INS13-1592
Impact of Structural and Energetic Disorder on Charge Transport and Generation in Chemically Doped Conjugated Polymers
Topic
S13. Korea-Germany Polymer Symposium 2026: “Pioneering the Future of Polymeric Materials and Bridging Innovation in Sustainable Technologies”
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
10:20 - 10:45
Room 203
Session Chairs
Bastian E. RAPP
Presenter(s)
Kilwon Cho (Pohang University of Science and Technology)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Chemical doping in conjugated polymers simultaneously alters their microstructure and electronic landscape, introducing structural and energetic disorder that strongly influence charge generation and transport. In this presentation, correlations between these two forms of disorder and charge-carrier behavior will be discussed using model systems such as PBTTT, IDTBT, and P3HT. Sequential doping with nonpolar solvents can promote a disorder-tolerant transport regime by minimizing paracrystallinity and enhancing π-stacking coherence, while planar backbones suppress energetic disorder and help maintain efficient carrier delocalization. Beyond reducing disorder, deliberate control of short-range aggregation can also create efficient transport pathways through otherwise poorly conducting regions. In random 3-hexylthiophene-thiophene copolymers, reduced side-chain density generates small π–π aggregates within the amorphous matrix, establishing percolation pathways that enable metal-like transport and substantially improve thermoelectric performance after ion-exchange doping. Furthermore, photoactivated doping is introduced as an approach to decouple film formation from charge transfer. In P3HT blended with a photoacid generator, dopants remain largely confined to amorphous regions before light activation, preserving the native crystalline structure; subsequent photoactivation induces selective anion intercalation and enhanced three-dimensional molecular ordering while generating charge carriers. Together, these results show that structural disorder need not simply be minimized, but can be strategically reorganized or bridged to balance charge generation, carrier delocalization, and long-range transport. These insights provide a unified framework for understanding and controlling charge-carrier dynamics in chemically doped conjugated polymers.
