The Quest for Air Stability in Organic Semiconductors

Abstract

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) have emerged as promising materials for a variety of organic electronic devices due to their unique combination of electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and processability. Despite significant advancements in the performance and functionalities of organic devices, their widespread adoption stems from challenges in long-term operational stability and sensitivity to moisture and oxygen in ambient air. Although several reviews in respective fields of organic electronic devices highlight the role of molecular structure in optimizing device performance, a unified picture to achieve long-term air stability of these devices is still lacking. To this end, this review provides an in-depth thermodynamic consideration of the redox reactions involving ambient species and pristine or doped OSCs that limit the operational stability of their corresponding devices in air. This review also explores recent advancements in both polymer and dopant design and rationalizes the commonalities of molecular design that drive the development of air-stable conducting polymers for various organic electronic applications. The insights presented in this review contribute to the understanding of the critical role played by air-stable conducting polymers in the realization of reliable and commercially viable organic electronic devices.

Synthesis of New Ruthenium Complexes and Their Exploratory Study as Polymer Hybrid Composites in Organic Electronics

“…The value of E U is zero in a perfect semiconductor [39] and in this study the values are less than 0.5 eV, which is an indication that although the films have several phases due to the mixture between the PMMA and the ruthenium complexes, the interaction between the two materials allows the transport of charges through their interfaces. Furthermore, the band gap values obtained, as well as the transmittance and absorbance presented by the hybrid films, are indicative of the adequate semiconductor behavior that they could have as transparent electrodes or active layers, in devices such as, for example, organic solar cells [2], flexible displays [40,41], or polymer light-emmitting diodes [42].…”

“…Furthermore, to mention some of the aspects that could be carried out in future studies, the electrical conductivity in devices with these hybrid films can be increased with the inclusion of electron transport layers, hole transport layers, or by modifying the thicknesses. transparent electrodes or active layers, in devices such as, for example, organic solar cells [2], flexible displays [40,41], or polymer light-emmitting diodes [42]. Finally, in order to evaluate the current density (J) transported at room temperature in the hybrid films, glass/FTO/hybrid film/Ag devices were manufactured using FTO as an anode and Ag as the cathode.…”

Asymmetrical Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivatives with Improved Solubility and Balanced Charge Transport Properties

“…This combination of properties opens the way, from one side, to low-cost manufacturing techniques and, from the other, to novel possible applications not affordable for silicon-based electronics [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. In addition, a further strength of this area of research is the possibility of fine-tuning electrical, optical, and other auxiliary properties of organic semiconductors by a proper molecular design [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The last years have witnessed the development of a huge number of new materials potentially promising for applications in several fields of organic electronics, thanks to either experimental study based on empirical intuition [ 20 ] or through theoretical design [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Dimensionality-Dependent Electronic Properties of the Highly Conducting n-Type Polymer, Poly(benzodifurandione)

“…Following a tandem polymerization/reductive doping process, the backbone ends up carrying excess negative charges (nearly 0.9 excess electron per BDF unit), with protons serving as counterions. n-PBDF displays the highest n-type electrical conductivity measured to date, up to 6000 S/cm. , Also, n-PBDF has been shown to exhibit both kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities, which makes it a promising candidate across a diverse range of applications, from electrochemical transistors to thermoelectric devices and transparent conducting electrodes. − These advances have stimulated considerable interest in the realm of organic electronics − and call for a comprehensive understanding of the electronic properties of this polymer.…”