Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor:acceptor blends enables aqueous processing of water-insoluble conjugated polymers

Tiefeng Liu, Johanna Heimonen, Qilun Zhang, Chi-Yuan Yang, Jun-Da Huang, Han-Yan Wu, Marc-Antoine Stoeckel, Tom P. A. Pol, Yuxuan Li, Sang Young Jeong, Adam Marks, Xin-Yi Wang, Yuttapoom Puttisong, Asaminew Y. Shimolo, Xianjie Liu, Silan Zhang, Qifan Li, Matteo Massetti, Weimin M. Chen, Han Young Woo, Jian Pei, Iain McCulloch, Feng Gao, Mats Fahlman, Renee Kroon and Simone Fabiano ()
Additional contact information
Tiefeng Liu: Linköping University
Johanna Heimonen: Linköping University
Qilun Zhang: Linköping University
Chi-Yuan Yang: Linköping University
Jun-Da Huang: Linköping University
Han-Yan Wu: Linköping University
Marc-Antoine Stoeckel: Linköping University
Tom P. A. Pol: Linköping University
Yuxuan Li: Linköping University
Sang Young Jeong: Korea University
Adam Marks: University of Oxford
Xin-Yi Wang: Peking University
Yuttapoom Puttisong: Linköping University
Asaminew Y. Shimolo: Linköping University
Xianjie Liu: Linköping University
Silan Zhang: Linköping University
Qifan Li: Linköping University
Matteo Massetti: Linköping University
Weimin M. Chen: Linköping University
Han Young Woo: Korea University
Jian Pei: Peking University
Iain McCulloch: University of Oxford
Feng Gao: Linköping University
Mats Fahlman: Linköping University
Renee Kroon: Linköping University
Simone Fabiano: Linköping University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Water-based conductive inks are vital for the sustainable manufacturing and widespread adoption of organic electronic devices. Traditional methods to produce waterborne conductive polymers involve modifying their backbone with hydrophilic side chains or using surfactants to form and stabilize aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. However, these chemical approaches are not always feasible and can lead to poor material/device performance. Here, we demonstrate that ground-state electron transfer (GSET) between donor and acceptor polymers allows the processing of water-insoluble polymers from water. This approach enables macromolecular charge-transfer salts with 10,000× higher electrical conductivities than pristine polymers, low work function, and excellent thermal/solvent stability. These waterborne conductive films have technological implications for realizing high-performance organic solar cells, with efficiency and stability superior to conventional metal oxide electron transport layers, and organic electrochemical neurons with biorealistic firing frequency. Our findings demonstrate that GSET offers a promising avenue to develop water-based conductive inks for various applications in organic electronics.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44153-7

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