Revealing the Full Potential of Mixed Ionic-Electronic Semiconductors – Avoiding Homocoupling to Boost Electrochemical Transistor Performance

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Abstract
Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) enable the transduction of ionic signals into electronic outputs, positioning them as ideal candidates for next-generation sensing and (bio)signal processing applications. Recent years have witnessed the development of various OECT channel materials, affording insights on structural fine-tuning to achieve optimal performance and/or stability. However, homocouplings, commonly present in alternating conjugated polymers, have largely been overlooked. This study investigates the effect of homocoupling on OECT materials by employing two synthesis methods – standard Stille polymerization and an alternative symmetric approach – to create the p-type enhancement-mode benchmark polymer pgBTTT. The impact of homocoupling, and its absence, is studied by comparing the bulk properties of the two polymers and evaluating their respective OECT metrics. The new, homocoupling-free polymer exhibits a notably improved OECT performance (μC*), mainly due to an increase in electronic mobility (μ), which is attributed to both the perfectly alternating structure and its higher molar mass.
Funding Information
  • Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (G025922N)
  • Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (1S70122N)
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE-AC02-76SF00515)

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