Search for: All records

The solution processability of organic semiconductors and conjugated polymers along with the advent of nanomaterials as conducting inks have revolutionized next-generation flexible consumer electronics. Another equally important class of nanomaterials, self-assembled peptides, heralded as next-generation materials for bioelectronics, have a lot of potential in printed technology. In this minireview, we address the self-assembly process in dipeptides, their application in electronics, and recent progress in three-dimensional printing. The prospect of a generalizable path for nanopatterning self-assembled peptides using ice lithography and its challenges are further discussed. 

The use of high κ dielectrics lowers the operating voltage in organic field-effect transistors (FETs). Polymer ferroelectrics open the path not just for high κ values but allow processing of the dielectric films via electrical poling. Poled ferroelectric dielectrics in p-type organic FETs was seen to improve carrier mobility and reduce leakage current when compared to unpoled devices using the same dielectric. For n-type FETs, solution-processed ZnO films provide a viable low-cost option. UV–ozone-treated ZnO films was seen to improve the FET performance due to the filling of oxygen vacancies. P-type FETs were fabricated using the ferroelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) as the dielectric along with a donor–acceptor polymer based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-DTT) as the semiconductor layer. The DPP-DTT FETs yield carrier mobilities upwards of 0.4 cm2/Vs and high on/off ratios when the PVDF-TrFE layer is electrically poled. For n-type FETs, UV–ozone-treated sol–gel ZnO films on SiO2 yield carrier mobilities of 10−2 cm2/Vs. DPP-DTT-based p- and ZnO-based n-type FETs were used in a complementary voltage inverter circuit, showing promising characteristic gain. A basic inverter model was used to simulate the inverter characteristics, using parameters from the individual FET characteristics.