Thin-Film Fracture Behavior for Diketopyrrolopyrrole Semiconducting Polymeric Films

Zhang, Song; Wang, Yunfei; Mason, Gage T.; Qian, Zhiyuan; Rondeau-Gagné, Simon; Gu, Xiaodan

doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c01388

Title: Thin-Film Fracture Behavior for Diketopyrrolopyrrole Semiconducting Polymeric Films

Journal Article · Mon Sep 15 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · Chemistry of Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c01388 · OSTI ID:2999579

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Univ. of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS (United States)
Univ. of Windsor, ON (Canada)

Fracture energy, which quantifies a material’s resistance to the propagation of a pre-existing crack, is a key parameter for ensuring the mechanical reliability of stretchable organic electronic devices. However, most existing methods, such as a four-point bending fracture energy, utilized for measuring the fracture energy of semiconducting polymeric thin films are complicated by substrate effects, making it challenging to isolate the intrinsic behavior of the film from interfacial influences. In this study, we employed a pseudo free-standing pure shear method to systematically investigate the cohesive fracture energy of poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene) P(DPP-T)-based thin films to examine the effects of nanoconfinement, side chain length, degree of crystallinity, and strain rates. This method effectively eliminates substrate interference, enabling a direct assessment of the cohesive fracture energy of P(DPP-T) thin films. We found that thinner films and those with lower molecular weights exhibited significantly reduced fracture energies due to diminished chain entanglements. Additionally, films with shorter side chains displayed notably higher fracture energies, which were attributed to an increase in the degree of crystallinity. Finally, slower strain rates led to higher fracture energies, consistent with an enhanced stress relaxation. These insights offer practical guidelines for designing mechanically robust semiconducting polymers, contributing to the advancement of reliable, durable, flexible, and wearable electronic devices.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2999579

Journal Information:: Chemistry of Materials, Journal Name: Chemistry of Materials Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 37; ISSN 1520-5002; ISSN 0897-4756

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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