promising, transformative pathway towards new technologies such as wearable electronics and smart packaging. Among new OE materials, semiconducting polymers are particularly promising for the fabrication of emerging electronics as these materials possess charge transport capabilities comparable to amorphous silicon, while having low Young’s moduli and good mechanical properties. Importantly, these materials can be processed at large scale through solution deposition techniques. Commonly, large, bulky aliphatic sidechains are required to improve solution processability of these materials for their processing. Side-chain engineering has been shown to be an effective strategy to increase electronic properties by decreasing lamellar and π-stacking distances, allowing for increased charge transfer. This approach can also trigger new properties such as biocompatibility, enhanced solubility in polar and greener solvents, and self-healing.<br/><br/>To push the boundary of side-chain engineering in semiconducting polymers to access new high-performance organic electronics, our work focuses on the preparation of novel dendronized semiconducting polymers, with the goal to examine the relationship between dendron generation, rigidity and the thermomechanical/optoelectronic properties. Our design combines a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) based backbone with dendronized side chains to create new semiconducting materials while maintaining good charge transport properties. This presentation will cover the design and synthesis of these new semiconducting polymers through an azide-alkyne Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click-chemistry). Following synthesis, results from a thorough investigation into the thermomechanical and optoelectronic properties will be discussed. Finally, the fabrication of organic field-effect transistors will be discussed to highlight the potential of the new dendronized semiconducting polymers in emerging organic electronics.

Semiconducting polymers - effect of dendron generation and rigidity on thermomechanical and optoelectronic properties

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.