Combining Carbohydrate with Semiconducting Polymers: A New Sustainable Approach in Organic Electronics

The field of technology is innovating and growing, resulting in increased production of electronics. This has a large impact on our environment, and chemists are exploring a solution to reduce these effects2,4. Researchers in our group are utilizing a new, exciting approach to conventional electronic device fabrication with organic polymers. Organic Field Effect Transistors are a type of organic electronic device that uses semiconducting materials such as polymers as an active layer1,3. OFETS have excellent mechanical and optoelectronic properties and demonstrate high performance with air stability. OFETS are lightweight, stretchable, flexible, and applicable to innovation and design in technology1, such as bioelectronics, where they can be used as sensors. Our research uses isoindigo-based semiconducting polymers with carbohydrate side chains, making them biocompatible and more environmentally friendly2,3. Previously, our group developed polymers with enhanced solubility in more environmentally friendly solvents5. Building on previous works, our current research focuses on optimizing the synthesis and electronic performance of carbohydrate-containing semiconducting polymers. Our facile new synthetic approach involves less steps, higher yields, and better performance in OFETs. This presentation will discuss various aspects of the organic device fabrication process, with an emphasis on the new synthetic approach, and ways to optimize the resulting OFETs.