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Related Concept Videos

Semiconductors01:22

Semiconductors

There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
Types of Semiconductors01:20

Types of Semiconductors

Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael acceptor.
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, high molecular...

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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Electroactive Polymer Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photothermal Properties
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Electroactive Polymer Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photothermal Properties

Published on: January 8, 2016

Semiconducting polymers: the Third Generation.

Alan J Heeger1

  • 1University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA. ajhe1@physics.ucsb.edu

Chemical Society Reviews
|June 24, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Third Generation semiconducting polymers offer advanced molecular structures for improved performance. Recent studies highlight stable materials, efficient self-assembly, and high-efficiency solar cells and photodetectors.

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Ambient Method for the Production of an Ionically Gated Carbon Nanotube Common Cathode in Tandem Organic Solar Cells

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Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Electroactive Polymer Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photothermal Properties
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Ambient Method for the Production of an Ionically Gated Carbon Nanotube Common Cathode in Tandem Organic Solar Cells
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Ambient Method for the Production of an Ionically Gated Carbon Nanotube Common Cathode in Tandem Organic Solar Cells

Published on: November 5, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Organic Electronics
  • Polymer Science

Background:

  • Semiconducting polymer research has progressed from early polyacetylene to soluble polymers like poly(alkylthiophenes) and PPVs.
  • Third Generation semiconducting polymers feature complex structures, including highly ordered crystalline polymers and donor-acceptor co-polymers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review progress in the physics, materials science, and device science of Third Generation semiconducting polymers.
  • To emphasize recent advancements in stable semiconducting polymers, self-assembly, and high-performance devices.

Main Methods:

  • Focus on Third Generation semiconducting polymers with complex molecular architectures.
  • Review of recent studies on stable semiconducting polymers and self-assembly of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) materials.
  • Analysis of device performance in BHJ solar cells and photodetectors.

Main Results:

  • Development of stable semiconducting polymers.
  • Demonstration of spontaneous phase separation for BHJ material self-assembly.
  • Achieved near 100% internal quantum efficiency in BHJ solar cells.
  • Fabrication of high detectivity photodetectors using BHJ materials.

Conclusions:

  • Third Generation semiconducting polymers enable significant advancements in organic electronic devices.
  • BHJ materials and self-assembly techniques are crucial for high-performance solar cells and photodetectors.
  • Continued research in complex polymer structures promises further improvements in efficiency and stability.