Multi-scale ordering in highly stretchable polymer semiconducting films

Journal Article · Mon Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Nature Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0340-5· OSTI ID:1532482

Xu, Jie  ^[1]; Wu, Hung-Chin  ^[2]; Zhu, Chenxin ^[3]; Ehrlich, Anatol ^[2]; Shaw, Leo  ^[2]; Nikolka, Mark ^[2]; Wang, Sihong ^[4]; Molina-Lopez, Francisco  ^[5]; Gu, Xiaodan  ^[6]; Luo, Shaochuan ^[7]; Zhou, Dongshan ^[8]; Kim, Yun-Hi ^[9]; Wang, Ging-Ji Nathan  ^[2]; Gu, Kevin ^[2]; Feig, Vivian Rachel  ^[10]; Chen, Shucheng ^[2]; Kim, Yeongin ^[3]; Katsumata, Toru; Zheng, Yu-Qing; Yan, He ; Chung, Jong Won; Lopez, Jeffrey  ^[2]; Murmann, Boris  ^[3]; Bao, Zhenan  ^[2]

---

1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States). Nanoscience and Technology Division
2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
3. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering
4. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). Inst. for Molecular Engineering
5. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Katholieke Univ. Leuven (Belgium). Dept. of Materials Engineering
6. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL); Univ. of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS (United States). School of Polymer Science and Engineering
7. Nanjing Univ. (China). Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Lab. of Coordination Chemistry
8. Nanjing Univ. (China). Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Lab. of Coordination Chemistry
9. Gyeongsang National Univ., Jinju (South Korea). Dept. of Chemistry and RINS
10. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

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.

• Research Organization: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 1532482
• Journal Information: Nature Materials, Vol. 18, Issue 6; ISSN 1476-1122
• Publisher: Springer Nature - Nature Publishing Group
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY