Functionalized Polar Polythiophenes for Electroactive Cellulose Composites

Conjugated polymer:cellulose composites have been used for a multitude of hybrid electronic applications such as energy storage, thermoelectrics and pressure sensors. The electroactive component must rely on water-processability to create intimate mixtures with cellulose or facilitate the ingression of the electroactive component into the cellulose scaffold for optimal mechanical and electronic performance. For most devices, the electroactive component needs to be fixated to resist exposure to an aqueous environment, which otherwise leads to delamination or dissolution.<br/>We recently have demonstrated that incorporating physical crosslinking moieties in polar polythiophenes is a tool to both reinforce these materials as well as tune active swelling when operating in OECT’s. In this talk, we will present how polar polythiophenes can be enhanced with carboxylate functional groups, and what properties are attainable with such materials. By functionalizing polar polythiophenes with carboxylate groups, we can make them water-processable, create hybrid materials with cellulose derivatives through induced hydrogen bonding, and are able to recover the separate components at end-of-life.