About us

  Welcome to the webpage of the Self-Flex-App project at Lodz University of Technology (TUL). We are part of the Marszalek’s research group hosted at Department of Molecular Physics (DMP). We are an interdisciplinary group, with diverse backgrounds comprising material science, solid-state physics, chemistry, nanotechnology engineering. On these pages, you can find information about our research activities, publications, and group members.

   Abstract of the SELF-FLEX-APP project:

  Plastic transistors do not only create an interesting field of science but also belong to a highly promising technology for future devices. To reduce production costs, new processing ideas are required. One approach is focused on the deposition of the substrate polymer together with the organic semiconductor from one solution. During solvent evaporation or post-treatment, a vertical phase separation between the isolating polymer and the semiconductor occurs. The semiconductor crystallizes on the film surface creating the active layer for the charge carrier transport. On the other hand, the isolating polymer forms both the film carrier and the necessary dielectric for the transistor which separates the gate electrode from the semiconductor. As the electrode material, a graphene-based ink is developed which is applied to the flexible films by inkjet printing. These electrodes will ensure an unhindered charge carrier injection into the active layer even under pronounced bending conditions.

Project leader: Dr inż. Tomasz Marszałek

Project duration: October 2017 – September 2020

Project localization: Lodz University of Technology, Department of Molecular Physics

Project value: 2 700 982,50 PLN

An extension of the project: Self-standing, flexible and solution processable organic field-effect transistors for complementary inverter applications

 Deposition of neuro-supportive self-assembling peptides by zone casting for bioelectronic applications

Today, organic semiconductors show by far higher charge carrier mobilities than inorganic amorphous silicon. This rapid progress is the outcome of research focused on design and synthesis of new conjugated organic compounds (both small molecules and polymers), as well as optimization of thin film processing and device architecture. Understanding on the role of molecular self-assembly and its relation to charge transport has led to superior devices performance of organic semiconducting films with highly ordered molecular structures.1 An novel approach to control the self-assembly of conjugated molecules is the combination with biological units. A recent example is the connection of an oligoproline segment with perylene-monoimide chromophores. Depending on the substitution of the oligoproline by the perylene units, well defined triaxial topology was obtained which may find applications beyond electronics as for example in catalysis or gas separation and storage.2 Additionally, it has been proven that by comprising perylene chromophores, oligothiophenes, and the oligoproline scaffold a combination of electron-donor and electron-acceptor components can be obtained and could be applicable in new type of organic electronics.3 The interaction of biological and semiconductor molecular units is particularly essential in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). OECTs have been widely considered as promising devices for biological interfacing electronics or “bioelectronics” with applications in flexible biosensors, cell monitoring, electrophysiological recording electrodes, and neuromorphic computing. These devices bridge the gap between electronics and aqueous solutions (required for biological systems), using organic, flexible materials which have similar mechanical properties to human tissue with exceptional biocompatibility. We have already proven that for OECTs the deposition parameters and post processing of the conductive polymer have a tremendous impact on the conductivity, reducing the initial value of determined current by one order of magnitude by incorporation of an electrolyte due to swelling effects.4 In the current SFA project we gained comprehensive understanding on the control over the molecular self-assembly by the processing and post-processing parameters and on the correlation between the resulting molecular organization and electrical properties in devices. This fundamental knowledge on self-assembly of organic semiconductors can be now transferred to biological systems for their implementation in electronics.

1. J. J. Michels, K. Zhang, P. Wucher,P. M. Beaujuge, W. Pisula and T. Marszalek “Predictive modelling of structure formation in semiconductor films produced by meniscus-guided coating”, Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-0760-2, 2020.
2. U. Lewandowska, W. Zajaczkowski, S. Corra, J. Tanabe, R. Borrmann , E. M. Benetti, S. Stappert, K. Watanabe, N. A. K. Ochs , R. Schaeublin, C. Li, E. Yashima , W. Pisula, K. Müllen and H. Wennemers NATURE CHEMISTRY, 2017, 9,
3. N. A. K. Ochs, U. Lewandowska, W. Zajaczkowski, S. Corra, S. Reger, A. Herdlitschka, S. Schmid, W. Pisula, K. Mullen, P. Bauerle and H. Wennemers, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 5391
4. L. V. Lingstedt, M. Ghittorelli, H. Lu, D. A. Koutsouras, T. Marszalek, F. Torricelli, N. Irina Craciun, P. Gkoupidenis, and P. W. M. Blom*, Adv. Electron. Mater. 2019, 5, 180080

Project leader: Dr inż. Tomasz Marszałek

Project duration: July 2021 – September 2022

Project localization: Lodz University of Technology, Department of Molecular Physics

Project value: 644 124,50 PLN