Organic semiconductor–insulator blends for scalable mixed ionic/electronic conductors

Research question

Blending organic semiconductors with insulating commodity polymers has been used to increase the performance and stability of devices, such as the field effect transistor, while decreasing costs. This project investigates the impact of insulating polymers on organic semiconductors with mixed ionic/electronic conductivity. The aim is to expand the library of insulators used in the blends beyond synthetic plastics, and to investigate new properties arising from these materials, such as solubility in non-chlorinated solvents.

Sustainability aspects

Current electronic devices, including short-term disposable sensors, integrate metals and semiconductors as the core device components. Organic semiconductors have the potential to decrease our dependency on critical raw materials in disposable devices, however, sustainability considerations should be integral part of materials design. This project integrates principles of green chemistry and scalable materials to decrease the embedded carbon and use of toxic solvents in the development of organic semiconductors for future green electronics.