Efficient molecular doping of polymeric semiconductors improved by coupled reaction

Abstract

Exploring chemical doping method to improve the electrical conductivity of polymers is still very attractive for researchers. In this work, we report a developed method of doping a polymer semiconductor aided by the coupled reaction that commonly exists in biological systems where a non-spontaneous reaction is driven by a spontaneous reaction. During the doping process, the chemical reaction between the dopant and the polymer is promoted by introducing a thermodynamically favorable reaction via adding additives that are highly reactive to the reduction product of the dopant to form a coupled reaction, thus significantly improving the electrical conductivity of polymers by 3–7 orders. This coupled reaction doping process shows the potential of wide applications in exploring efficient doping systems to prepare functional conducting polymers, which could be a powerful tool for modern organic electronics.