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.
polar conjugated polymers
chemical and electrochemical doping
swelling
urethane
organic electrochemical transistors (OECT)
Author
Sepideh Zokaei
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Christian Müller Group
Renee Kroon
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Christian Müller Group
Johannes Gladisch
Linköping University
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Bryan D. Paulsen
Northwestern University
Wonil Sohn
Northwestern University
Anna Hofmann
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Christian Müller Group
Gustav Persson
Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics
Arne Stamm
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Per Olof Syrén
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
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
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Christian Müller Group
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Advanced Science
2198-3844 (ISSN)
Vol. 8 2 2002778Subject Categories
Polymer Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Materials Chemistry
DOI
10.1002/advs.202002778