All-in-One Step from a Radical Monomer: Vacuum Synthesis of Electroswitchable Radical Polymer Thin Films by Solvent-Free Surface Polymerization

Abstract

Polyradicalsradical polymers with open-shell structuresare unique one-dimensional quantum materials that can be envisaged as spin chains with one radical (i.e., one unpaired electron) per repeating unit. Due to their unique electronic structure, polyradicals with electroswitchable charge states find uses in lightweight batteries and resistive memory devices for flexible electronics. Ultrathin (<10 nm) memristors with polyradical active layers satisfy the high-density data storage and energy efficiency requirements of next-generation computing and battery technologies. However, wet chemistry has so far offered the only route available for the synthesis of ambipolar 6-oxoverdazylpolyradicals, which requires the postsynthesis fabrication of polyradical devices by spin coating, printing, or drop casting, by using solvents with harmful effects on the environment and health, and reproducibility issues over large areas. Here, the synthesis of 6-oxoverdazyl polyradicals in a thin-film form by ultrahigh-vacuum surface polymerization is shown in what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first-ever demonstration of surface-induced ring-opening metathesis polymerization to produce polyradicals. The polyradical thin films thus obtained exhibit nonvolatile, reproducible, and electroswitchable memory effects, thus enabling their use in large-scale transparent and flexible electronics.

A Universal Cl‐PEDOT Coating Strategy Based on Oxidative Chemical Vapor Deposition toward Solar‐Driven Multifunctional Energy Management

“…Additionally, there is no need to pretreat the substrates based on oCVD technique, which facilitates the industrial application of polymer composites. The prominent advantages boost by oCVD technique has been a breakthrough for extensive research fields such as micro‐supercapacitors, [ 22 ] metal‐ion batteries, [ 23 ] wearable sensors, [ 24 ] or next‐generation electronic devices, [ 25 ] where coating based on oCVD can be conformally anchored on micro‐nano structures or porous substrates. However, there are few reports on polymer coatings prepared by oCVD for diverse solar‐driven applications.…”