Current state-of-the-art organic semiconductor materials are plagued by low performance (low electrical conductivity), short life-time, and high manufacturing costs. Researchers recently developed a one-step process that converts legacy organic semiconductors into new materials with outstanding electron affinity, highly sought-after solid-state molecular packing, excellent stability (under light and air) and processability (by solution and low-temperature vacuum deposition). The combination of these valuable properties is uniquely suited for a variety of organic electronic devices (OLEDs, OPVs). During this project the research team plans to demonstrate the high performance of the new materials in devices and generate important new knowledge concerning new materials and fundamental device function. The versatility of this synthetic method allows researchers to prepare many new, relatively inexpensive, and broadly tunable materials composed of earth-abundant elements. The predictable properties of these new materials will enable researchers, in collaboration with developers of various organic electronic devices, to transition from the current trial-and-error approach to intelligent design of high-performing inexpensive organic electronics.
The demonstration of the high performance, stability, and broad applicability of the new library of advanced materials may have a strong impact on the organic electronics industry and academic research field. The new materials address the major problems of current "state-of-the-art" organic semiconductors: low performance, short lifetime, and high cost. This library of broadly tunable materials has the potential to provide industry with a breakthrough capability to improve the lifetime and efficiency and lower the cost of organic electronic devices. Furthermore, the materials evaluated during this project will enable the emergent organic electronics industry to engineer more efficient, longer-lasting, and cheaper devices faster and more efficiently, leading to an accelerated global replacement of silicon- and metal-based electronic components with rationally-designed, finely-tuned, and recyclable organic molecular assemblies. This technology has the potential to improve the electronics industry bringing about new models of sustainable, long-lasting, and eco-friendly flexible devices that can be manufactured inexpensively using additive manufacturing methods.
The ultimate goal of the project was to evaluate commercialization potential of a new type of organic semiconductor materials discovered in the group of Prof. Strauss in Colorado State University. Organic semiconductors represent a large emergent market segment that promises to bring a new revolution of flexible and cheap consumer electronics and conformal power generation devices (solar cells that can be easily mounted on curved surfaces, such as cars, buildings, and any large structures). First commercial devices based on organic light emitting diodes are already available. The new technology of organic semiconductors need to overcome many technological roadblocks to realize a breakthrough in the electronics market.Identifyg the role of the new CSU team invention in this landscape was the intellectual outcome of the project. Broader impact included unprecedented outreach by the academic team of the representatives of the industry of organic electronics (from large commercial entities like Merk to small companies like Solene and Nano C, and from research institutions like national labs and universities). In the interviews with 75 customers from different organizations the information of the novel materilas developed by CSU team was distributed. In addition, the team has learned most urgent problems and bottlenecks in the industry first-hand from the large numbers of high-value professional individuals.
