Recent Progress in Intrinsically Stretchable Polymer Semiconductors for Stretchable Electronics

ABSTRACT Stretchable electronic devices have increasingly received interest both in the academic and industrial communities because of their potential to break the limitations of traditional rigid devices and further expand the fields of applications, especially in wearable and implantable devices. As the key component of stretchable transistors in stretchable electronics, the design of a suitable stretchable semiconductor is extremely urgent and essential, while the natural flexibility of polymer semiconductor makes it a promising material for stretchable electronics. However, high mechanical stretchability and high mobility simultaneously in one polymer semiconductor is still a challenge, because the two properties are opposite in relationship. In this review, recent strategies to enhance mechanical stretchability in polymer semiconductors while maintaining the mobilities are discussed, including molecular design, physical blending, and near‐amorphous polymer, with emphasis on the control of both thin‐film morphology and polymer‐chain dynamics in the stretchable polymer semiconductor film. Last, challenges and outline future research perspectives of stretchable polymer semiconductors are discussed in conclusions and future prospects.