Understanding the impact of chemical structure on electrochemical charging processes in polymer mixed ionic electronic conductors
Jenny Nelson a, Hang Yu a, Guanchen Wu a, Iona Anderson a, Nicholas Siemons a, Piers R. F. Barnes a
a Department of Physics, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2025 Conference (MATSUSFall25)
D4 Organic Electrochemical Transistors – Materials and Device Properties - #OectMap
València, Spain, 2025 October 20th - 24th
Organizers: Scott Keene, Sabine Ludwigs and Tom van der Pol
Invited Speaker, Jenny Nelson, presentation 372
Publication date: 21st July 2025

Conjugated polymers bearing polar side chains are capable of supporting mixed electronic and ionic conduction, including in aqueous electrolytes, and as such are attractive candidates for electrodes in electrochemical devices such as sensors and energy storage devices [1]. Performance of devices is controlled by the rate of charging and discharging, the sensitivity of conduction to applied bias, the depth of charging and the stability of the materials under electrochemical cycling. These properties depend, in turn, on the chemical structure of the polymer backbone and side chains and the choice of electrolyte. We will report on studies using operando measurements and simulations to demonstrate how polymer chemical structure, electrolyte and charging conditions control these functional properties of the electrode. We show how side chain design can assist cycling stability, how electrolyte composition influences ion dynamics during charging and how polymer backbone structure controls specific capacity [2,3]. The findings can help to develop chemical designs for improved conjugated polymer electrodes for aqueous environments.

© FUNDACIO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA SCITO
We use our own and third party cookies for analysing and measuring usage of our website to improve our services. If you continue browsing, we consider accepting its use. You can check our Cookies Policy in which you will also find how to configure your web browser for the use of cookies. More info