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Ultra‐lightweight solar cells have attracted enormous attention due to their ultra‐conformability, flexibility, and compatibility with applications including electronic skin or miniaturized electronics for biological applications. With the latest advancements in printing technologies, printing ultrathin electronics is becoming now a reality. This work offers an easy path to fabricate indium tin oxide (ITO)‐free ultra‐lightweight organic solar cells through inkjet‐printing while preserving high efficiencies. A method consisting of the modification of a poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) ink with a methoxysilane‐based cross‐linker (3‐glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GOPS)) is presented to chemically modify the structure of the electrode layer. Combined with plasma and solvent post‐treatments, this approach prevents shunts and ensures precise patterning of solar cells. By using poly(3‐hexylthiophene) along rhodanine‐benzothiadiazole‐coupled indacenodithiophene (P3HT:O‐IDTBR), the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the fully printed solar cells is boosted up to 4.73% and fill factors approaching 65%. All inkjet‐printed ultrathin solar cells on a 1.7 µm thick biocompatible parylene substrate are fabricated with PCE reaching up to 3.6% and high power‐per‐weight values of 6.3 W g−1. After encapsulation, the cells retain their performance after being exposed for 6 h to aqueous environments such as water, seawater, or phosphate buffered saline, paving the way for their integration in more complex circuits for biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The solution‐processed organic photodetectors underpin an emerging technology with inherent implications in the biological sensors and imaging displays. Conventional organic photodiodes, the core element of an organic photodetector, rely mainly on fullerene‐based acceptors, which in combination with high and middle bandgap donors, limit the spectral photosensitivity to the visible range. Even in the case of low bandgap polymers the oscillator strength and thus the extinction coefficient are usually limited in the NIR due to the nature of molecular orbital hybridization. Instead, it is showed that pairing prototypical poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with rhodanine‐benzothiadiazole‐coupled indacenodithiophene (IDTBR), a nonfullerene electron acceptor absorbing beyond 750 nm, as the photoactive material of a simple photodiode results in a highly efficient organic photodetector with a record responsivity of 0.42 A W−1 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 69% in the NIR (755 nm). Nonfullerene‐based photodiodes are processed on amorphous silicon active matrix backplanes to realize large area flat panel photodetector imagers able to detect objects under visible and NIR light conditions with an exceptional combination of responsivity, dynamic response and image crosstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐photon Polymerization (2PP) process for high‐resolution 3D printing presents an opportunity to design micro‐scale structures with a high surface‐to‐volume ratio for highly responsive devices. However, these acrylate or thiol‐based resins are electrically insulating and non‐functional in nature, therefore limiting their widespread application in biosensing and biotechnology. Here, a novel conductive polymeric composite resin to print conductive 3D micro‐structures via the 2PP technique is developed and its application in sensing are demonstrated. The composite consists of acrylate‐based 2PP resin and Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), a conductive and biocompatible organic semiconductor The PEDOT:PSS incorporation in resin through Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is studied. An electrical conductivity of 3.5 × 102 S cm−1 in a 20 µm long and 10 µm high 3D printed micro‐structure which is suitable for electronic applications is achieved. An ultra‐fast micro‐3D printed humidity sensor with a response and recovery time of 0.15 and 0.3 s respectively is demonstrated. The printed sensors show high sensitivity in humidity levels of 0–80%RH. As a proof of concept, the real‐time respiration of a human body is recorded, implying a potential application in health monitoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel emerging materials for organic solar cells, such as nonfullerene acceptors, are paving the way for commercialization of organic photovoltaics. Their utilization in unconventional applications, such as conformable and disposable electronics, has turned the focus to inkjet printing as a fabrication method with advantages including low material usage, rapid digital design changes, and high resolution. In this work, the fabrication of efficient nonfullerene acceptor devices through inkjet printing for organic photovoltaic applications is reported for the first time. The engineering of printable poly‐3‐hexylthiophene:rhodanine‐benzothiadiazole‐coupled indacenodithiophene (P3HT:O‐IDTBR) inks is centered on tuning the rheological properties for proper droplet ejection and the selection of solvents, including hydrocarbons, that meet solubility and volatility requirements to avoid common inkjet printing complications like nozzle clogging. The optimization of printing parameters including drop spacing and deposition temperatures results in homogeneous P3HT:O‐IDTBR films with device efficiencies of up to 6.47% for small lab‐scale devices (0.1 cm2), comparable with that of spin‐coating or blade‐coating. A 2 cm2 inkjet‐printed device is also shown to achieve a remarkable efficiency of 6%. To demonstrate their potential usage in customized applications, large‐area devices are fabricated in the shape of a marine turtle with 4.76% efficiency, showcasing the versatility of the inkjet‐printing process for efficient organic photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]