Green Synthesis of High-Performance Conjugated Polymers through Optimizing Fused-Ring Structures and Molecular...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Electronics
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Developing efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis methods is crucial for advancing organic semiconductor technology.
• Conjugated polymers are key materials for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a straightforward and green synthesis strategy for high-performance conjugated polymers.
• To design and synthesize novel conjugated polymers for OFET applications using commercially available building blocks.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of conjugated polymers incorporating multifused rings and benzodifuranedione via a green aldol condensation reaction.
• Systematic investigation of optical properties, molecular orbital energy levels, and microstructures.
• Fabrication and electrical characterization of polymer-based field-effect devices.

Main Results:

• A series of novel conjugated polymers were successfully synthesized and characterized.
• Device performance was optimized by tuning polymer structure, conjugation length, and molecular weight.
• The polymer with heptacyclic arenes (dithienothiophen[3,2-b]-pyrrolobenzothiadiazole) demonstrated a high mobility (>1.4 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) and an I_on/I_off ratio (>10⁶).

Conclusions:

• A green aldol synthesis strategy enables the preparation of high-performance polymer semiconductor materials.
• The developed materials show significant promise for advanced organic field-effect transistor applications.
• This work highlights the potential of sustainable chemistry in creating efficient organic electronic devices.