1 research outputs found
Nature-Inspired Semiconducting Polymers with Peptide Conjugation Breakers for Intrinsically Stretchable and Self-Healable Transistors
Intrinsically stretchable and self-healable polymer semiconductors
have recently been extensively studied for flexible and wearable electronics.
However, challenges lie in the scarcity of molecular designs, laborious
synthesis, and an incomplete understanding of energy dissipation mechanisms.
Nature-inspired peptide conjugation breakers (PCBs) can provide a
robust system for expanding the molecular scope systematically due
to the structural diversity of peptides concerning steric bulkiness
and polarity. In this study, novel intrinsically stretchable and self-healable
semiconducting polymers are developed by integrating PCBs into a diketopyrrolopyrrole
moiety, and the distinct roles of intermolecular and intramolecular
hydrogen bonds in stretchability are investigated. The former mainly
disrupts chain packing and results in reduced crystallinity, while
the latter restricts the conformational flexibility of the chain.
Remarkably, the polymer containing a glycine-based PCB demonstrates
a high mobility of 0.12 cm2 V–1 s–1 with good cyclic durability and a crack-onset strain
exceeding 100%. Mobility remains stable even at 100% strain in both
rigid and fully stretchable transistors with self-healing characteristics.
These results, for the first time, underscore the usefulness of nature-inspired
moieties in stretchable and self-healable electronics and provide
a molecular design strategy that balances intermolecular and intramolecular
hydrogen bonds, thereby yielding desirable electrical and mechanical
properties