Increased Toughness and Excellent Electronic Properties in Polythiophenes

Today a new paper from the Sydlik Group appeared online in Advanced Electronic Materials! In collaboration with Prof. Genevieve Sauve at Case Western and Prof. Rick McCullough at Harvard, we synthesized and characterized a novel series of random copolymers of polythiophene. Unlike traditional electronics that are stiff and brittle, these plastics that conduct electricity were found to be exceptionally tough and flexible. This was as a result of the random incorporation of an unsubstituted thiophene into the polymer backbone. Further, these materials have excellent electronic properties, suggesting their potential for use in rollable, foldable electronics such as a portable solar cell. You can read the full paper here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aelm.201600316/full. This is just one example of how the concepts of polymer design have the potential transform our lives!

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