Abstract:
Stretchable electrodes are core components in the construction of stretchable organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), and their performance critically determines both the charge injection efficiency and the mechanical reliability of the devices. Herein, three types of stretchable composite electrodes were fabricated using polyurethane (PU) as the elastomeric matrix, combined with AgNWs, PEDOT:PSS, and PBFDO, respectively. The effects of conductive component content on electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and cyclic stretching stability were systematically investigated, and the feasibility of applying these electrodes in OTFTs was verified. The results show that the electrical conductivity of all electrodes exhibits typical percolation behavior with increasing conductive material content. Among them, the PU/AgNWs composite electrode achieved a conductivity of
3393 S/cm at an AgNWs content of 30wt%, with a tensile elongation at break exceeding 400%. Furthermore, it exhibited a normalized resistance of only 1.16 after
1000 cyclic tensile tests at 100% strain. All three composite electrodes were successfully used to fabricate OTFT devices, with performance comparable to that of devices using evaporated silver electrodes. A comprehensive comparison reveals that the AgNWs/PU electrode offers the best overall performance in terms of conductivity, stretchability, and cycling stability, demonstrating its great potential as an electrode material candidate for constructing intrinsically stretchable OTFTs.