Through direct arylation polymerization, a series of mixed ion-electron conducting polymers with a low synthetic complexity index is synthesized. A thieno[3,2-b]thiophene monomer with oligoether side chains is used in direct arylation polymerization together with a wide range of aryl bromides with varying electronic character from electron-donating thiophene to electron-accepting benzothiadiazole. The obtained polymers are less synthetically complex than other mixed ion-electron conducting polymers due to higher yield, fewer synthetic steps and less toxic reagents. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on a newly synthesized copolymer comprising thieno[3,2-b]thiophene with oligoether side chains and bithiophene exhibit excellent device performance. A high charge-carrier mobility of up to mu = 1.8 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) was observed, obtained by dividing the figure of merit [mu C*] from OECT measurements by the volumetric capacitance C* from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which reached a value of more than 215 F cm(-3).
Funding Agencies|European Union [955837]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; MICINN/FEDER [PID2021-126243NB-I00]