Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (5): 1019-1030.doi: 10.1007/s40242-021-1269-1

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n-Type D-A Conjugated Polymers: Relationship Between Microstructure and Electrical/Mechanical Performance

LIU Xinyu1,2, YAN Ye1,2, ZHANG Qiang1, ZHAO Kefeng1, HAN Yanchun1,2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China;
    2. University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
  • Received:2021-07-15 Revised:2021-08-05 Online:2021-10-01 Published:2021-09-30
  • Contact: HAN Yanchun E-mail:ychan@ciac.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51933010).

Abstract: Conjugated polymers are widely applied in optoelectronic devices due to their excellent optoelectronic properties, solution processibility, and intrinsic flexibility. High-performance films could be achieved with joint efforts from both molecular structure and film solid microstructure. Herein, research progress of the relationship between microstructure and electrical/mechanical performance of poly{[N,N'-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-representative of n-type donor-acceptor conjugated polymers, is reviewed. Its strong aggregation in solution is underlined and the methods to tune the degree of aggregation, such as solvent quality, molecular weight, and regioregularity, are compared. A liquid-crystalline behavior is evidenced in highly concentrated solutions during film drying, which favors the formation of highly anisotropic structures. Moreover, alignment techniques and thermal annealing are used to regulate molecular orientation and polymorphism in films. These structure characteristics offer great potential for researchers to handle film performances. Up to now, more attention has been paid to optimize the electrical performance of the devices. Achieving high-performance n-type conjugated polymer films with both superior mechanical and electrical properties is a newly emerging focus.

Key words: n-Type D-A conjugated polymer, P(NDI2OD-T2), Solution aggregation, Structure-property relationship