Grain Boundary Pinning Strategy for Enhanced Aggregate State in Organic Semiconductor Thin Films Toward Wide‐Temperature‐Range and Long‐Term Stable Gas Sensors

Q Quan Gao (School of Plant Protection) K Kexin Tan (State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China) J Jiannan Qi (State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China) Y Yudong Li (Bio-Organic Chemistry, Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems) J Jiaxiao Wang (State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China) G Guanjie Wang (School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Biotechnology) S Sooncheol Kwon (Department of Energy and Materials Engineering Dongguk University‐Seoul Seoul Republic of Korea) Q Qianhui Wei (GRINM (Guangdong) Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology Foshan China) F Feng Wei (Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan) Z Zhongwu Wang Y Yongxu Hu X Xiaosong Chen L Liqiang Li W Wenping Hu

Abstract

ABSTRACT Flexible gas sensors based on organic semiconductors (OSCs) show great promise for diverse applications, yet their practical application is hindered by the limited operational and shelf stability of OSC‐based gas sensors over a wide temperature range. Herein, we developed a universal grain boundary pinning strategy to cooperatively optimize the aggregate state stability, sensitivity, and selectivity of the ultrathin OSC film. By incorporating multi‐functional Au nanoclusters into the OSC layer, the thermally activated molecular motion and grain boundary migration can be inhibited by the cooperative effect of strain‐balancing and dipole–π interactions. Consequently, the NH 3 sensor based on 5 nm ultrathin film exhibits record stability over an extended shelf period (tested shelf life of one‐year, theoretical shelf life of 14.8 years) and across a wide temperature range (RT‐100°C on polymer substrate, RT‐180°C on SiO 2 substrate). The grain boundary pinning strategy is demonstrated to be universal across multiple OSC systems, underscoring its potential to enable robust, high‐performance flexible gas sensors for widespread commercialization.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 38, Issue 22
Published April 01, 2026
ISSN 0935-9648
Publisher Unknown Publisher

Journal Info

Advanced Materials

Unknown Publisher

ISSN: 0935-9648 Physical Sciences

Authors (14)

Q

Quan Gao

School of Plant Protection

K

Kexin Tan

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China

J

Jiannan Qi

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China

Y

Yudong Li

Bio-Organic Chemistry, Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems

J

Jiaxiao Wang

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing & Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences & Department of Chemistry Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science Tianjin University Tianjin China

G

Guanjie Wang

School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Biotechnology

S

Sooncheol Kwon

Department of Energy and Materials Engineering Dongguk University‐Seoul Seoul Republic of Korea

Q

Qianhui Wei

GRINM (Guangdong) Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology Foshan China

F

Feng Wei

Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan

Z

Zhongwu Wang

Y

Yongxu Hu

X

Xiaosong Chen

L

Liqiang Li

W

Wenping Hu