Toughening of a Soft Polar Polythiophene through Copolymerization with Hard Urethane Segments
Journal article, 2021

Polar polythiophenes with oligoethylene glycol side chains are exceedingly soft materials. A low glass transition temperature and low degree of crystallinity prevents their use as a bulk material. The synthesis of a copolymer comprising 1) soft polythiophene blocks with tetraethylene glycol side chains, and 2) hard urethane segments is reported. The molecular design is contrary to that of other semiconductor-insulator copolymers, which typically combine a soft nonconjugated spacer with hard conjugated segments. Copolymerization of polar polythiophenes and urethane segments results in a ductile material that can be used as a free-standing solid. The copolymer displays a storage modulus of 25 MPa at room temperature, elongation at break of 95%, and a reduced degree of swelling due to hydrogen bonding. Both chemical doping and electrochemical oxidation reveal that the introduction of urethane segments does not unduly reduce the hole charge-carrier mobility and ability to take up charge. Further, stable operation is observed when the copolymer is used as the active layer of organic electrochemical transistors.

organic electrochemical transistors (OECT)

polar conjugated polymers

swelling

chemical and electrochemical doping

urethane

Author

Sepideh Zokaei

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Renee Kroon

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Johannes Gladisch

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Linköping University

Bryan D. Paulsen

Northwestern University

Wonil Sohn

Northwestern University

Anna Hofmann

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Gustav Persson

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Arne Stamm

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Per Olof Syrén

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Eva Olsson

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Jonathan Rivnay

Northwestern University

Eleni Stavrinidou

Linköping University

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Anja Lund

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Christian Müller

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Advanced Science

2198-3844 (ISSN) 21983844 (eISSN)

Vol. 8 2 2002778

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

Infrastructure

Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory

DOI

10.1002/advs.202002778

More information

Latest update

4/11/2023