An Introduction to Radical Polymers

Abstract

In the modern era, organic compounds (i.e., carbon-based small molecules and polymers) have earned a status of great import across various fields of modern material sciences. Beyond the realms of mere curiosity and fundamental research, the commercialization of organic electronics [e.g., organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)] has boosted the impetus to elucidate the fundamentals regarding the vast chemistry and related physical properties and device opportunities of organic materials (Fig. 1.1) [1]. This is because organic materials are often preferred over their inorganic counterparts in electronic devices where their relatively lower costs of production, earth-abundant materials compositions, ease of fine-tuning and processing, mechanical robustness and flexibility, and relatively benign environmental hazards are of primary concern [2].