Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shuto Yamamoto, Megumi Matsuda, Chia-Yu Lin, Kazushi Enomoto, Yan-Cheng Lin, Wen-Chang Chen, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: In this study, the mobility-stretchability properties of n-type conjugated block copolymers were investigated. It was found that high PIB content can improve the elastic modulus and crystallinity of the polymers, leading to an improved retention rate of electron mobility.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Junpei Kuwabara, Takaki Kanbara
Summary: Conjugated polymers have immense potential in organic optoelectronic devices as semiconducting materials. To achieve mass production, synthetic methods must consider cost and environmental concerns, with simplification of synthetic steps being an efficient approach.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Guan, Zejun Sun, Ramin Ansari, Yujia Liu, Aimi Endo, Masafumi Unno, Armelle Ouali, Shahrea Mahbub, Joseph C. Furgal, Nuttapon Yodsin, Siriporn Jungsuttiwong, Daniel Hashemi, John Kieffer, Richard M. Laine
Summary: Multiple studies have explored the use of cage silsesquioxanes as backbone elements in hybrid polymers, and unexpected photophysical properties of copolymers derived from double decker silsesquioxanes were discovered, suggesting unconventional conjugation.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiqiang Zhuo, Mingjian Ni, Xiang An, Lubing Bai, Xinyu Liang, Jing Yang, Yingying Zheng, Bin Liu, Ning Sun, Lili Sun, Chuanxin Wei, Ningning Yu, Wenyu Chen, Mengyuan Li, Man Xu, Jinyi Lin, Wei Huang
Summary: This study proposes an internal plasticization strategy to design intrinsically stretchable fully pi-conjugated polymers (FCPs) for narrowband deep-blue flexible polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The stretchable films with pendant phenyl-ester plasticizers exhibit stable and efficient deep-blue emission, and the resulting PLEDs based on PF-MC8 show promising performance.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yan-Cheng Lin, Megumi Matsuda, Kei-ichiro Sato, Chun-Kai Chen, Wei-Chen Yang, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: The study showed that using conjugated polymers with bulky and branched CBSs can reduce backbone rigidity, allowing easier polymer chain entanglement, resulting in more uniform load distribution and crack propagation prevention.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hongchun Mu, Wenqiang Wang, Laifu Yang, Jin Chen, Xingwei Li, Yizhong Yuan, Xiaohui Tian, Gengchao Wang
Summary: The intrinsically stretchable device proposed in this study based on an elastic flame-retardant matrix achieved a high stretchability and high energy density in the supercapacitor. Even after 300 cycles of stretching, the device maintained good electrochemical performance. This concept is expected to be extended to other stretchable energy storage systems such as lithium-ion batteries and lithium sulfur batteries.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Jing Yang, Jiatao Wu, Xiaojun Yin, Fei Zhong, Fuhao Tang, Weixuan Zhang, Chunmei Gao, Lei Wang
Summary: This study synthetized six conjugated polymers with high bipolar conductivity and investigated the effect of polymer structures on polarity switching process. The results demonstrated that the conjugated phenyl groups play a crucial role in providing sufficient space and promoting doping efficiency, accelerating the polarity switching process. This research provides an in-depth understanding of the structure-function relationships in polarity switching and guides the design of efficient n-type thermoelectric polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tsubasa Mikie, Masahiro Hayakawa, Kenta Okamoto, Keitaro Iguchi, Shuhei Yashiro, Tomoyuki Koganezawa, Masatomo Sumiya, Hiroyuki Ishii, Shigehiro Yamaguchi, Aiko Fukazawa, Itaru Osaka
Summary: The charge carrier mobility of pi-conjugated polymers has significantly improved over the past two decades by increasing the pi-pi stacking ability. A new pi-conjugated polymer based on a quinoidal bithiophene moiety was synthesized, showing significantly extended pi-electron delocalization and higher intrachain charge carrier transport compared to its isomer. This study provides new guidelines for designing pi-conjugated polymers with high intrachain charge carrier transport.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Liam R. MacFarlane, Huda Shaikh, J. Diego Garcia-Hernandez, Marcus Vespa, Tomoya Fukui, Ian Manners
Summary: pi-Conjugated polymers exhibit diverse electronic and optical properties. This review discusses the preparation of self-assembled nanoparticles from these polymers and their applications in optoelectronics, biomedical imaging and therapy, photocatalysis, and sensing. The development of pi-conjugated polymers has opened up new possibilities for functional organic materials similar to inorganic semiconductors, with nanoparticles based on these polymers showing promise in various emerging applications.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junhui Tang, Jingjing Ji, Ruisi Chen, Yongkun Yan, Yan Zhao, Ziqi Liang
Summary: In this study, a series of D-A semiconducting copolymers with various electron-deficient A-units were systematically investigated for efficient OTEs. The relationship between thermoelectric characteristics and the electron-withdrawing ability of A-unit was elucidated through p-type doping, highlighting the importance of the strong D-A nature and highly electron-deficient A-unit in enhancing Seebeck coefficient while impacting doping efficiency and electrical conductivity. Ultimately, a high peak power factor and outstanding Seebeck coefficient were achieved in a paradigm OPV donor, demonstrating great potential in wearable electronics driven by a small temperature gradient.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tsubasa Mikie, Kenta Okamoto, Yuka Iwasaki, Tomoyuki Koganezawa, Masatomo Sumiya, Toshihiro Okamoto, Itaru Osaka
Summary: This study developed and synthesized a novel acceptor unit for conjugated polymers. The resulting polymer showed significantly improved electron and hole mobilities compared to its predecessor, likely due to the highly coplanar and rigid backbone. Furthermore, the incorporation of fluorine atoms as conformation-directing groups resulted in higher solubility and regular backbone structure for the polymer.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuichi Tsuchii, Taiki Menda, Sunbin Hwang, Takuma Yasuda
Summary: Pi-Conjugated polymers P(BDT-BTI) and P(BDT-BTA) were designed and synthesized for organic photovoltaics. The introduction of electron-withdrawing moieties lowered the energy levels and increased the open-circuit voltages of the devices. Blending P(BDT-BTA) with IT-4F resulted in high crystallinity and retained pi-pi stacking interactions, leading to power conversion efficiencies as high as 9.6% without any additives or post-treatments.
BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Xindong Liu, Peng Lei, Xiaoqing Liu, Yifan Li, Yitong Wang, Lei Wang, Qing-Dao Zeng, Yi Liu
Summary: A series of bridged multicyclic conjugated polymers were synthesized by Yamamoto polymerization, and their chemical identities were confirmed by spectroscopy and chromatography. The bridged multicyclic backbone was directly visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy, confirming the topology of the polymers. Like their cyclic monomers, these multicyclic conjugated polymers exhibit intense fluorescence due to aggregation-induced emission, and their fluorescence can be efficiently quenched by picric acid in aqueous media through the static quenching mechanism involving photo-induced electron transfer.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Garion E. J. Hicks, Sheng Li, Nimrat K. Obhi, Charles N. Jarrett-Wilkins, Dwight S. Seferos
Summary: π-Conjugated polymers have unique properties that depend on their ordering, with programming techniques such as covalent and solution programming playing a key role in controlling their assembly. Progress in programming at different stages of material development highlights order-dependent features and unique assembly techniques for pi-conjugated polymers.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Zicheng Ding, Dongle Liu, Kui Zhao, Yanchun Han
Summary: Conjugated polymers are promising for large-area stretchable electronics due to their tunable properties, but balancing electrical and mechanical performance remains a challenge. Control of microstructures in conjugated polymers is essential, requiring the design of preaggregation in solutions and film formation dynamics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tomoya Higashihara, Mao-Chun Fu, Kouji Hatakeyama, Shinji Ando, Ryosuke Takahashi, Mitsuru Ueda
Summary: The design, synthesis, and optical characterization of refractive-index-contrast (RIC) triazine-based poly(phenylene sulfide)s (PPSs) were investigated, leading to the successful synthesis of novel PPSs with two different pendant groups. PPS-2CA exhibited high refractive index values and increased delta n values by deprotecting PPS-2E.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Po-Shen Lin, Yamato Shoji, Shakil N. Afraj, Mitsuru Ueda, Ching-Hsuan Lin, Shin Inagaki, Taiki Endo, Shih-Huang Tung, Ming-Chou Chen, Cheng-Liang Liu, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: Regioregular polythiophenes have been widely used in organic electronic applications due to their solution processability with chemical modification through side chain engineering, as well as their microstructural organization and good hole transport properties. The introduction of alkylthio side chains showed improved crystallinity and charge mobility in polythiophene semiconductors, with branched side chains helping to solve the issue of low regioregularity and enhancing the overall performance of OFET devices.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Kosuke Terayama, Chuan-Wen Liu, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: The study revealed that incorporating ester-carbonyl group into aromatic dibromo monomers is a key molecular design strategy to realize an efficient intramolecular Pd(0) catalyst-transfer system for the polymerization process.
Article
Polymer Science
Keita Yoshida, Jia-Fu Chang, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: In this study, a new organic-inorganic hybrid material, PNDI-SH:PbS-QD, was synthesized and characterized. Although it showed good properties, the overall photovoltaic performance as a polymer acceptor was inferior due to downshifted energy levels and unfavorable morphology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei-Chen Yang, Yan-Cheng Lin, Shin Inagaki, Hiroya Shimizu, Ender Ercan, Li-Che Hsu, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: In this study, polymer materials were used to simulate neural processes in a photosynaptic transistor, achieving excellent features such as long-term and short-term memory, as well as ultra-low energy consumption. This work has significant implications for the development of artificial intelligence technology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yan-Cheng Lin, Kosuke Terayama, Keita Yoshida, Ping-Jui Yu, Pin-Hsiang Chueh, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: D-A-type conjugated polymers (CPs) with diversified structure design can achieve intrinsic stretchability by applying sequential regularity control on the polymer backbone. The random structure of the CP shows near-amorphous morphology and comparable charge transport performance compared to the sequentially alternating structure. Moreover, the random CP exhibits strain-insensitive mobility-stretchability properties due to the successful percolation network of tie-chains.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shin Inagaki, Yan-Cheng Lin, Hisakazu Tanaka, Tomoyuki Koganezawa, Wen-Chang Chen, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: A novel A-b-(B-co-C)-type terpolymer was synthesized to address the issue of irreversible damage caused by stretching in organic semiconductors for wearable electronic devices. The terpolymer showed high stretchability, stable device performance, and stable bipolar charge trapping.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Kei-ichiro Sato, Yudai Hemmi, Aoto Kato, Hiroyuki Matsui, Keita Fuchise, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: In this study, multiblock copolymers consisting of PDMS, NDI, and bithiophene units were successfully synthesized, and different materials with varying PDMS compositions were obtained. The multiblock copolymer with 10% PDMS showed typical n-type semiconducting behavior.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taiki Endo, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: Semiaromatic polyamides were synthesized by bulk polycondensation, and copolyamides were successfully obtained. The obtained polyamides had high inherent viscosity and good thermal stability, and some copolyamides were suitable for melt-drawing processes.
Article
Polymer Science
Wei-Chen Yang, Yi-Wen Chen, Yang-Yen Yu, Yan-Cheng Lin, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: This study develops a series of all-conjugated block copolymers and applies them to electronic memory devices, achieving good memory performance. The design of the all-conjugated block copolymers improves the memory-photoresponse properties in phototransistor memory and overcomes the issue of phase separation in conjugated polymer blends.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Megumi Matsuda, Kei-ichiro Sato, Kosuke Terayama, Yuto Ochiai, Kazushi Enomoto, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: Researchers have developed a new type of intrinsically stretchable semiconducting material with good stress-releasing properties, which can be used for manufacturing wearable intelligent electronic devices. While there are already several stretchable p-type semiconducting polymers, studies on intrinsically stretchable n-type materials are still limited.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shuto Yamamoto, Megumi Matsuda, Chia-Yu Lin, Kazushi Enomoto, Yan-Cheng Lin, Wen-Chang Chen, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: In this study, the mobility-stretchability properties of n-type conjugated block copolymers were investigated. It was found that high PIB content can improve the elastic modulus and crystallinity of the polymers, leading to an improved retention rate of electron mobility.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Shin Inagaki, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: A novel ABC-type triblock copolymer, consisting of PMMA, P3HT, and PS, was synthesized by the bilateral CuAAC reaction, resulting in a high yield.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Cheng Tseng, Aoto Kato, Jia-Fu Chang, Wen-Chang Chen, Tomoya Higashihara, Chu-Chen Chueh
Summary: The development of single-component organic solar cells (SCOSCs) using only one photoactive component with a chemically bonded D/A structure has attracted increasing research attention. In this study, we synthesized a D-A all-conjugated polymers based on an n-type PNDI2T block and a p-type PBDB-T donor block but with three different segment ratios (P1-P3) and demonstrate the significance of the D/A segment ratio on photovoltaic performance. The results show that the n-type PNDI2T block plays a critical role in the inter/intra-chain charge transfer, and SCOSC based on P1 exhibits the highest power conversion efficiency among the synthesized CBCs.
Article
Polymer Science
Yan-Cheng Lin, Megumi Matsuda, Kei-ichiro Sato, Chun-Kai Chen, Wei-Chen Yang, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: The study showed that using conjugated polymers with bulky and branched CBSs can reduce backbone rigidity, allowing easier polymer chain entanglement, resulting in more uniform load distribution and crack propagation prevention.