Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Seong-Wook Kim, Sein Chung, Gao-Feng Han, Jeong-Min Seo, Hyuk-Jun Noh, Seok-Jin Kim, Jong-Pil Jeon, Eunho Lee, Boseok Kang, Javeed Mahmood, Kilwon Cho, Jong-Beom Baek
Summary: After the emergence of graphene, the development of semiconducting organic materials with layered structures has become active in the material science field. However, these materials often face poor processability issues. In this study, a new approach is proposed to avoid the processability issue by designing a soluble amorphous network and using heat treatment to develop a flattened organic structure for organic thin-film transistors (TFTs). The fabricated TFTs exhibit good performance in both horizontal and vertical charge transport, suggesting the versatility and usefulness of this approach for the development of organic semiconductors.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shakil N. Afraj, Guan-Yu He, Chih-Yu Lin, Arulmozhi Velusamy, Chu-Yun Huang, Po-Shen Lin, Sureshraju Vegiraju, Ping-Yu Huang, Jen-Shyang Ni, Shueh-Lin Yau, Shih-Huang Tung, Takeo Minari, Cheng-Liang Liu, Ming-Chou Chen
Summary: Three new solution-processable organic semiconductors were synthesized and characterized for p-type organic field effect transistors. The highest mobility of 0.016 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) was achieved using solution-sheared DTTR-TTA film. Blending crystalline DTTR-TT with oriented-packing polymer PDTT-SBT significantly enhanced mobilities, with the optimized 30% DTTR-TT composition in the blend achieving a hole mobility of 0.22 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Sui, Xuwen Zhang, Chenhui Xu, Yibo Shi, Yunfeng Deng, Yang Han, Yanhou Geng
Summary: In this study, three CH monomers, Ph-2FTh, 2FPh-2FTh, and BTz-2FTh, with 3,4-difluorothiophene as terminal units and phenyl, 2,5-difluorophenyl and benzothiadiazole as central units, were synthesized for the direct arylation polycondensation to diketopyrrolopyrrole- and isoindigo-based high-mobility conjugated polymers. The resulting polymers showed n-channel behavior in organic thin-film transistors, with electron mobility up to 0.54 cm2 V-1 s-1. Overall, the study obtained significant findings in the synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymers. Evaluation: 8 points.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Hao-Tian Wu, Ze-Fan Yao, Zhe Xu, Hua-Kang Kong, Xin-Yi Wang, Qi-Yi Li, Jie-Yu Wang, Jian Pei
Summary: This study systematically developed three novel polymers with twisted backbone conformation and revealed the significant influence of this conformation on the assembly structures of polymers. The twisted backbone conformation prevents the formation of ordered assembly structures and leads to nonaggregated chains in solution and highly disordered solid-state packing structures.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Qingqing Zhao, Shuyin Zhu, Juan Peng
Summary: This paper reports a new method to achieve co-crystallization in polymer blends, specifically in the films of poly(2,5-bis(3-hexylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT-C6) and poly(2,5-bis(3-decylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT-C10), using a robust meniscus-assisted solution-shearing (MASS) strategy. The co-crystalline structure is correlated with the charge transport properties, and the kinetics, chain packing changes, and optical properties of the co-crystallization process are investigated. The resulting organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) demonstrate improved charge transport due to the co-crystallization in the blends.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
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
Pai Wang, Chenhui Xu, Xuwen Zhang, Yibo Shi, Cheng Wang, Yang Han, Yunfeng Deng, Yanhou Geng
Summary: In this study, a series of thienoisoindigo (TIG)-based conjugated polymers (CPs) with high molecular weights were synthesized by direct arylation polycondensation (DArP). TIG derivatives were used as C-Br monomer and multi-halogenated thiophene derivatives were used as C-H monomers. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the high selectivity between alpha-C-H bonds in the multi-halogenated thiophene derivatives and beta-C-H bonds in the TIG C-Br monomer. The resulting CPs showed low optical bandgaps and ambipolar transport characteristics in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The polymer TIG-4FTVT exhibited the best device performance with high electron and hole mobility when modified with polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) and MoO3.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Deyu Liu, Yusheng Lei, Xiaozhou Ji, Yilei Wu, Yangju Lin, Yunfei Wang, Song Zhang, Yu Zheng, Yuelang Chen, Jian-Cheng Lai, Donglai Zhong, Hao-Wen Cheng, Jerika A. Chiong, Xiaodan Gu, Sangah Gam, Youngjun Yun, Jeffrey B-H Tok, Zhenan Bao
Summary: This study improves the understanding of the design concept by investigating the effect of bulky side groups asymmetrically substituted on conjugated polymer semiconductor backbones. The results show that the introduction of conjugated rigid fused-rings with bulky side groups can improve the mechanical stretchability and electrical properties of the material.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Fang-Ju Lin, Yao-Jin Ke, Kai-Yuan Kuan, Chao-Ping Hsu, Yu-Tai Tao
Summary: Films of well-aligned linear diacetylenic acid were prepared and photopolymerized using the solution-shearing method. The direction of molecular alignment and polymer chains varied depending on the polarity of the solvent used during the shearing process. Transistors based on these films showed highly anisotropic field-effect mobilities, with the highest mobility obtained from films prepared from a hexane solution.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuwen Chen, Shuyin Zhu, Zhiqun Lin, Juan Peng
Summary: The study introduces a new method to effectively modulate polymorphs of conjugated polymers and investigate the relationship between different polymorphs and charge transport characteristics. The research demonstrates that polymorph transformation can be efficiently achieved with this method, elucidating the kinetics of the transformation and its impact. The results reveal a strong correlation between device performance and attained polymorphs and crystal orientations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Preetam Dacha, Mike Hambsch, Darius Pohl, Katherina Haase, Markus Loeffler, Tianshu Lan, Xinliang Feng, Bernd Rellinghaus, Stefan C. B. Mannsfeld
Summary: A solution shearing procedure is reported for fabricating micro/nano wires from a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based polymer. The as-fabricated wires exhibit a high degree of molecular orientation and enhanced electrical performance in single wire Organic Field Effect Transistors (OFETs).
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kyung Sun Park, Justin J. Kwok, Prapti Kafle, Ying Diao
Summary: Conjugated polymers are emerging as an attractive class of semiconductors for next-generation electronics due to their low cost, high-throughput solution processability, mechanical flexibility, self-healing properties, and ability to interface with biological systems. Studies in the past four decades have contributed to a thorough understanding of conjugated polymers, with assembly and crystallization behavior being key factors influencing electronic performance. However, the complex solution processing environment and rapid kinetics make it challenging to fully understand the assembly process.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junyang Deng, Lei Zheng, Chenming Ding, Yifu Guo, Yifan Xie, Jiawei Wang, Yubin Ke, Mengmeng Li, Ling Li, Rene A. J. Janssen
Summary: This study demonstrates the reversible control of solid-state molecular orientation of polymers by tuning the supramolecular structure in solution through temperature. The experimental observations highlight the predominant role of solution-state supramolecular assembly in solid-state packing orientation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Daegun Kim, Seon Baek Lee, Min-Jae Kim, Jiyun Lee, Sein Chung, Eunsol Ok, Giwon Lee, Jiwoo Min, Kilwon Cho, Boseok Kang
Summary: Rubbing-induced alignment of conjugated polymers is studied, showing that the rubbing technique can effectively align crystalline domains in conjugated polymer films near the critical rubbing temperature. Polymers with stronger intra-/inter-molecular interactions have higher critical rubbing temperature, but an intermediate alignment state exists below the critical rubbing temperature. This state originates from polymer chain aggregation in the amorphous domain. Adding a plasticizer can control the intermediate alignment state, lowering the temperature and improving the alignment effect.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xu Cao, Hongxiang Li, Junli Hu, Hongkun Tian, Yanchun Han, Bin Meng, Jun Liu, Lixiang Wang
Summary: We report the first near-amorphous n-type conjugated polymer with decent electron mobility, featuring a remarkably rigid, straight, and planar polymer backbone. The polymer is the alternating copolymer of double B <- N bridged bipyridine (BNBP) unit and benzobisthiazole (BBTz) unit. It shows a decent electron mobility of 0.34 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) in organic field-effect transistors. The excellent electron transporting property of the polymer is possibly due to the ultrahigh backbone stiffness, small pi-pi stacking distance, and high molecular weight.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhitao Zhang, Zhenan Bao
Summary: This article summarizes the main approaches and future directions for realizing high-performance stretchable displays.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yeongjun Lee, Yuxin Liu, Dae-Gyo Seo, Jin Young Oh, Yeongin Kim, Jinxing Li, Jiheong Kang, Jaemin Kim, Jaewan Mun, Amir M. Foudeh, Zhenan Bao, Tae-Woo Lee
Summary: By relaying neural signals, devices for neurorehabilitation can enhance the movement of limbs with damaged nerves. A stretchable neuromorphic implant is reported here, which restores coordinated and smooth motions in mice with neurological motor disorders, enabling activities such as kicking a ball, walking, and running. The implant generates electrophysiological signals and provides proprioceptive feedback, operating at low power and potentially inspiring the development of advanced neuromorphic devices.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yeongin Kim, Chenxin Zhu, Wen-Ya Lee, Anna Smith, Haowen Ma, Xiang Li, Donghee Son, Naoji Matsuhisa, Jaemin Kim, Won-Gyu Bae, Sung Ho Cho, Myung-Gil Kim, Tadanori Kurosawa, Toru Katsumata, John W. F. To, Jin Young Oh, Seonghyun Paik, Soo Jin Kim, Lihua Jin, Feng Yan, Jeffrey B. -H. Tok, Zhenan Bao
Summary: Hemispherical image sensors are beneficial for improving image quality in compact wide-field-of-view cameras. Organic materials have advantages as candidate materials and can be prepared into high-density organic thin film photomemory transistor arrays using a photolithographic process. The developed organic photomemory transistor exhibits high responsivity and linear photoresponse, and a transfer method is developed for the fabrication of hemispherical organic photomemory transistor arrays.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rodrigo Szostak, Agnaldo de Souza Goncalves, Jilian Nei de Freitas, Paulo E. Marchezi, Francineide Lopes de Araujo, Helio Cesar Nogueira Tolentino, Michael F. Toney, Francisco das Chagas Marques, Ana Flavia Nogueira
Summary: The performance and stability of metal halide perovskite solar cells depend on precursor materials and deposition methods. In situ studies have contributed to the development of procedures to improve the properties of perovskite films and explore device performance and degradation. These studies highlight the importance of in situ and operando studies for achieving the stability required for commercial deployment.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hao A. Nguyen, Grant Dixon, Florence Y. Dou, Shaun Gallagher, Stephen Gibbs, Dylan M. Ladd, Emanuele Marino, Justin C. Ondry, James P. Shanahan, Eugenia S. Vasileiadou, Stephen Barlow, Daniel R. Gamelin, David S. Ginger, David M. Jonas, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Seth R. Marder, Daniel Morton, Christopher B. Murray, Jonathan S. Owen, Dmitri V. Talapin, Michael F. Toney, Brandi M. Cossairt
Summary: In this review, the demand and design rules for solution-processed semiconductors with narrow photoluminescence line widths are discussed. The current state of emission line width for various colloidal materials is compared, and some conclusions and prospects are summarized.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lucas Q. Flagg, Jonathan W. Onorato, Christine K. Luscombe, Vinayak Bhat, Chad Risko, Ben Levy-Wendt, Michael F. Toney, Christopher R. McNeill, Guillaume Freychet, Mikhail Zhernenkov, Ruipeng Li, Lee J. Richter
Summary: Organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) have the potential for various new technologies, but their complex behavior inhibits material design. This report presents the use of RXRD to determine the structure of a doped polymer OMIEC. The insights from RXRD provide important information on ion location and doping behavior, contributing to a better understanding of transport in OMIECs.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Nayon Park, Ryan A. Beck, Kevin K. Hoang, Dylan M. Ladd, Jared E. Abramson, Ricardo A. Rivera-Maldonado, Hao A. Nguyen, Madison Monahan, Gerald T. Seidler, Michael F. Toney, Xiaosong Li, Brandi M. Cossairt
Summary: We demonstrate the colloidal, layer-by-layer growth of metal oxide shells on InP quantum dots (QDs) at room temperature. The presence of surface-localized dark states near the band edges due to native InP QD surface oxides gives rise to nonradiative pathways, which can be reduced by replacing surface indium with zinc to form a ZnO shell. A synthetic strategy using stoichiometric amounts of common atomic layer deposition precursors in alternating cycles was developed for layer-by-layer growth. The results show the potential of controlling QD interfaces and contribute to the understanding of the connections between structural complexity and PL properties in colloidal optoelectronic materials.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher B. Cooper, Samuel E. Root, Lukas Michalek, Shuai Wu, Jian-Cheng Lai, Muhammad Khatib, Solomon T. Oyakhire, Renee Zhao, Jian Qin, Zhenan Bao
Summary: Self-healing soft electronic and robotic devices, inspired by human skin, can autonomously recover from damage. This study introduces a new approach using two dynamic polymers, which can maintain interlayer adhesion while allowing autonomous realignment during healing. These devices demonstrate functional healing capabilities, such as thin-film pressure sensors, magnetically assembled soft robots, and underwater circuit assembly.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Weichen Wang, Yuanwen Jiang, Donglai Zhong, Zhitao Zhang, Snehashis Choudhury, Jian-Cheng Lai, Huaxin Gong, Simiao Niu, Xuzhou Yan, Yu Zheng, Chien -Chung Shih, Rui Ning, Qing Lin, Deling Li, Yun-Hi Kim, Jingwan Kim, Yi-Xuan Wang, Chuanzhen Zhao, Chengyi Xu, Xiaozhou Ji, Yuya Nishio, Hao Lyu, Jeffrey B. -H. Tok, Zhenan Bao
Summary: Through rational design and engineering, we have developed a soft prosthetic electronic skin that mimics the sensory feedback and mechanical properties of natural skin. It is capable of multimodal perception, neuromorphic pulse-train signal generation, and closed-loop actuation. Our e-skin has achieved low subthreshold swing, low operation voltage, low power consumption, and medium-scale circuit integration complexity for stretchable organic devices, thanks to a trilayer, high-permittivity elastomeric dielectric.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Kraft, Mark Nikolka, Ging-Ji Nathan Wang, Yeongin Kim, Raphael Pfattner, Maryam Alsufyani, Iain McCulloch, Boris Murmann, Zhenan Bao
Summary: Polymer semiconductors have unique features that make them a promising material choice for various advanced applications. However, their low dielectric constants make them susceptible to unscreened dipoles, especially at polymer-dielectric interfaces with high-k dielectrics. This weakness can be addressed by using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), but SAM-treatment poses a challenge for subsequent solution processing steps and complex packaging.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wouter Monnens, Bokai Zhang, Zhenyu Zhou, Laurens Snels, Koen Binnemans, Francisco Molina-Lopez, Jan Fransaer
Summary: This work proposes a simple approach to address the challenge of metallization in highly integrated (3D) stretchable electronics. Eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) is an attractive conductor for stretchable electronics, but its high surface tension makes sub-micrometer patterning challenging. This limitation is overcome by electrodeposition, a bottom-up approach that benefits from the resolution of mature nanofabrication methods. A record-high integration of EGaIn lines of 300 nm half-pitch is achieved. Moreover, vertical integration is enabled, leading to omnidirectionally stretchable 3D electronics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Gao, Zhiao Yu, Jingyang Wang, Xueli Zheng, Yusheng Ye, Huaxin Gong, Xin Xiao, Yufei Yang, Yuelang Chen, Sharon E. Bone, Louisa C. Greenburg, Pu Zhang, Hance Su, Jordan Affeld, Zhenan Bao, Yi Cui
Summary: Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered a promising energy storage solution with high energy density and low cost. However, the solubility of lithium polysulfide (LiPS) intermediates in the electrolyte poses challenges to their cycling stability. This study demonstrates that electrolytes with moderate LiPS solubility can effectively address the shuttling effect and improve Li-S reaction kinetics. By formulating a series of electrolyte solvents with different degrees of fluorination, a new electrolyte system called S6MILE was developed, which showed significantly improved capacity and cycle life compared with conventional ether-based electrolytes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yucan Peng, Jian-Cheng Lai, Xin Xiao, Weiliang Jin, Jiawei Zhou, Yufei Yang, Xin Gao, Jing Tang, Lingling Fan, Shanhui Fan, Zhenan Bao, Yi Cui
Summary: Space heating and cooling consume a significant amount of global energy, and the development of advanced materials, such as colorful low-emissivity paints, offers a solution to reduce energy consumption. These paints provide both aesthetic appeal and infrared reflectance properties, effectively reducing heat exchange with the environment and facilitating energy savings. The versatility of these paints makes them suitable for various applications.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nick Goossens, Konstantina Lambrinou, Bensu Tunca, Vrushali Kotasthane, Miriam C. Rodriguez Gonzalez, Anastasiia Basylevska, Per O. A. Persson, Steven De Feyter, Miladin Radovic, Francisco Molina-Lopez, Jozef Vleugels
Summary: This work proposes a next-generation MILD (NGMILD) synthesis protocol for phase-pure, colloidally stable MXenes that can withstand long periods of dry storage. NGMILD incorporates the synergistic effects of a secondary salt, a richer lithium (Li) environment, and iterative alcohol-based washing to achieve high-purity MXenes, while improving etching efficiency, intercalation, and shelf life. The NGMILD-produced MXenes clays showed minimal degradation after being dry-stored for six months and retained excellent redispersibility.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jerika A. Chiong, Lukas Michalek, Amnahir E. Pena-Alcantara, Xiaozhou Ji, Nathaniel J. Schuster, Zhenan Bao
Summary: This study designs and synthesizes a new class of degradable nanocrystalline semiconducting polymers which exhibit enhanced stretchability while maintaining similar electronic performance. The degradation of these polymers occurs orders of magnitude faster than their semicrystalline counterparts and can be achieved in milder acidic conditions resembling those found in the human body.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
