Intrinsically Stretchable Films via Blending Conjugated Polymer and Carbazole Semiconductor Fluid Plasticizer for Flexible Polymer Light-emitting Diodes
摘要
Fully π-conjugated polymers are promising for flexible optoelectronics; however, their inherent brittleness poses a challenge for achieving high-performance flexible electronic devices. In this study, we developed a carbazole-based semiconductor fluid plasticizer, TODPFCZ, to simultaneously enhance the stretchability and optoelectronic properties of poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) films using an external plasticizing strategy. The fluid TODPFCZ molecules incorporated into the F8BT matrix disrupted interchain π-π stacking and crystallinity, which significantly enhanced the stretchability, increasing the fracture strain from 18% to 44% and the crack-onset strain from 5% to 35%. Owing to the efficient energy transfer from TODPFCZ to F8BT, polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on the optimized blend films showed stable electroluminescence and maintained efficiency even after being pre-strained up to 15%, revealing outstanding stress tolerance. The blended films also exhibited excellent recoverability and thermoplasticity. This study demonstrates that carbazole-based semiconductor fluid plasticizers provide a versatile and effective pathway for designing high-performance, intrinsically stretchable, fully π-conjugated polymers for durable flexible electronics.