Soft and Stretchable Thienopyrroledione-Based Polymers via Direct Arylation

This study develops a family of π-conjugated copolymers—poly(indacenodithiophene-co-thienopyrroledione) (p(IDTC16‑TPDC8)) and poly(indacenodithienothiophene-co-thienopyrroledione) (p(IDTTC16‑TPDC8))—designed for deformable and soft organic electronics. By tuning polymer chain length via direct arylation polymerization, the authors achieved polymers with low elastic modulus (E ≈ 32 MPa) and high stretchability (crack onset strain > 100 %). These materials outperform prior soft semiconducting polymers in mechanical compliance while maintaining high charge mobility (~7.4×10⁻³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹). The study highlights how molecular weight and conjugation control balance softness and charge transport for bio-integrated electronic devices.