Highly Conductive Alcohol‐Processable n‐Type Conducting Polymer Enabled by Finely Tuned Electrostatic Interactions for Green Organic Electronics.

Solution‐processable conducting polymers open up a new era in organic electronics, fundamentally altering the processing methods of electronic devices. P‐type conducting polymers, exemplified by aqueous solution‐processed poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT : PSS), have been successfully commercialized. However, the performance of electron‐transporting (n‐type) materials remains considerably poorer. One of the primary challenges lies in striking a balance between conductivity and solvent processability. At present, most n‐type conducting polymers necessitate toxic solvents for processing, which contradicts environmentally sustainable principles and impedes their potential for large‐scale industrial applications. Herein, we developed an alcohol‐processable high‐performance n‐type conducting polymer, poly(3,7‐dihydrobenzo[1,2‐b : 4,5‐b’]difuran‐2,6‐dione): poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PBFDO : PEOx), which utilized electrostatic interactions between PEOx and PBFDO to simultaneously achieve high conductivity and alcohol‐processability. The PBFDO : PEOx films exhibited remarkable electrical conductivity exceeding 1000 S cm−1 with outstanding stability even at temperatures up to 250 °C, establishing it as a prominent green solvent‐processed n‐type conducting polymer that rivals the most advanced p‐type counterparts. Various applications including organic thermoelectric, electrochemical transistor, and electrochromic devices were showcased, highlighting the broad potential of PBFDO : PEOx in advancing green organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]