Work

Highly oriented semiconducting polymer nanofilm with enhanced crystallinity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Semiconducting polymers are crucial in flexible and wearable intelligent organic electronic devices. However, their crystallization remains a significant challenge because the crystallization kinetics is limited by the rigid conjugation structure and strong intermolecular π-π stacking. This leads to energetic disorder in electronic structure and poor charge transport, which severely hinders electrical performances of devices. Herein, we report highly oriented semiconducting polymers with enhanced crystallinity prepared by low-temperature plasma-driven evaporation process, during which polymer chains cross the energy barrier and crystallization kinetic for approaching torsion-free conformations. This material possesses an extended intrachain conjugation, ordered interchain stacking, high crystallinity and narrowed density of states contribution, which causes the extraordinary electrical response to stimulations with the emphatic Seebeck coefficient and power factor 1017% and 8295% times those of spin-coated film, respectively. The crystallisation of semiconducting polymers is hindered by their rigid conjugated structures and π-π stacking, reducing their electrical performance. Here, the authors use a low-temperature plasma-driven evaporation process to prepare high crystallinity poly(aniline) films, leading to high Seebeck coefficient and power factor.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65709-9