Project R-16021

From defect to opportunity: in-depth analysis of structural defects in conjugated polymers and their impact on (flexible) organic electronics (Research)

Conjugated polymers hold great promise for (opto)electronic applications such as organic solar cells, photodetectors, and (wearable) transistors. Yet, some critical challenges remain, limiting their widespread use, e.g. the presence of structural defects in state-of-the-art polymer semiconductors and material reproducibility. For the commonly employed polymerization approaches, monomer alternation is simply assumed rather than properly analyzed, and the occurrence of defects is mostly neglected, although their negative impact on device performance has been demonstrated. This results in strong batch-to-batch variations and even erroneous structure-property relationships and hinders further development in the field of organic electronics. In this project, my goal is to systematically explore the impact of such structural defects by comparing specific benchmark polymers to newly synthesized defect-free analogs. Moreover, systematic defect introduction allows the identification of potential beneficial impacts on material and device performance. My studies will then also extend into the electro-optical domain, unraveling the influence of structural defects on key material charge transport and flexible electronics device parameters. Through collaborative interdisciplinary efforts, this project aims to fill fundamental knowledge gaps and gather essential insights on the importance of reproducible conjugated polymer materials to advance organic semiconductor technologies.

01 November 2025 - 31 October 2028