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Materials News
New polymers for use as plastic electronics
A
lecturer in the US is researching organic polymers that mimic the properties of traditional inorganic semiconductors so that these polymers can be used in applications like solar cells, light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors.Malika Jeffries-EL, an Iowa State University assistant professor of chemistry, is working with a variety of benzobisazoles, molecules well suited for electrical applications because they efficiently transport electrons, are stable at high temperatures and can absorb photons, She is studying the relationship between polymer structures and the electronic, physical and optical properties of the materials as well as looking for ways to synthesise the polymers without the use of harsh acids and temperatures by making them soluble in organic solvents.
The National Science Foundation is supporting Jeffries-EL's polymer research with a five-year, US$486,250 grant. She also has support from the Iowa Power Fund (a state programme that supports energy innovation and independence) to apply organic semiconductor technology to solar cells.