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Vitamin C stabilizes n-type organic semiconductors

Nature Materials volume 23, pages 1167–1168 (2024)Cite this article

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The instability of n-type organic semiconductors in air is a long-standing challenge in organic electronics. Now, a strategy based on the use of vitamin C is developed to stabilize organic semiconductors. Vitamin C scavenges reactive oxygen species and inhibits their generation, improving the performance and stability of organic semiconductors and their electronic devices.

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Fig. 1: Stabilization mechanism and effect of vitamin C on the stability and performance of OSCs and their electronic devices.

References

  1. Nicolai, H. T. et al. Unification of trap-limited electron transport in semiconducting polymers. Nat. Mater. 11, 882–887 (2012). This article reports that electron transport in OSCs is limited by oxygen- or water-induced traps.

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  2. Salvador, M. et al. Suppressing photooxidation of conjugated polymers and their blends with fullerenes through nickel chelates. Energy Environ. Sci. 10, 2005–2016 (2017). This article presents an antioxidant that increases the stability of organic solar cells.

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  3. Huang, Y. et al. Unraveling the crucial role of trace oxygen in organic semiconductors. Nat. Commun. 15, 626 (2024). This article reports that trace oxygen in the form O2– is prevalent in OSCs.

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This is a summary of: Yuan, L. et al. Improving both performance and stability of n-type organic semiconductors by vitamin C. Nat. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-024-01933-w (2024).

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Vitamin C stabilizes n-type organic semiconductors. Nat. Mater. 23, 1167–1168 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-024-01939-4

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