title: Boosting the ambipolar performance of solution-processable polymer semiconductors via hybrid side-chain engineering.
abstract: Ambipolar polymer semiconductors are highly suited for use in flexible, printable, and large-area electronics as they exhibit both n-type (electron-transporting) and p-type (hole-transporting) operations within a single layer. This allows for cost-effective fabrication of complementary circuits with high noise immunity and operational stability. Currently, the performance of ambipolar polymer semiconductors lags behind that of their unipolar counterparts. Here, we report on the side-chain engineering of conjugated, alternating electron donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers using diketopyrrolopyrrole-selenophene copolymers with hybrid siloxane-solubilizing groups (PTDPPSe-Si) to enhance ambipolar performance. The alkyl spacer length of the hybrid side chains was systematically tuned to boost ambipolar performance. The optimized three-dimensional (3-D) charge transport of PTDPPSe-Si with pentyl spacers yielded unprecedentedly high hole and electron mobilities of 8.84 and 4.34 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively. These results provide guidelines for the molecular design of semiconducting polymers with hybrid side chains.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, KIER-UNIST Advanced Center for Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 689-798, South Korea.
authors.forename: Junghoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A-Reum
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hojeong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tae Joo
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Changduk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Joon Hak
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012666:Semiconductors; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D012996:Solutions