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Abstract The optoelectronic properties of semiconducting polymers and device performance rely on a delicate interplay of design and processing conditions. However, screening and optimizing the relationships between these parameters for reliably fabricating organic electronics can be an arduous task requiring significant time and resources. To overcome this challenge, Polybot is developed—a robotic platform within a self‐driving lab that can efficiently produce organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) from various semiconducting polymers via high‐throughput blade coating deposition. Polybot not only handles the fabrication process but also can conduct characterization tests on the devices and autonomously analyze the data gathered, thus facilitating the rapid acquisition of data on a large scale. This work leverages the capabilities of this platform to investigate the fabrication of OFETs using hydrogen bonding‐containing semiconducting polymers. Through high‐throughput fabrication and characterization, various data trends are analyzed, and large extents of anisotropic charge mobility are observed in devices. The materials are thoroughly characterized to understand the role of processing conditions in solid state and electronic properties of these organic semiconductors. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of automated fabrication and characterization platforms in uncovering novel structure–property relationships, facilitating refinement of rational chemical design, and processing conditions, ultimately leading to new semiconducting materials.
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From Chlorinated Solvents to Branched Polyethylene: Solvent‐Induced Phase Separation for the Greener Processing of Semiconducting Polymers
Abstract Despite having favorable optoelectronic and thermomechanical properties, the wide application of semiconducting polymers still suffers from limitations, particularly with regards to their processing in solution which necessitates toxic chlorinated solvents due to their intrinsic low solubility in common organic solvents. This work presents a novel greener approach to the fabrication of organic electronics without the use of toxic chlorinated solvents. Low‐molecular‐weight non‐toxic branched polyethylene (BPE) is used as a solvent to process diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based semiconducting polymers, then the solvent‐induced phase separation (SIPS) technique is adopted to produce films of semiconducting polymers from solution for the fabrication of organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). The films of semiconducting polymers prepared from BPE using SIPS show a more porous granular morphology with preferential edge‐on crystalline orientation compared to the semiconducting polymer film processed from chloroform. OFETs based on the semiconducting films processed from BPE show similar device characteristics to those prepared from chloroform without thermal annealing, confirming the efficiency and suitability of BPE to replace traditional chlorinated solvents for green organic electronics. This new greener processing approach for semiconducting polymers is potentially compatible with different printing techniques and is particularly promising for the preparation of porous semiconducting layers and the fabrication of OFET‐based electronics.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1757220
- PAR ID:
- 10362574
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Electronic Materials
- Volume:
- 8
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2199-160X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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