Highly Ordered Conducting Polymers: Fabrication Strategies and Applications

Abstract

ConspectusConducting polymers (CPs), distinguished by their unique combination of electrical conductivity and optical properties, have garnered significant attention since their discovery. Owing to their lightweight characteristics, ease of processability, remarkable structural versatility, and low manufacturing costs, CPs have been actively explored as promising alternatives to conventional semiconductors and metals. Accordingly, CPs are now regarded as promising candidates for many advanced technological applications, including flexible electronics, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. In these fields, traditional materials such as inorganic semiconductors or metals often exhibit inherent limitations. In addition, the tunable structures and solution processability of CPs have paved the way for their integration into emerging fields such as bioelectronics, soft robotics, and intelligent materials. Despite these advantages, CPs face inherent challenges that limit their performance and broader applicability. Issues such as molecular chain distortions, folding, entanglement, and complex intermolecular interactions complicate the control of their growth rate and crystallization behavior during synthesis. These structural irregularities and defects are frequently introduced during the polymerization process. As a result, reduced charge carrier mobility, deteriorated conductivity, and poor macroscopic uniformity are often observed. These issues are detrimental to the reliability and reproducibility required for advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices. Consequently, regulating the molecular order of CPs to achieve precise structural and functional design has become a critical focus in advanced organic and polymeric materials. However, existing fabrication methods are often intricate and lack scalability, and universal principles for constructing CPs with long-range order remain elusive. In this Account, we systematically recapitulate our efforts in developing ordered CPs, focusing on their applications in sensors, optoelectronic devices, batteries, and photothermal conversion. A comprehensive summary of synthetic strategies and characterization techniques for ordered CPs is provided. Based on a systematic analysis of the research within our group and a comprehensive consideration of related advances in the field, we proposed a highly generalizable strategy for the ordered design of CPs. This approach involves the precise control of chain initiation sites, chain propagation processes, and termination conditions during polymerization at the surface/interface. Furthermore, the intrinsic charge transport mechanisms and their relationships to device performance are discussed in depth. Particular attention is given to current challenges in the field, as well as potential solutions and future research directions. We anticipate that the insights and guidelines presented herein will provide valuable foundations for the rational design and scalable fabrication of next-generation CPs. Ultimately, we believe this work will enable significant progress in a broad range of electronic, optoelectronic, and multifunctional device applications.