Materials Chemistry, Device Engineering, and Promising Applications of Polymer Transistors

Abstract

Organic transistors are a key building block in current organic and printable electronics. This Perspective overviews the development, applications, and opportunities of the organic transistor to provide a quick guide map and insight into the materials chemistry and engineering of organic transistors. We begin by addressing the basics of organic semiconductors, followed by the development of materials for organic transistors. The main topic of interest in materials development is semiconducting materials for the active channel in transistors. We also briefly cover electrodes and insulators. We then highlight the major issues and development noted in organic transistors when increasing the charge-carrier mobility, introducing additional functionalities, developing n-type materials, engineering processing methods, applying ionic systems, and seeking novel opportunities in devices. We also discuss the recent advances made by materials chemists and engineers in developing better-performing materials and novel electronic devices. Organic transistors are of significant interest from scientific and practical standpoints. Various applications of organic transistors can be developed on the basis of the combinations of molecular tunability, low-temperature processability, and mechanical deformability of materials.

Cyano‐Functionalized Fused Bithiophene Imide Dimer‐Based n‐Type Polymers for High‐Performance Organic Thermoelectrics

“…4‐(1,3‐Dimethyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐benzoimidazol‐2‐yl)phenyl)dimethylamine ( N ‐DMBI) is selected as the dopant due to its strong reducing ability, ready solution processability, and good stability. [ 8,30,57–59 ] As shown in Figure a, there is no obvious absorption band over 800 nm for all pristine films. After doped with N ‐DMBI, the absorption band in the range of 400–800 nm clearly diminished accomplished by the appearance of substantial (bi)polaron absorption in the near‐infrared region for three polymers, indicative of efficient doping.…”

Materials Design Strategies for Solvent-Resistant Organic Electronics

“…While there was a slight decrease in performance of the azide-containing polythiophene compared to a P3HT reference polymer, only the azide-containing polymer demonstrated continued performance after washing with chlorobenzene (Figure b), thus demonstrating that the cross-linked azide units conferred solvent resistance. This pioneering work led to many significant contributions toward the development of multilayer and solvent-resistant electronics such as solution-based sensors, OLEDs, and organic solar cells. − …”

Boron- and Nitrogen-Embedded Polycyclic Arenes as an Emerging Class of Organic Semiconductors

“…The past two decades have witnessed tremendous advances in this emerging field, and organic electronic devices, e.g., organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and organic photovoltaics (OPVs), have attracted enormous attention owing to their advantages of flexibility, light weight, low cost, etc. − π-Conjugated materials are usually employed as active layers in electronic devices, playing a crucial role in device performance. Many efforts have been devoted to developing novel optoelectronic materials, and the incorporation of heteroatoms into the conjugated backbones represents an effective strategy for enriching the structural diversity and modulating the optoelectronic properties. − …”