Photopatternable Conducting Polymer Nanocomposite with Incorporated Gold Nanoparticles for Use in Organic Field Effect Transistors

We investigated a new method for patterning organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) using a photopatternable conducting polymer nanocomposite, consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that had been modified with a photoreactive cinnamate group, to form P3HT-AuNP-CI. We found that the addition of the cinnamate group to the nanoparticle surface assisted the preparation of a solvent-resistive semiconducting film and preserved the P3HT ordering, which was interrupted by Au-P3HT interactions, as well as provided UV-controllable electrical properties. The P3HT-AuNPs-CI films could be microscale-patterned via a UV crosslinking photoreaction, represented as a promising photopatternable semiconductor material for use in advanced applications, with tunable electrical properties for fabrication of sub-micron and microscale electronic devices.