Aligned Conjugated Polymer Nanofiber Networks in an Elastomer Matrix for High-Performance Printed Stretchable Electronics.

Abstract

Conjugated polymer films are promising in wearable X-ray detection. However, achieving optimal film microstructure possessing good electrical and detection performance under large deformation via scalable printing remains challenging. Herein, we report bar-coated high-performance stretchable films based on a conjugated polymer P(TDPP-Se) and elastomer SEBS blend by optimizing the solution-processing conditions. The moderate preaggregation in solution and prolonged growth dynamics from a solvent mixture with limited dissolving capacity is critical to forming aligned P(TDPP-Se) chains/crystalline nanofibers in the SEBS phase with enhanced π-π stacking for charge transport and stress dissipation. The film shows a large elongation at break of >400% and high mobilities of 5.29 cm² V^-1 s^-1 at 0% strain and 1.66 cm² V^-1 s^-1 over 500 stretch-release cycles at 50% strain, enabling good X-ray imaging with a high sensitivity of 1501.52 μC Gy_air^-1 cm^-2. Our work provides a morphology control strategy toward high-performance conjugated polymer film-based stretchable electronics.