Dopant controlled trap-filling and conductivity enhancement in an electron-transport polymer

Charge transport in organic semiconductors is often inhibited by the presence of tail states that extend into the band gap of a material and act as traps for charge carriers. This work demonstrates the passivation of acceptor tail states by solution processing of ultra-low concentrations of a strongly reducing air-stable organometallic dimer, the pentamethylrhodocene dimer, [RhCp∗Cp]₂, into the electron transport polymer poly{[N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophene)}, P(NDI₂OD-T₂). Variable-temperature current-voltage measurements of n-doped P(NDI₂OD-T₂) are presented with doping concentration varied through two orders of magnitude. Systematic variation of the doping parameter is shown to lower the activation energy for hopping transport and enhance film conductivity and electron mobility.