n-Type organic semiconducting polymers: stability limitations, design considerations and applications

Abstract

This review summarises high performing n-type polymers for use in organic thin film transistors, organic electrochemical transistors and organic thermoelectric devices with a focus on stability issues arising in these electron transporting materials.

Molecular Design Strategies toward Improvement of Charge Injection and Ionic Conduction in Organic Mixed Ionic–Electronic Conductors for Organic Electrochemical Transistors

“… 157 With these points of lower energy, mobility decreases due to low intermolecular electronic coupling arising from increased distances between electron wave functions. 152 …”

“…Indeed, the highest performing OECT materials each feature glycol side chains as the ionic conduction component. 152 , 183 Despite this, the lack of side chain diversity within the current library of OMIEC materials is an undeniable hole in the literature, and future studies are expected to investigate alternatives, although it should be noted that such studies will be extremely synthetically costly.…”

Flexible N-Type Thermoelectric Composites Based on Non-Conductive Polymer with Innovative Bi2Se3-CNT Hybrid Nanostructured Filler

“…Regarding n-type materials, some of the more promising polymeric n-type semiconductors include naphtalenedicarboximide bithiophene derivatives, linear ladder type polymers, halogenated derivatives of benzodifurandione poly(p-phenylene vinylene) and insoluble organometallic compounds as reported by Beretta et al [ 4 ]. However, the significant drawback of these materials is their poor stability in air and humid environment and very narrow range of operation temperatures limited to near-room values [ 5 ].…”

The effect of side chain engineering on conjugated polymers in organic electrochemical transistors for bioelectronic applications

“…The composition and nuances of side chains, which have been synthetically tethered to channel materials for OECTs is as vast as the number of backbones which have been studied. 21,93 Whilst PEDOT:PSS has dominated the field of OECT applications the wealth of examples employing side chain engineering, specifically for OECT active channel materials, is extensive and offers valuable insight into the importance this synthetic tool has. Indeed, the so called “second generation” of semiconducting polymers, namely polythiophene materials, has demonstrated the efficacy of EG based side chains as the current gold standard to produce OMIECs for OECTs.…”