Donor–acceptor polymeric semiconductors are crucial for state-of-the-art applications, such as electronic skin mimics. The processability, and thus solubility, of these polymers in benign solvents is critical and can be improved through side chain engineering. Nevertheless, the impact of novel side chains on backbone orientation and emerging device properties often remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigate the influence of elongated linear and branched discrete oligodimethylsiloxane (oDMS) side chains on solubility and device performance. Thereto, diketopyrrolopyrrole–thienothiophene polymers are equipped with various oDMS pendants (PDPPTT-Si_n) and subsequently phase separated into lamellar domains. The introduction of a branching point in the siloxane significantly enhanced the solubility of the polymer, as a result of increased backbone distortion. Simultaneously, the charge carrier mobility of the polymers decreased by an order of magnitude upon functionalization with long and/or branched siloxanes. This work unveils the intricate balance between processability and device performance in organic semiconductors, which is key for the development of next-generation electronic devices.

中文翻译：

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使用离散硅氧烷侧链揭示供体-受体半导体的可加工性和器件性能之间的权衡

供体-受体聚合物半导体对于电子皮肤模拟等最先进的应用至关重要。这些聚合物在良性溶剂中的加工性能和溶解度至关重要，可以通过侧链工程来改善。然而，新型侧链对主链方向和新兴器件性能的影响通常仍有待阐明。在这里，我们研究了细长的线性和支化离散低聚二甲基硅氧烷 ( o DMS) 侧链对溶解度和器件性能的影响。此外，二酮吡咯并吡咯-噻吩并噻吩聚合物配备有各种o DMS 悬垂物（PDPPTT-Si _n），随后相分离成层状区域。由于增加了主链扭曲，在硅氧烷中引入支化点显着提高了聚合物的溶解度。同时，在用长和/或支化硅氧烷官能化后，聚合物的载流子迁移率降低了一个数量级。这项工作揭示了有机半导体的可加工性和器件性能之间的复杂平衡，这是下一代电子器件开发的关键。