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Shen T, Liu D, Zhang J, Wei Z, Wang Y. A High-Mobility n-Type Noncovalently-Fused-Ring Polymer for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202409018. [PMID: 38856227 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202409018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers are emerging as competitive candidates for organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). However, to make the device truly pervasive, both p- and n-type conjugated polymers are essential. Despite great efforts, no n-type equivalents to the p-type benchmark PEDOT:PSS exist to date mainly due to the low electrical conductivity (σ). Herein, a near-amorphous n-type conjugated polymer, namely pDFSe, is reported with high σ by achieving the synergy between charge transport and doping efficiency. The polymer pDFSe is synthesized based on an acceptor-triad moiety of diketopyrrolopyrrole-difluorobenzoselenadiazole-diketopyrrolopyrrole (DFSe), which has the noncovalently-fused-ring structure to reinforce the backbone rigidity. Furthermore, an axisymmetric thiophene-selenophene-thiophene donor is introduced, which enables the formation of near-amorphous microstructures. The above merits ensure good doping efficiency without scarifying efficient intrachain charge-carrier transport. Thus, pDFSe-based n-type transistors exhibit high electron mobility up to 6.15 cm2 V-1 s-1, much higher than its reference polymer pDSe without the noncovalently-fused-ring structure (0.77 cm2 V-1 s-1). Further upon n-doping, pDFSe demonstrates excellent σ of 62.6 S cm-1 and maximum power factor of 133.1 μW m-1 K-2, which are among the highest values reported for solution-processed n-type polymers. The results demonstrate the great potential of near-amorphous n-type conjugated polymers with noncovalently-fused-ring structure for the next-generation OTEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Di Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
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2
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Gao Y, Ke Y, Wang T, Shi Y, Wang C, Ding S, Wang Y, Deng Y, Hu W, Geng Y. An n-Type Conjugated Polymer with Low Crystallinity for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402642. [PMID: 38453641 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers (CPs) with low crystallinity are promising candidates for application in organic thermoelectrics (OTEs), particularly in flexible devices, because the disordered structures of these CPs can effectively accommodate dopants and ensure robust resistance to bending. However, n-doped CPs usually exhibit poor thermoelectric performance, which hinders the development of high-performance thermoelectric generators. Herein, we report an n-type CP (ThDPP-CNBTz) comprising two acceptor units: a thiophene-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole and a cyano-functionalized benzothiadiazole. ThDPP-CNBTz shows a low LUMO energy level of below -4.20 eV and features low crystallinity, enabling high doping efficiency. Moreover, the dual-acceptor design enhances polaron delocalization, resulting in good thermoelectric performance. After n-doping, ThDPP-CNBTz exhibits an average electrical conductivity (σ) of 50.6 S cm-1 and a maximum power factor (PF) of 126.8 μW m-1 K-2, which is among the highest values reported for solution-processed n-type CPs to date. Additionally, a solution-processed flexible OTE device based on doped ThDPP-CNBTz exhibits a maximum PF of 70 μW m-1 K-2; the flexible device also shows remarkable resistance to bending strain, with only a marginal change in σ after 600 bending cycles. The findings presented in this work will advance the development of n-type CPs for OTE devices, and flexible devices in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yunzhe Ke
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Tianzuo Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yibo Shi
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Shuaishuai Ding
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yupu Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yunfeng Deng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, China
| | - Wenping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, China
| | - Yanhou Geng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, P.R. China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, China
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3
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Tseng CC, Wang KC, Lin PS, Chang C, Yeh LL, Tung SH, Liu CL, Cheng YJ. Intrinsically Stretchable Organic Thermoelectric Polymers Enabled by Incorporating Fused-Ring Conjugated Breakers. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2401966. [PMID: 38733223 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
While research on organic thermoelectric polymers is making significant progress in recent years, realization of a single polymer material possessing both thermoelectric properties and stretchability for the next generation of self-powered wearable electronics is a challenging task and remains an area yet to be explored. A new molecular engineering concept of "conjugated breaker" is employed to impart stretchability to a highly crystalline diketopyrrolepyrrole (DPP)-based polymer. A hexacyclic diindenothieno[2,3-b]thiophene (DITT) unit, with two 4-octyloxyphenyl groups substituted at the tetrahedral sp3-carbon bridges, is selected to function as the conjugated breaker that can sterically hinder intermolecular packing to reduce polymers' crystallinity. A series of donor-acceptor random copolymers is thus developed via polymerizing the crystalline DPP units with the DITT conjugated breakers. By controlling the monomeric DPP/DITT ratios, DITT30 reaches the optimal balance of crystalline/amorphous regions, exhibiting an exceptional power factor (PF) value up to 12.5 µW m-1 K-2 after FeCl3-doping; while, simultaneously displaying the capability to withstand strains exceeding 100%. More significantly, the doped DITT30 film possesses excellent mechanical endurance, retaining 80% of its initial PF value after 200 cycles of stretching/releasing at a strain of 50%. This research marks a pioneering achievement in creating intrinsically stretchable polymers with exceptional thermoelectric properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chun Tseng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Chieh Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Po-Shen Lin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chi Chang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
| | - Li-Lun Yeh
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Liang Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Advanced Research Center of Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ju Cheng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
- Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
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4
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Liu D, Zhao Y, Zhang J, Wei Z, Liu Y, Wang Y. Bis(benzoselenadiazol)ethane: A π-Extended Acceptor-Dimeric Unit for Ambipolar Polymer Transistors with Hole and Electron Mobilities Exceeding 10 cm 2 V -1 s -1. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400061. [PMID: 38440917 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The lack of ambipolar polymers with balanced hole (μh) and electron mobilities (μe) >10 cm2 V-1 s-1 is the main bottleneck for developing organic integrated circuits. Herein, we show the design and synthesis of a π-extended selenium-containing acceptor-dimeric unit, namely benzo[c][1,2,5]selenadiazol-4-yl)ethane (BBSeE), to address this dilemma. In comparison to its sulfur-counterpart, BBSeE demonstrates enlarged co-planarity, selective noncovalent interactions, polarized Se-N bond, and higher electron affinity. The successful stannylation of BBSeE offers a great opportunity to access acceptor-acceptor copolymer pN-BBSeE, which shows a narrower band gap, lower-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level (-4.05 eV), and a higher degree of backbone planarity. Consequently, the pN-BBSeE-based organic transistors display an ideally balanced ambipolar transporting property with μh and μe of 10.65 and 10.72 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the simultaneous μh/μe values >10.0 cm2 V-1 s-1 are the best performances ever reported for ambipolar polymers. In addition, pN-BBSeE shows an excellent shelf-storage stability, retaining over 85 % of the initial mobility values after two months storage. Our study demonstrates the π-extended acceptor-dimeric BBSeE is a promising acceptor building block for constructing high-performance ambipolar polymers applied in next-generation organic integrated circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 2005, Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yinghan Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 2005, Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yunqi Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 2005, Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 2005, Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
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5
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Wang X, Zhang L, Wu J, Xue M, Gu Q, Qi J, Kang F, He Q, Zhong X, Zhang Q. Constructing N-Containing Poly(p-Phenylene) (PPP) Films Through A Cathodic-Dehalogenation Polymerization Method. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400185. [PMID: 38616739 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Developing the films of N-containing unsubstituted poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) films for diverse applications is significant and highly desirable because the replacement of sp2 C atoms with sp2 N atoms will bring novel properties to the as-prepared polymers. In this research, an electrochemical-dehalogenation polymerization strategy is employed to construct two N-containing PPP films under constant potentials, where 2,5-diiodopyridine (DIPy) and 2,5-dibromopyrazine (DBPz) are used as starting agents. The corresponding polymers are named CityU-23 (for polypyridine) and CityU-24 (for polypyrazine). Moreover, it is found that both polymers can form films in situ on different conductive substrates (i.e., silicon, gold, ITO, and nickel), satisfying potential device fabrication. Furthermore, the as-obtained thin films of CityU-23 and CityU-24 exhibit good performance of alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction with the overpotential of 212.8 and 180.7 mV and the Tafel slope of 157.0 and 122.4 mV dec-1, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jinghang Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Miaomiao Xue
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qianfeng Gu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Junlei Qi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fangyuan Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qiyuan He
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Matter Science Research Institute (Futian, Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518048, P. R. China
- Nanomanufacturing Laboratory (NML), City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, P. R. China
| | - Qichun Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
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6
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Yang Q, Chen S, Wang D, Qiu Y, Chen Z, Yang H, Chen X, Yin Z, Pan C. The Enhanced Thermoelectric and Mechanical Performance of Polythiophene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites with Polar Ethylene Glycol Branched-Chain Modifications. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:943. [PMID: 38611201 PMCID: PMC11013142 DOI: 10.3390/polym16070943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to develop flexible thermoelectric materials with thermoelectric and mechanical properties, in this study, we designed and synthesized polythiophene derivatives with branched ethylene glycol polar side-chains named P3MBTEMT, which were used in combination with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to prepare composite thin films and flexible thermoelectric devices. A comparison was made with a polymer named P3(TEG)T, which has a polar alkoxy linear chain. The UV-vis results indicated that the larger steric hindrances of the branched ethylene glycol side-chain in P3MBTEMT could inhibit its self-aggregation and had a stronger interaction with the SWCNTs compared to that of P3(TEG)T, which was also confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. When the mass ratio of SWCNTs to P3MBTEMT was 9:1 (represented as P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9), the composite film exhibited the highest thermoelectric properties with a power factor of 446.98 μW m-1 K-2, which was more than two times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (215.08 μW m-1 K-2). The output power of the thermoelectric device with P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9 was 2483.92 nW at 50 K, which was 1.66 times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (1492.65 nW). Furthermore, the P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.5 showed superior mechanical properties compared to P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.5. These results indicated that the mechanical and thermoelectric performances of polymer/SWCNT composites could be significantly improved by adding polar branched side-chains to conjugated polymers. This study provided a new strategy for creating high-performing novel flexible thermoelectric materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Shihong Chen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Dagang Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Yongfu Qiu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zhongming Chen
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China; (Y.Q.); (Z.C.)
| | - Haixin Yang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Zijian Yin
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Chengjun Pan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; (Q.Y.); (S.C.); (D.W.); (H.Y.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.)
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7
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Tu L, Wang J, Wu Z, Li J, Yang W, Liu B, Wu S, Xia X, Wang Y, Woo HY, Shi Y. Cyano-Functionalized Pyrazine: A Structurally Simple and Easily Accessible Electron-Deficient Building Block for n-Type Organic Thermoelectric Polymers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202319658. [PMID: 38265195 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202319658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Developing low-cost and high-performance n-type polymer semiconductors is essential to accelerate the application of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). To achieve this objective, it is critical to design strong electron-deficient building blocks with simple structure and easy synthesis, which are essential for the development of n-type polymer semiconductors. Herein, we synthesized two cyano-functionalized highly electron-deficient building blocks, namely 3,6-dibromopyrazine-2-carbonitrile (CNPz) and 3,6-Dibromopyrazine-2,5-dicarbonitrile (DCNPz), which feature simple structures and facile synthesis. CNPz and DCNPz can be obtained via only one-step reaction and three-step reactions from cheap raw materials, respectively. Based on CNPz and DCNPz, two acceptor-acceptor (A-A) polymers, P(DPP-CNPz) and P(DPP-DCNPz) are successfully developed, featuring deep-positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, which are beneficial to n-type organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) and OTEs performance. An optimal unipolar electron mobility of 0.85 and 1.85 cm2 V-1 s-1 is obtained for P(DPP-CNPz) and P(DPP-DCNPz), respectively. When doped with N-DMBI, P(DPP-CNPz) and P(DPP-DCNPz) show high n-type electrical conductivities/power factors of 25.3 S cm-1 /41.4 μW m-1 K-2 , and 33.9 S cm-1 /30.4 μW m-1 K-2 , respectively. Hence, the cyano-functionalized pyrazine CNPz and DCNPz represent a new class of structurally simple, low-cost and readily accessible electron-deficient building block for constructing n-type polymer semiconductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Tu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, No.189, Jiuhua South Road, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Junwei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Ziang Wu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-713, Korea
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Wanli Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Siqi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, No.189, Jiuhua South Road, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Xiaomin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, No.189, Jiuhua South Road, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Yimei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-713, Korea
| | - Yongqiang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, No.189, Jiuhua South Road, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
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8
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Li Y, Wu W, Wang Y, Huang E, Jeong SY, Woo HY, Guo X, Feng K. Multi-Selenophene Incorporated Thiazole Imide-Based n-Type Polymers for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316214. [PMID: 37996990 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Developing polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) after n-doping is a great challenge for the advance of the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, we report a series of thiazole imide-based n-type polymers by gradually increasing selenophene content in polymeric backbone. Thanks to the strong intramolecular noncovalent N⋅⋅⋅S interaction and enhanced intermolecular Se⋅⋅⋅Se interaction, with the increase of selenophene content, the polymers show gradually lowered LUMOs, more planar backbone, and improved film crystallinity versus the selenophene-free analogue. Consequently, polymer PDTzSI-Se with the highest selenophene content achieves a champion σ of 164.0 S cm-1 and a power factor of 49.0 μW m-1 K-2 in the series when applied in OTEs after n-doping. The σ value is the highest one for n-type donor-acceptor OTE materials reported to date. Our work indicates that selenophene substitution is a powerful strategy for developing high-performance n-type OTE materials and selenophene incorporated thiazole imides offer an excellent platform in enabling n-type polymers with high backbone coplanarity, deep-lying LUMO and enhanced mobility/conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongchun Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Wenchang Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Yimei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Enmin Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Sang Young Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, South Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, South Korea
| | - Xugang Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
| | - Kui Feng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
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Zhou Q, Liu C, Li J, Xie R, Zhang G, Ge X, Zhang Z, Zhang L, Chen J, Gong X, Yang C, Wang Y, Liu Y, Liu X. A skeletal randomization strategy for high-performance quinoidal-aromatic polymers. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2024; 11:283-296. [PMID: 37943155 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01143g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Enhancing the solution-processability of conjugated polymers (CPs) without diminishing their thin-film crystallinity is crucial for optimizing charge transport in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). However, this presents a classic "Goldilocks zone" dilemma, as conventional solubility-tuning methods for CPs typically yield an inverse correlation between solubility and crystallinity. To address this fundamental issue, a straightforward skeletal randomization strategy is implemented to construct a quinoid-donor conjugated polymer, PA4T-Ra, that contains para-azaquinodimethane (p-AQM) and oligothiophenes as repeat units. A systematic study is conducted to contrast its properties against polymer homologues constructed following conventional solubility-tuning strategies. An unusually concurrent improvement of solubility and crystallinity is realized in the random polymer PA4T-Ra, which shows moderate polymer chain aggregation, the highest crystallinity and the least lattice disorder. Consequently, PA4T-Ra-based OFETs, fabricated under ambient air conditions, deliver an excellent hole mobility of 3.11 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is about 30 times higher than that of the other homologues and ranks among the highest for quinoidal CPs. These findings debunk the prevalent assumption that a random polymer backbone sequence results in decreased crystallinity. The considerable advantages of the skeletal randomization strategy illuminate new possibilities for the control of polymer aggregation and future design of high-performance CPs, potentially accelerating the development and commercialization of organic electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanfeng Zhou
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Cheng Liu
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Jinlun Li
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Runze Xie
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Guoxiang Zhang
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Xiang Ge
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Zesheng Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lianjie Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Junwu Chen
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xiu Gong
- College of Physics, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Chen Yang
- College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yuanyu Wang
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Yi Liu
- The Molecular Foundry and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA.
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Xuncheng Liu
- College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
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Li M, Yang W, Cheng R, Liu X, Zhang Z, Tian X, Shi Y. Dipyridyl-Fused Quinoxalineimide (DPQI): A Strong Electron-Withdrawing Building Block for n-Type Polymer Semiconductors. Chem Asian J 2023:e202301009. [PMID: 38116900 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202301009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Exploration of new electron-withdrawing building blocks plays a key role in the development of n-type organic semiconductors. Herein, a strong electron-withdrawing building block, dipyridyl-fused quinoxalineimide (DPQI), was successfully designed and synthesized. Single-crystal structure reveals that DPQI molecule possesses a completely planar backbone, which is beneficial for charge transport. For comparison, dibenzo-fused quinoxalineimide (DBQI) was also synthesized. The frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy levels downshift with the incorporation of nitrogen atoms onto the π-conjugated backbone of quinoxalineimide. Two acceptor-acceptor (or all-acceptor) polymers P(BTI-DBQI) and P(BTI-DPQI) based on DBQI and DPQI were synthesized, respectively. Two polymers exhibit deep lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels (~-3.5 eV). Additionally, P(BTI-DPQI) exhibits unipolar n-type charge transport with μe of 1.4×10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 in the organic field-effect transistors (OFET), which render them highly attractive for developing n-type semiconductors device. This work demonstrates that DPQI is a promising building block for constructing n-type polymer semiconductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Wanli Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Rong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Xuantong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Zihan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Xiaowen Tian
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
| | - Yongqiang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China
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Ahn Y, Hwang S, Kye H, Kim MS, Lee WH, Kim BG. Side-Chain-Assisted Transition of Conjugated Polymers from a Semiconductor to Conductor and Comparison of Their NO 2 Sensing Characteristics. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:2877. [PMID: 37049171 PMCID: PMC10095908 DOI: 10.3390/ma16072877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the effect of a side chain on the electrical properties of a conjugated polymer (CP), we designed two different CPs containing alkyl and ethylene glycol (EG) derivatives as side chains on the same conjugated backbone with an electron donor-acceptor (D-A) type chain configuration. PTQ-T with an alkyl side chain showed typical p-type semiconducting properties, whereas PTQ-TEG with an EG-based side chain exhibited electrically conductive behavior. Both CPs generated radical species owing to their strong D-A type conjugated structure; however, the spin density was much greater in PTQ-TEG. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the O atoms of the EG-based side chains in PTQ-TEG were intercalated with the conjugated backbone and increased the carrier density. Upon application to a field-effect transistor sensor for PTQ-T and resistive sensor for PTQ-TEG, PTQ-TEG exhibited a better NO2 detection capability with faster signal recovery characteristics than PTQ-T. Compared with the relatively rigid alkyl side chains of PTQ-T, the flexible EG-based side chains in PTQ-TEG have a higher potential to enlarge the free volume as well as improve NO2-affinity, which promotes the diffusion of NO2 in and out of the PTQ-TEG film, and ultimately resulting in better NO2 detection capabilities.
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Effects of Different Lengths of Oligo (Ethylene Glycol) Side Chains on the Electrochromic and Photovoltaic Properties of Benzothiadiazole-Based Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymers. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052056. [PMID: 36903301 PMCID: PMC10004708 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, donor-acceptor (D-A)-type conjugated polymers have been widely used in the field of organic solar cells (OSCs) and electrochromism (EC). Considering the poor solubility of D-A conjugated polymers, the solvents used in material processing and related device preparation are mostly toxic halogenated solvents, which have become the biggest obstacle to the future commercial process of the OSC and EC field. Herein, we designed and synthesized three novel D-A conjugated polymers, PBDT1-DTBF, PBDT2-DTBF, and PBDT3-DTBF, by introducing polar oligo (ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains of different lengths in the donor unit benzodithiophene (BDT) as side chain modification. Studies on solubility, optics, electrochemical, photovoltaic and electrochromic properties are conducted, and the influence of the introduction of OEG side chains on its basic properties is also discussed. Studies on solubility and electrochromic properties show unusual trends that need further research. However, since PBDT-DTBF-class polymers and acceptor IT-4F failed to form proper morphology under the low-boiling point solvent THF solvent processing, the photovoltaic performance of prepared devices is not ideal. However, films with THF as processing solvent showed relatively desirable electrochromic properties and films cast from THF display higher CE than CB as the solvent. Therefore, this class of polymers has application feasibility for green solvent processing in the OSC and EC fields. The research provides an idea for the design of green solvent-processable polymer solar cell materials in the future and a meaningful exploration of the application of green solvents in the field of electrochromism.
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