Professor Dong-Yu Kim's research team develops a new type of high performance organic semiconductor material

□ A research team led by Professor Dong-Yu Kim of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Engineering (GIST, Seung Hyeon Moon) has developed a new type of quinoid * structure-based conjugated polymer with high electrical properties.

* Quinoid: a compound having a structure in which an aromatic ring in an organic compound is linked by a double bond

∘ This study reports the highest conformed performance of quinoid conjugated polymers * and is expected to contribute to the production of cheap organic semiconducting materials through an easy and simple manufacturing process.

* Conjugated polymers have electrical properties

□ Conjugated polymers are an organic semiconductor material that can be processed by a solution process, which can reduce its cost. Conjugated polymers are highly suitable for light and flexible portable electronic devices and have attracted much attention as a next-generation semiconductor material. Research into applying organic semiconducting materials to transistors has been very active.

∘ However, organic semiconductors are difficult to commercialize due to their complicated manufacturing process, high price of the materials themselves, and a somewhat lower performance than inorganic semiconductor-based transistors.

□ To overcome these limitations, the team developed a new series of new polymer semiconductors that are simple and easy to fabricate by implementing high performance organic thin film transistors. In addition, the novel quinoid structure, which has not been applied so far, has opened the possibility of an organic semiconductor material having a high charge mobility.

∘ The quinoid form was known to have excellent electrical properties, but it was difficult to introduce into the polymer. The researchers designed a new quinoid molecular structure and successfully introduced it into the polymer chain using an easy and simple manufacturing method. Furthermore, it has been applied to organic thin-film transistors to achieve high charge mobility that can be used to operate flexible displays.

□ Professor Dong-Yu Kim said, "Through this research, we confirmed that the introduction of the quinoid structure into the design of a conjugated polymer organic molecular structure can be a very effective method for a high performance organic thin film transistor. The greatest achievement of this research developing original technology to synthesize the structure of a new organic semiconductor material higher electric characteristic."

□ The research was supported by the National Research Foundation and was published in Advanced Materials (IF: 19.791) on April 23, 2108.

∘ The research will also be released in the first half of 2018 as video abstract in Advanced Science News.