Printed electronics is a revolutionary technology for flexible, large-area, and ultra-low-cost electronic and photonic applications such as stretchable sensors and displays. Both solution-processed p-channel and n-channel transistors are indispensable to constructing powerful printed complementary circuits with high operating speed and low power dissipation. P-channel organic transistors have met the requirements after intensive studies over the past decade, leaving high-performance, low-cost and flexible solution-processed n-channel organic transistors a critical challenge in organic electronics.

Recently, under the supports of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers in Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry and Laboratory of Materials Science, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry collaborate together and successfully built all-solution-processed circuits with powerful performance and excellent ambient stability based on flexible n-channel transistors. The solution-processed bottom-gate transistors based on NDI2OD-DTYM2, a prominent n-type material developed previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 3697-3699; Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, 1204-1215.), exhibiting an electron mobility of up to 1.2 cm²V^–1s^–1. The performance is one of the highest values for solution-processed n-channel transistors. More importantly, the devices show unprecedented stability—including the ability to withstand the high-temperature annealing and even high-temperature operation with outstanding performance in air. These advances represent important steps toward ultra-low-cost ambient electronics. The results have been published in Advanced Materials (Adv. Mater. 2011, 23, 2448-2453.). The paper is selected to be front cover and highlighted as “Hot Topic” paper in “Organic Electronics” field.

Illustration and optical images of flexible circuits based on organic n-channel transistors and front cover of Advanced Materials (Image by Chong-an Di et al.)