Enhancing the healing ability and charge transport thermal stability of a diketopyrrolopyrrole based conjugated polymer by incorporating coumarin groups in the side chains

In this paper, we present a new design strategy for healable polymeric semiconductors, which are demanding for the future flexible electronics, by incorporating coumarin groups in the polymer side chains. The selection of coumarin groups is based on the fact that photo-dimerization can occur to coumarins upon UV light irradiation, thus side chains of conjugated polymers with coumarins can be cross-linked. The photo-crosslinking of side chains has negligible effect on the thin film morphology and interchain packing order for the DPP-based conjugated polymer PDPP4T-DCM with coumarins in the side chains. However, the photo-crosslinking can facilitate the repair of the mechanically damaged thin film of PDPP4T-DCM and the recovery of the semiconducting properties. Additionally, the photo-crosslinking due to the coumarins in the side chains can lock thin film morphology and thus improve the thermal stability of charge transport.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a new design strategy for healable polymeric semiconductors by incorporating coumarin groups into the polymer side chains. The research shows that the photo-crosslinking effect of coumarins has minimal impact on the film morphology and interchain packing order of the conjugated polymer PDPP4T-DCM, while facilitating the repair of mechanically damaged films and the recovery of semiconductor properties. Additionally, the photo-crosslinking caused by coumarins can improve the thermal stability of charge transport by locking the film morphology.