Template-mediated nano-crystallite networks in semiconducting polymers.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24939244.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms5183.
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Abstract
Unlike typical inorganic semiconductors with a crystal structure, the charge dynamics of π-conjugated polymers (π-CPs) are severely limited by the presence of amorphous portions between the ordered crystalline regions. Thus, the formation of interconnected pathways along crystallites of π-CPs is desired to ensure highly efficient charge transport in printable electronics. Here we report the formation of nano-crystallite networks in π-CP films by employing novel template-mediated crystallization (TMC) via polaron formation and electrostatic interaction. The lateral and vertical charge transport of TMC-treated films increased by two orders of magnitude compared with pristine π-CPs. In particular, because of the unprecedented room temperature and solution-processing advantages of our TMC method, we achieve a field-effect mobility of 0.25 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) using a plastic substrate, which corresponds to the highest value reported thus far. Because our findings can be applied to various π-conjugated semiconductors, our approach is universal and is expected to yield high-performance printable electronics.