Tuning of the elastic modulus of a soft polythiophene through molecular doping
Sepideh Zokaei, Donghyun Kim, Emmy Järsvall, Abigail M. Fenton, Albree Rae Weisen, Sandra Hultmark, Phong H. Nguyen, Amanda M. Matheson, Anja Lund, Renee Kroon, Michael L. Chabinyc, Enrique D. Gomez, Igor Zozoulenko, Christian Müller
Abstract
and the degree of π-stacking of the polymer, as indicated by both X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations. Surprisingly, a comparison of doped materials containing mono- or dianions reveals that - for a comparable oxidation level - the presence of multivalent counterions has little effect on the stiffness. Evidently, molecular doping is a powerful tool that can be used for the design of mechanically robust conducting materials, which may find use within the field of flexible and stretchable electronics.