Methods for producing conductive polymers

Abstract

Disclosed herein are polymeric materials, specifically materials comprising one or more polymers whose degree of electrical conductivity can be controlled. Disclosed herein are materials, for example, one or more polymers (or monomers and / or oligomers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains, optionally one or more readily processable, heat-deformable polymers, that can be exposed to at least one of sufficient temperature (e.g., for temperature-dependent processing), mechanical force / pressure, magnetic field, and / or electric field, thereby increasing the electrical conductivity of the material. Also disclosed herein are methods of forming such materials, as well as their applications and uses.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2022 / 902141, filed on 29 July 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to polymeric materials, specifically materials comprising one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers) whose degree of electrical conductivity can be controlled before, during, or after polymerization. Disclosed herein are materials, for example, one or more polymers, optionally one or more readily processable, heat-deformable polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains that can be exposed to at least one of sufficient temperature (e.g., for temperature-dependent processing), mechanical force / pressure, magnetic field, and / or electric field, resulting in an increase in the material's electrical conductivity. The materials can be used as conductive adhesives, memory storage, or conductive layers, for example, transparent conductive adhesives, in electronic devices. The increase in electrical conductivity can be reversible or partially reversible. [Background technology]

[0003] Conductive materials can be applied in different contexts for a variety of different uses. However, the fabrication of such materials can be expensive, laborious, and time-consuming. In addition, the materials may only offer a limited number of desired physical properties.

[0004] There is a need to provide methods for the creation of electrically conductive materials that possess multiple physical, chemical, and electronic properties. The ability to enhance the electronic conductivity of a material, or to convert a material with poor or minimal electronic conductivity into an electronically conductive material, would increase the options available when selecting (and tailoring) materials, optionally plate materials, for one or more specific applications.

[0005] There are two broad classes of conductive polymers. In some situations, extrinsic conductive polymers can be used. However, these types of materials generally require the incorporation of additional substances, such as conductive particles (including metal spheres such as indium tin oxide), silver nanowires, or graphene sheets, to achieve electrical conductivity. In applications requiring optical transparency, the inclusion of these types of substances can potentially block light and result in optical losses. In other situations, intrinsic conductive polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) can be used, which enable electrical transport without the addition of conductive materials. However, their relatively high cost, poor mechanical strength, and parasitic absorption loss limitations (the latter of which is a potential issue in applications involving solar cells) can pose a number of challenges.

[0006] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification should not be taken as an admission that any or all of that matter forms part of the prior art base or was common general knowledge in the art relevant to the present disclosure as existing prior to the priority date of each claim of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Developed herein is a technique for controlling the electrical conductivity of materials, such as polymers. After appropriate treatment, the electrical conductivity of one or more polymers can be increased. After some other treatment, the increase in electrical conductivity can be reversible or partially reversible, ideally while maintaining all or substantially all of the other mechanical and / or optical properties.

[0008] The developed techniques can be used with one or more polymers containing specific groups and / or substituents, such as electron-rich domains. In advantageous embodiments, a simple process is used to control the electrical conductivity of one or more low-cost materials. In one embodiment, the electronic conductivity of a conductive polymer can be improved. In one embodiment, insulating materials can be adapted to allow them to conduct electric charge. For applications such as forming transparent conductive adhesives, the methods disclosed herein can be used to create materials with suitable and / or improved electrical, physical / mechanical, and / or chemical properties.

[0009] In a first aspect, provided herein is a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally monomers, oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or When a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers, Polymeric materials are disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material (or optionally the monomers, oligomers) is increased.

[0010] In one embodiment of the first aspect, a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers. In one embodiment of the first aspect, a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers. In one embodiment of the second aspect, a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers. In one embodiment of the second aspect, a sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers.

[0011] In another embodiment of the first aspect, provided herein is a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, wherein: a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or - a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers; Disclosed are polymeric materials in which the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material (or optionally the monomers, oligomers) is increased. When multiple conditions / stimuli are used, there may be an order / sequence. For example, changing the temperature may optionally be first, with the goal being to make the polymeric material (or optionally the monomers and / or oligomers) processable. If the polymer (or optionally the monomers and / or oligomers) are already in a processable state (e.g., gel, melt, or liquid), they can be directly fabricated into a film without excessively high temperatures. In some embodiments, for example, with long-chain polymers, a specific temperature and / or range may be required. Following the temperature adjustment, a second may be a change in pressure. Applying a specific pressure and / or pressure range may be used to reduce the thickness of the polymer along at least one dimension and / or to introduce a specific microstructure. Following the temperature and / or pressure change, an electric and / or magnetic field may finally be applied for the final conductivity.

[0012] In some embodiments, potential advantages of the disclosure herein may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: Conversion of insulating materials into conducting materials without the need to dope the polymer with localized charge carriers Improving the electrical conductivity of conductive materials (e.g., one or more intrinsic and / or extrinsic conductive polymers) Reversible increase in the electrical conductivity of polymers translatability across a wide range of polymer classes, and / or · Tunable resistance based on film thickness, strength of the electric field used, and choice of polymer used.

[0013] It will be understood that embodiments of each aspect of the present disclosure may be applied equally to each other aspect, mutatis mutandis. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] It will be understood that various embodiments disclosed herein may be utilized, some examples of which are described herein with reference to the following drawings: [Figure 1] Schematic of the setup for electrical processing and electrical characterization of Si / polymer / Si samples. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of (a) Si wafer, (b) indium tin oxide (ITO) glass, (c) III-V cell bonded onto the Si cell by a polymer layer, and (d) top cell bonded onto the bottom cell by a polymer layer. [Figure 3] Dependence of epoxy thickness on spin speed. Error bars indicate standard deviation. [Figure 4] (a) I-V sweep curves of Si wafers bonded by epoxy layers with different thicknesses. (b) Dependence of voltage V on the thickness of the polymer layer d. [Figure 5] (a) I-V curves of polymer-bonded Si wafers after cyclic electrical treatment. (b) Resistance of EVA-bonded Si wafers after electrical treatment at different electric field strengths. [Figure 6]AFM height (a-c) and phase (d-f) mapping images (1 μm scans) of a 5 μm thick EVA (example polymer) film. The untreated EVA film shows randomly arranged polymer chains, while the polymer chains begin to aggregate after an electric field treatment of 1 V / μm and form partially ordered arrays after treatment of 2 V / μm. [Figure 7] (a) Schematic of ITO glass bonded by a polymer layer. (b) Measured transmittance of ITO glass bonded by a polymer layer before and after standard cyclic electrical treatment. [Figure 8] (a) Equivalent circuit diagram of a III-V cell bonded on a Si wafer by a polymer layer. (b) Measured IV curves between T2 and T3 before and after electrical treatment. [Figure 9] J-V curves of a III-V solar cell bonded onto a Si wafer via a polymer layer measured through different terminals before and after a standard cyclic electrical treatment. [Figure 10] Fill factor (FF) and open circuit voltage (VOC) of III-V cells bonded on Si wafers by a polymer layer over 120 days. [Figure 11] (a) Equivalent circuit diagram of a III-V cell bonded onto ITO glass by a polymer layer. (b) Measured I-V curves between T2 and T3 before and after standard cyclic electrical treatment. (c) J-V curves of a III-V cell bonded onto ITO glass by a polymer layer measured through different terminals before and after electrical treatment. [Figure 12] Measured transmittance of a III-V cell bonded onto ITO glass by a polymer layer before and after cyclic electrical treatment. [Figure 13] (a) Schematic of a GaInP / GaAs / / Si tandem solar cell bonded by a polymer layer. The multiple optical enhancement layer (MOEL) includes TiO2 layers on the front and back of the III-V cell, and a textured PDMS film on the front of the tandem cell after TiO2. (b) SEM image of the cross section of the bonding interface. (c) Measured IV curves between T2 and T3 before and after standard cyclic electrical treatment. [Figure 14] J-V curves of a GaInP / GaAs / / Si tandem solar cell, III-V top cell, and Si bottom cell after electrical processing of the polymer layer. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 outlines an exemplary process for applying heat and / or pressure to a polymer-based sample. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] General Definitions and Terminology With respect to the definitions provided herein, unless expressly stated otherwise or implied from context, the defined terms and phrases include the meaning provided. Additionally, unless expressly stated otherwise or apparent from context, the following terms and phrases do not exclude the meaning that the term or phrase would have acquired by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Definitions are provided to aid in describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the claimed invention, since the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims.

[0016] Unless otherwise stated, all publications discussed and / or referenced herein are incorporated herein in their entirety.

[0017] Unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shall include the plural and plural terms shall include the singular. Throughout this disclosure, unless specifically stated otherwise or unless the context requires otherwise, reference to a single step, composition of matter, group of steps, or group of compositions of matter shall be taken to encompass one and a plurality (i.e., one or more) of those steps, compositions of matter, groups of steps, or group of compositions of matter. Thus, as used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural aspects unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to "a" includes the singular and more than one, reference to "an" includes the singular and more than one, reference to "the" includes the singular and more than one, etc.

[0018] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. The present disclosure should be understood to include all such variations and modifications. The present disclosure also includes all examples, steps, features, methods, compositions, formulations, and processes referred to or shown herein, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations, or any two or more of such steps or features.

[0019] The term "and / or," e.g., "X and / or Y," shall be understood to mean either "X and Y" or "X or Y," and shall be taken as providing explicit support for both meanings or either meaning.

[0020] Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used herein merely as labels and are not intended to impose any sequential, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Furthermore, a reference to a "second" item does not require or preclude the presence of a lower-numbered item (e.g., a "first" item) and / or a higher-numbered item (e.g., a "third" item).

[0021] As used herein, the phrases “at least one” and “one or more,” when used in conjunction with a list of items, mean that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and that only one of the items in the list may be required. An item may be a specific object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one” or “one or more” means that any combination or number of items from the list may be used, but not all of the items in the list may be required. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean item A; item A and item B; item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In some cases, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean, for example, but not limited to, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B, and seven of item C; or some other suitable combination.

[0022] It should be understood that certain features that are, for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination.

[0023] Throughout this specification, various aspects and components of the present disclosure may be presented in a range format. The range format is included for convenience and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all possible subranges and individual numerical values ​​within that range, unless specifically indicated otherwise. For example, the description of a range such as 1 to 5 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 2 to 5, 3 to 5, etc., as well as individual and partial numbers within the recited range, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 4.5, and 5, unless an integer is required or implied by context. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range disclosed. Where specific values ​​are required, these will be set forth herein.

[0024] Throughout this specification the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to mean the inclusion of the specified element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

[0025] Throughout this specification, the term "consisting essentially of" is intended to exclude elements that would materially affect the properties of the claimed composition, method, or process.

[0026] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "comprise," and "comprises" are intended in all instances to be optionally replaceable by the terms "consisting essentially of," "consist essentially of," "consists essentially of," "consisting of," "consist of," and "consists of."

[0027] As used herein, the term "about" encompasses a tolerance of 10% on any value or values ​​connected to the term.

[0028] As used herein, "weight percent" may be abbreviated as "weight percent (wt%)" or "weight percent (wt.%)." Weight percent may be w / w or w / v unless specifically indicated otherwise or clear from the context.

[0029] The terms "optionally substituted," "comprising one or more substituents," or "substituted" mean that one or more substituents may be present on the corresponding radical, atom, group, or moiety on a compound. When multiple substituents, or a selection of various substituents, are specified, the substituents are selected independently of each other and need not be identical. In some cases, at least one hydrogen atom on the radical, group, or moiety is replaced by a substituent. In the case of an oxo substituent (=O), two hydrogen atoms may be replaced. In this regard, substituents may be one or more of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, carbocyclyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, sulfone, thiol, ether, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, aralkyloxy, alkylthio, carboxamido, sulfonamido, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclo, alkoxyalkyl, (amino)alkyl, hydroxyalkylamino, (alkylamino)alkyl, (dialkylamino)alkyl, (cyano)alkyl, (carboxamido)alkyl, mercaptoalkyl, (heterocyclo)alkyl, (cycloalkylamino)alkyl, (C-C haloalkoxy)alkyl, (heteroaryl)alkyl, or perylene, oxo, heterocycle, -OR x , -NR x R Y , -NR x C(=O)R y -NR x SO2R y , -C(=O)R x , -C(=O)OR x , -C(=O)NR x R y , -SO q R x , -SO q NR x R y and mixtures thereof, where q is 0, 1, or 2;x and R y are the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, or heterocycle, and each of the alkyl and heterocycle substituents is selected from oxo, halogen, —OH, —CN, alkyl, —OR x , heterocycle, -NR x R y , -NR x C(=O)R y -NR x SO2R y , -C(=O)R x , -C(=O)OR x , -C(=O)NR x R y , -SOR x , and -SONR x R y may be further substituted by one or more of:

[0030] As used herein, a material, such as one or more polymers, may be considered to be utilized as part of an adhesive. The material may exhibit enhanced adhesive or cohesive properties to enhance the cohesion of an article or portion thereof, for example, to act as an adhesive for multiple other materials.

[0031] As used herein, "insulation" or "insulator," e.g., "insulating polymer," refer to a material and the property of a material having a high value of electrical resistivity, respectively. The electrical resistivity of an insulator is 10 8 It can be in the range of Ωm or higher.

[0032] As used herein, an "electron-rich domain" may refer to any functional group / group consisting of inorganic atoms with free electron pairs or flexible electrons, such as Li, Cu, Fe, Si, S, O, F, Br, and mixtures thereof. More specifically, an "electron-rich domain" may be defined as any chemical moiety containing an electronic dipole with a dipole moment greater than zero.

[0033] As used herein, a "conductive adhesive" refers to a material that can adhere to at least one surface or portion of an article for a period of time. In one embodiment, a "conductive adhesive" can join at least a portion of two or more articles, providing both a physical connection and an electrical connection. In some embodiments, a "conductive adhesive" can be a "transparent conductive adhesive."

[0034] As used herein, a "transparent conductive adhesive" refers to a material that can adhere to at least one surface or portion of an article for a period of time. In one embodiment, a "transparent conductive adhesive" can join at least a portion of two or more articles, providing both a physical connection and an electrical connection. As used herein, a transparent conductive adhesive allows the passage of light / electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared, ultraviolet, and / or visible light. In one embodiment, transparency is measured according to the percentage difference in optical transmittance before and after a film layer is applied to ITO glass. In one embodiment, the percentage difference in optical transmittance of light in the wavelength range of about 300 nm to about 1300 nm for ITO glass before and after a film layer is applied is less than about 5%, e.g., less than about 5%, 4.5%, 4%, 3.5%, or 3%.

[0035] As used herein, a polymeric material comprises one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or - a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers; A polymeric material is disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material is increased.

[0036] Also provided herein is a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, - the polymeric material is disposed between a plurality of layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; and -below: A sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or A sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or A sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers; A polymeric material is disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material is increased.

[0037] As used herein, the electrical conductivity of a polymeric material may be increased as a result of at least one, two, three, or four of: a sufficiently strong electric field being applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field being applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature being applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently strong pressure being applied across one or more polymers.

[0038] Also disclosed herein are electrically conductive polymer materials formed from the polymeric materials described herein, wherein one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to a sufficiently strong electric field. Also disclosed herein are electrically conductive polymer materials formed from the polymeric materials described herein, wherein one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to a sufficiently strong magnetic field. Also disclosed herein are electrically conductive polymer materials formed from the polymeric materials described herein, wherein one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to a sufficiently high temperature. Also disclosed herein are electrically conductive polymer materials formed from the polymeric materials described herein, wherein one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to a sufficiently high pressure.

[0039] In one embodiment, the electrically conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive. In another embodiment, the electrically conductive polymer material is a transparent conductive polymer, such as a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0040] Also provided herein is a method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, the method comprising: - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures, A method is disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) is increased, comprising adding across one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains.

[0041] Also provided herein is a method for improving the electrical conductivity of a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers), the method comprising: - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures, A method is disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of a conductive polymer material is increased by adding across one or more polymers comprising one or more electron-rich domains.

[0042] Also provided herein is a method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, the method comprising: - disposing one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains between a plurality of layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; -below: A sufficiently high electric field, and / or a sufficiently high magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or At least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures: and adding over one or more polymers, wherein the electrical conductivity of the one or more polymers (or optionally monomers, oligomers) is increased.

[0043] Also provided herein is the use of one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains in a polymeric material to make an electrically conductive polymer, comprising: - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the pressures is strong enough Disclosed is a use that, when applied across one or more polymers, increases the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material.

[0044] Also provided herein is the use of one or more polymers (or optionally monomers, oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, to physically and electronically connect multiple layers, each layer independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; - one or more polymers are disposed between the layers; and -below: A sufficiently strong electric field, and / or A sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or At least one of the pressures is strong enough When added across one or more polymers, Uses are disclosed in which the electrical conductivity of one or more polymers (or optionally monomers, oligomers) is increased.

[0045] Also disclosed herein are electrically conductive polymeric materials obtained from the methods described herein.

[0046] Also disclosed herein are devices that include the electrically conductive polymer materials described herein.

[0047] conductive materials SUMMARY The present disclosure is directed to polymeric materials, electrically conductive polymeric materials, methods of forming, uses, and applications thereof.

[0048] In one embodiment, the electrically conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive. In another embodiment, the electrically conductive polymer material is a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0049] As used herein, in one or more embodiments, a "polymer" or "one or more polymers" may be at least partially or completely replaced by precursors and / or building blocks used in forming the polymer or one or more polymers, for example, by one or more monomers and / or oligomers. These monomers and / or oligomers may be commercially available monomers or oligomers. The electrical conductivity of the polymer or one or more monomers and / or oligomers may be altered before, during, and / or after the polymerization process. For example, at least one of a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or a sufficiently strong pressure may be applied to at least one of the polymer, monomer, and / or oligomer.

[0050] In one embodiment, an electric field is applied to one or more polymers, e.g., one or more insulating polymers. In another embodiment, the electric field is applied to one or more electrically conductive polymers. The electric field may have a strength of at least 5 V / m. As used herein, the electric field may be generated by introducing a potential difference across one axis of one or more polymers. When one or more polymers are exposed to an electric field, the resulting electrical conductivity may be the result of several factors, including, but not limited to, the type of polymer or polymers, one or more dimensions (e.g., thickness) of the polymer, and / or one or more of the size of the electric field or potential applied across the one or more polymers, and the axis or plane of the one or more polymers. The strength of the electric field required depends, among other properties, on the composition of the one or more polymers and the thickness of the one or more polymer films.

[0051] In one embodiment, a voltage ranging from about 0.05 V to about 100 V may be applied across one or more polymers, in one embodiment, a voltage of about, or at least about, 0.05 V, 0.1 V, 0.5 V, 1 V, 2 V, 5 V, 10 V, 20 V, 50 V, or 100 V may be applied.

[0052] Herein, one or more polymers may be exposed to a single electric field or to multiple electric fields, where the strength of each of the electric fields may be the same or different from the preceding or subsequent electric fields.

[0053] In one embodiment, a magnetic field is applied to one or more polymers, such as one or more insulating polymers. In another embodiment, the magnetic field is applied to one or more electrically conductive polymers. The magnetic field may have a strength of at least 2 T. As used herein, a magnetic field may be generated by processes known in the art, including, but not limited to, a magnet and / or a Hall effect generator across at least one axis of the one or more polymers. When one or more polymers are exposed to an appropriate magnetic field, the resulting electrical conductivity may be the result of several factors, including, but not limited to, the type of polymer or polymers, one or more dimensions (e.g., thickness) of the polymer, and / or the size of the magnetic field across the one or more polymers, and one or more of the axes or planes of the one or more polymers. The strength of the magnetic field required depends, among other properties, on the composition of the one or more polymers and the thickness of the one or more polymer films.

[0054] Herein, one or more polymers may be exposed to a single magnetic field or to multiple magnetic fields, where multiple magnetic fields are used and the strength of each of the magnetic fields may be the same or different from the preceding or subsequent magnetic fields.

[0055] In one embodiment, pressure is applied to one or more polymers, for example, one or more insulating polymers. In another embodiment, pressure is applied to one or more electrically conductive polymers. The pressure is at least 20 Pa (N / m 2). As used herein, pressure can be generated by any method known in the art, such as an evenly applied weight, the use of clips, the use of a laminator, and / or a device capable of generating pressure. When one or more polymers are exposed to at least one suitable pressure, the resulting electrical conductivity can be the result of several factors, including, but not limited to, one or more of the type of polymer or polymers, one or more dimensions of the polymer (e.g., thickness), and / or the amount of pressure applied to the one or more polymers. The required pressure depends, among other properties, on the composition of the one or more polymers and the thickness of the one or more polymer films.

[0056] Herein, one or more polymers may be exposed to a single pressure or multiple pressures, and when multiple pressures are used, the magnitude of the pressures may be the same or different from preceding or subsequent pressures.

[0057] In one embodiment, a specific temperature or temperature range is applied or is applied to one or more polymers, for example, one or more insulating polymers. The temperature may be related to the glass transition temperature of the one or more polymers used. In another embodiment, a specific temperature or temperature range is applied or is applied to one or more electrically conductive polymers. The temperature may be as low as room temperature (e.g., about 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25°C) or even lower, for example, a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer used. The temperature can be about, at least about 20° C., 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C., 70° C., 80° C., 90° C., 100° C., 110° C., 120° C., 130° C., 140° C., 150° C., 160° C., 170° C., 180° C., 190° C., or 200° C., or less than about 20° C., 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C., 70° C., 80° C., 90° C., 100° C., 110° C., 120° C., 130° C., 140° C., 150° C., 160° C., 170° C., 180° C., 190° C., or 200° C. As used herein, suitable temperatures can be generated by any method known in the art, for example, by using a hot plate. When one or more polymers are exposed to at least one appropriate temperature, the resulting electrical conductivity can be the result of several factors, including, but not limited to, one or more of the type of polymer or polymers, one or more dimensions of the polymer (e.g., thickness), and / or the particular temperature or range of temperatures applied to the one or more polymers. The pressure required depends, among other properties, on the composition of the one or more polymers and the thickness of the one or more polymer films.

[0058] Herein, one or more polymers may be exposed to a single temperature or to multiple temperatures, where multiple temperatures are used and the magnitude of the temperatures may be the same or different from the preceding or subsequent temperatures.

[0059] As used herein, the polymers, monomers, and / or oligomers may be exposed to at least one of: a sufficiently strong electric field applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently high temperature applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong pressure applied across one or more polymers, for a sufficient amount of time, which may be on the scale of minutes or seconds, depending on the effect and / or polymer (or monomer and / or oligomer).

[0060] As used herein, the increase in electrical conductivity can be measured by any suitable method known in the art. As known in the art, conductivity (σ) is the reciprocal of resistivity (ρ), i.e., σ=1 / ρ. Resistivity can be calculated by using the formula ρ=RA / L, where R is the resistance of the specimen, A is the cross-sectional area A, and L is the length / thickness. L can be measured by processes known in the art, such as by using cross-sectional microscope images (e.g., scanning electron microscopes) and / or profilometers. Resistivity R can be measured by IV testing. In one embodiment, four-point probe resistance measurement can be used as a method for measuring electrical resistance and quantifying the resistance. For example, U. Heitmann et al., Electrical and optical analysis of a spray coated transparent conductive adhesive for two-terminal silicon based tandem solar cells[C], AIP Conference Proceedings, AIP Publishing, 2019, 2147(1), and / or M. Taklo et al., Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive for Wafer-to-Wafer Bonding, Proceedings of 7 th International Conference and Exhibition on Device Packaging,2011.

[0061] In one embodiment, the increase in conductivity (in units of S / m) is at least or about 1, 1.00E+01, 1.00E+02, 1.00E+03, 1.00E+04, 1.00E+05, 1.00E+06, 1.00E+07, 1.00E+08, 1.00E+09, 1.00E+10, 1.00E+11, 1 It can be by orders of magnitude: .00E+12, 1.00E+13, 1.00E+14, 1.00E+15, 1.00E+16, 1.00E+17, 1.00E+18, 1.00E+19, 1.00E+20, 1.00E+21, 1.00E+22, 1.00E+23, 1.00E+24, 1.00E+25. In another embodiment, the decrease / reduction in resistivity (in units of Ω·m) herein is at least or about 1, 1.00E+01, 1.00E+02, 1.00E+03, 1.00E+04, 1.00E+05, 1.00E+06, 1.00E+07, 1.00E+08, 1.00E+09, 1.00E+10, 1.00E+11, 1.00E+12, 1.00E+13, 1.00E+14, 1.00E+15, 1.00E+16, 1.00E+17, 1.00E+18, 1.00E+19, 1.00E+20, 1.00E+21, 1.00E+22, 1.00E+23, 1.00E+24, 1.00E+25, 1.00E+26, 1.00E+27, 1.00E+28, 1.00E+29, 1.00E+30, 1.00E+31, 1.00E+32, 1.00E+33, 1.00E+34, 1.00E+35, 1.00E+36, 1.00E+37, 1.00E+38, 1.00E+39, 1.00E+40, 1.00E+41, 1.00E+42, 1.00E+43, 1.00E+44, 1.00E+45, 1.00E+46, 1.00E+47, 1.00E+48, +11, 1.00E+12, 1.00E+13, 1.00E+14, 1.00E+15, 1.00E+16, 1.00E+17, 1.00E+18, 1.00E+19, 1.00E+20, 1.00E+21, 1.00E+22, 1.00E+23, 1.00E+24, 1.00E+25 orders of magnitude.

[0062] In one embodiment, the electric field is applied when the one or more polymers are below the glass transition temperature of the one or more polymers. In one embodiment, the electric field is applied when the one or more polymers are above the glass transition temperature of the one or more polymers.

[0063] In one embodiment, exposure to at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, a suitable temperature or temperature range, and / or a pressure or pressure range, e.g., a "sufficiently strong electric field," a "sufficiently strong magnetic field," a "sufficiently high temperature," and / or a "sufficiently strong pressure," for a period of time transforms the internal organization of one or more polymers. For example, one or more polymer chains may aggregate and / or become tightly aligned parallel and / or perpendicular to the direction in which the electric field, magnetic field, and / or pressure is applied, or due to exposure to one or more temperature ranges. The internal alignment of the polymer and / or portions thereof (e.g., side chains) may result from several factors, including the particular polymer(s) used (including the particular substituents or groups present on the polymer backbone and / or side chains), the magnitude of the external stimulus (e.g., electric field, magnetic field, pressure, and / or temperature), and / or the time the one or more polymers are exposed to the stimulus or stimuli. After exposure to at least one of the electric field, magnetic field, temperature, and / or pressure, the internal arrangement of the one or more polymers may become more ordered. After exposure to at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, temperature, and / or pressure, the one or more polymers may exhibit a change in physical properties, such as increased hardness, which may be demonstrated in methods such as atomic force microscopy. The one or more materials may exhibit increased crystalline properties throughout at least a portion of the one or more materials. The one or more materials may transition from an amorphous or substantially amorphous form to a more crystalline or substantially crystalline form.

[0064] In this specification, an electric field, which can be either an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC), can be applied to a film to achieve topological conductivity throughout the thickness of a polymer film containing electron-rich domains, to obtain an electrically conductive polymer material. In this specification, a magnetic field can be applied to a film to achieve topological conductivity throughout the thickness of a polymer film containing electron-rich domains, to obtain an electrically conductive polymer material. In this specification, an appropriate pressure (e.g., mechanical pressure) can be applied to a film to achieve topological conductivity throughout the thickness of a polymer film containing electron-rich domains, to obtain an electrically conductive polymer material. In this specification, an appropriate temperature or temperature range can be applied to a film to achieve topological conductivity throughout the thickness of a polymer film containing electron-rich domains, to obtain an electrically conductive polymer material. The electron-rich domains can then move parallel to the direction of the applied electric field, magnetic field, or pressure. Such movement or tendency to move can result in enhanced dangling / stretching of the covalent bonds involved and accumulation of polymer chains containing electron-rich domains. Using the polymer EVA as an example model, as shown in Figure 1, the diagram illustrates the realignment of vinyl acetate (VA) moieties in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) thin films (5 μm) when subjected to an electric field. Untreated EVA films have randomly arranged polymer chains. After exposing them to an electric field of 1 V / μm for 5 seconds, VA chains accumulate. The VA chains then arrange into regular arrays after treatment under an electric field of 2 V / μm. Such accumulation / arrangement of VA moieties (containing C=O electron-rich domains) under a suitable electric field occurs throughout the entire depth of the thin film, resulting in the formation of many pathways for electron transport. Thus, the EVA film becomes conductive throughout its thickness.

[0065] In another embodiment, PMMA / PVA polymers can achieve resistances of less than 2 ohms when fabricated into thin films without any electric field greater than 0.1 V / μm.

[0066] In one embodiment, after applying an electric field, a magnetic field, pressure, and / or temperature to one or more polymers, the electrical conductivity of the one or more polymers increases. In one embodiment, the increase in electrical conductivity is temporary. Following the increase in electrical conductivity, the electrical conductivity may decrease over a period of time, or the electrical conductivity may remain the same or substantially the same in the absence of any further changes, such as the application of a stimulus that allows for the electrical, chemical, and / or physical properties of the one or more polymers or the article to which the one or more polymers are disposed and / or attached in some manner. In one embodiment, the increase in electrical conductivity is relatively stable over time, and the increase in electrical conductivity is observed to persist over a period of, for example, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and / or months. In one embodiment, the increase in electrical conductivity is temporary, and the electrical conductivity decreases over a period of, for example, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and / or months.

[0067] As used herein, any increase in electrical conductivity may be reversible. Any increase in electrical conductivity may be partially reversible. For example, after exposure to an electric field, a magnetic field, pressure, and / or temperature (which may be due to a change in the environment, such as temperature), a change may be made to one or more polymers, reducing the electrical conductivity. The reduction in conductivity may return the electrical conductivity of the material to its original state or an alternative state. For example, one or more polymers may be heated, for example, via thermal annealing and / or by cooling, such as supercooling. In one embodiment, the electrical conductivity of one or more polymers may be reduced due to changes to the electrical, chemical, and / or physical properties of the one or more polymers.

[0068] As used herein, electrically conductive polymer materials may be in the form of "topologically" conductive films. Topologically conductive films may be conductive in a single direction, for example, the vertical direction.

[0069] The insulator is 10 10 It may have high values ​​of electrical resistivity in the range of Ωm or higher.

[0070] polymer For the materials, methods and uses described herein, the choice of polymer may provide one or more of the following advantages: No chemical curing reaction is required High or low viscosity Conditional solvent resistance Short process time Unlimited storage or shelf life The material is weldable High energy absorption in case of damage Good recycling properties Chemical hardening reaction ·Low viscosity Good fiber impregnation High solvent resistance Medium to long process times Limited storage or shelf life, and / or · Less hassle with fixings.

[0071] Herein, the one or more polymers may be selected from, but are not limited to, thermoplastics, thermosets, and mixtures thereof.

[0072] As used herein, one or more polymers (or optionally monomers, oligomers) may contain one or more electron-rich domains. The electron-rich domains may be present in the polymer backbone, one or more side chains, or a mixture thereof.

[0073] The electron-rich domain can be a covalently bonded group that includes inorganic atoms with multiple electron pairs or flexible electrons.

[0074] As used herein, the one or more electron-rich domains may be selected from, but are not limited to, one or more optionally substituted double bonds, cyclic groups, heterocyclic rings (e.g., pyrrole rings), aryl rings, heteroaryl rings (e.g., pyridine rings), fluorine or fluorine-containing groups, cyano groups, carbonyls, imines, aldehydes, hydroxyls, esters, carboxylic acids, glycidyl groups, amines, imines, or atoms having free electrons such as Li, Cu, Fe, Si, S, F, Br, and mixtures thereof.

[0075] The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may take any form known in the art. Examples include, but are not limited to, linear, branched, hyperbranched, dendrimeric, or comb-like materials, or mixtures thereof. The polymer may be based on a single monomer (e.g., a homopolymer) or multiple different monomers (e.g., a copolymer, such as a statistical, alternating, gradient, or block copolymer). The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may be composed of any monomer known in the art, such as styrenics, polyolefins, poly(meth)acrylates, poly(meth)acrylamides, polyethers, silicones, polyesters, polyurethanes, and mixtures thereof.

[0076] The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials can be in any suitable form. The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials can be in the form of layers and / or sheets and / or particles. The shape and / or size can be adapted depending on several factors. These factors can include the end use or article into which the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials are incorporated and / or applied, and the particular polymers and / or monomers selected.

[0077] As used herein, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may include one or more polymers selected from, but not limited to, poly(ethylene vinyl acetate), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(lactic acid), poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), Nafion, nylon, nylon 6, nylon 6-6, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetherketone, polyketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyoxymethylene plastic, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyester resin, epoxy resin, and mixtures thereof.

[0078] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials comprise or consist essentially of one or more homopolymers. In another embodiment, the one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers. In yet another embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers, one or more of which are derived from or have at least 2, 3, or 4 monomeric groups.

[0079] The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials, or oligomers may comprise one or more different monomers, where at least one monomer may be selected from, but is not limited to, methacrylate-based, acrylate-based, olefin-based, carbonate-based, acrylamide-based, methacrylamide-based, styrene-based, or epoxide-based monomers, or mixtures thereof. For example, at least one monomer may be selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, amyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, tert-octyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, 2-bromoethyl acrylate, 4-chlorobutyl acrylate, cyanoethyl acrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, methoxybenzyl acrylate, and 2-chlorocyclohexyl acrylate. acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, furfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, 5-hydroxypentyl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, 3-methoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl acrylate, 2-isopropoxy acrylate, 2-butoxyethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol acrylate, 1-bromo-2-methoxyethyl acrylate, and 1,1-dichloro-2-ethoxyethyl acrylate;Methacrylic acid esters, optionally methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, sec-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, amyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, benzyl methacrylate, chlorobenzyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, sulfopropyl methacrylate, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylate, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylate, furfuryl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, phenyl methacrylate, cresyl methacrylate, naphthyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate , triethylene glycol monomethacrylate, dipropylene glycol monomethacrylate, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylate, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylate, acrylic methacrylate, and methacrylic acid dimethylaminoethyl methyl chloride salt; vinyl esters, optionally vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl isobutyrate, vinyl caproate, vinyl chloroacetate, vinyl methoxyacetate, vinyl phenylacetate, vinyl benzoate, and vinyl salicylate;Acrylamides, optionally acrylamide, ethylacrylamide, propylacrylamide, isopropylacrylamide, n-butylacrylamide, sec-butylacrylamide, tert-butylacrylamide, cyclohexylacrylamide, benzylacrylamide, hydroxymethylacrylamide, methoxyethylacrylamide, dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, phenylacrylamide, dimethylacrylamide, diethylacrylamide, β-cyanoethylacrylamide, N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl)acrylamide, and diacetoneacrylamide;Methacrylamide, optionally methacrylamide, methyl methacrylamide, ethyl methacrylamide, propyl methacrylamide, isopropyl methacrylamide, n-butyl methacrylamide, sec-butyl methacrylamide, tert-butyl methacrylamide, cyclohexyl methacrylamide, benzyl methacrylamide, hydroxy methacrylamide, chlorobenzyl methacrylamide, octyl methacrylamide, stearyl methacrylamide, sulfopropyl methacrylamide, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylamide, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylamide, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylamide, furfuryl methacrylamide, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylamide, phenyl methacrylamide, cresyl methacrylamide, naphthyl methacrylamide, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylamide, triethylene glycol monomethacrylamide, dipropyl methacrylamide, Pyrene glycol monomethacrylamide, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylamide, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylamide, acryl methacrylamide, dimethylamino methacrylamide, diethylamino methacrylamide, cyanoethyl methacrylamide, and N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl) methacrylamide; olefins, optionally, dicyclopentadiene, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, isoprene, chloroprene, butadiene, and 2,3-dimethylbutadiene;The styrene may optionally be selected from, but is not limited to, styrene, methylstyrene, dimethylstyrene, trimethylstyrene, ethylstyrene, isopropylstyrene, chloromethylstyrene, methoxystyrene, acetoxystyrene, chlorostyrene, dichlorostyrene, bromostyrene, and vinylbenzoic acid methyl ester; vinyl ethers, optionally methyl vinyl ether, butyl vinyl ether, hexyl vinyl ether, methoxyethyl vinyl ether, and dimethylaminoethyl vinyl ether; butyl crotonate; hexyl crotonate; dibutyl itaconate; dimethyl maleate; dibutyl maleate; dimethyl fumarate; dibutyl fumarate; methyl vinyl ketone; phenyl vinyl ketone; methoxyethyl vinyl ketone; glycidyl acrylate; glycidyl methacrylate; N-vinyloxazolidone; N-vinylpyrrolidone; acrylonitrile; methacrylonitrile; methylene moronnitrile; vinylidene; and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the one or more monomers may be selected from ethylene, butylene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, lactic acid, butadiene, acrylonitrile, styrene, tetrafluoroethylene, terephthalate, cyclic groups, heterocyclic groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups (optionally containing one or more N, O, and / or S atoms), and mixtures thereof;

[0080] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, oligomeric polymer materials, or electrically conductive polymer materials comprise polymers derived from monomers selected from ethylene, butylene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, lactic acid, butadiene, acrylonitrile, styrene, tetrafluoroethylene, terephthalate, cyclic groups, heterocyclic groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups (optionally containing one or more N, O, and / or S atoms), and mixtures thereof.

[0081] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials include polymers that include metallic and / or non-metallic elements.

[0082] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials optionally further comprise additives selected from any component capable of adjusting the optical and / or mechanical properties for the selected polymeric material, such as one or more additives to change the color and / or fiber, potentially strengthening the one or more polymers, and mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials are free or substantially free of further materials and / or additives.

[0083] Because a variety of different monomers and / or polymers can be used, the selection of materials allows one of skill in the art to tailor the selection to provide one or more preferred or advantageous attributes, such as one or more mechanical, electrical, and / or chemical attributes.

[0084] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, e.g., the one or more insulating polymers, after application of at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, a temperature, and / or a pressure, have a melting point of at least about 1×10 7 Ωm, or 1×10 7 It may have an electrical resistivity of less than Ωm.

[0085] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, e.g., the one or more insulating polymers, after application of at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, a temperature, and / or a pressure, have a melting point of at least about 1×10 -7 S / m, or 1 x 10 -7 It has an electrical conductivity greater than S / m.

[0086] The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may be a mixture of one or more polymers. The one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may comprise a mixture, where one or more of the polymers are mixed in a manner that avoids separation of one or more of the polymers. Alternatively, the one or more polymers may be arranged in a manner that allows separation, for example, the one or more polymers are provided in a stack of separate polymers.

[0087] The thickness of one or more polymers can vary, and the thickness of each polymer can be the same and / or different. As used herein, one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials, individually and / or collectively, can have thicknesses on the scale of micrometers, millimeters, centimeters, and / or meters.

[0088] In one embodiment, the one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials are free or substantially free of particles, for example, free or substantially free of particles that include metals.

[0089] As used herein, one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may be synthesized and / or manufactured by any suitable method known in the art, including, but not limited to, hot pressing, drop casting and optional pressing, spin coating, spray coating, blade coating, sputtering, thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, electrochemical deposition, electron beam deposition, Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, and colloidal deposition, and mixtures thereof.

[0090] Other materials As used herein, one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials described herein may be used with other materials, such as, but not limited to, one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof.

[0091] One or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials may be disposed between multiple materials, for example, as an intervening and / or connecting layer between two other materials and / or layers.

[0092] As used herein, the one or metals may be selected from, but are not limited to, silver, copper, gold, aluminum, molybdenum, zinc, lithium, brass, nickel, steel, palladium, platinum, tungsten, tin, bronze, lead, titanium, steel, iron, and mixtures and / or alloys thereof.

[0093] As used herein, the one or more semiconductors may be selected from non-limiting examples of elemental semiconductors including, but not limited to, silicon, gallium, germanium, diamond (carbon), tin, selenium, tellurium, boron, phosphorus, and mixtures thereof, and compound semiconductors including ZnSe, GaAs, GaN, InP, InGaAlP, InGaN, SiC, SiGe, and mixtures thereof. The semiconductor can be an i-type semiconductor, an n-type semiconductor, or a p-type semiconductor.

[0094] As used herein, the one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge are selected from non-limiting examples of carbon-based materials including, but not limited to, activated carbon, carbon nanoparticles, graphite, single-walled (SWCNT) or multi-walled (MWCNT) carbon nanotubes, branched carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, graphene oxide, and mixtures thereof.

[0095] As used herein, the one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge are selected from, but are not limited to, conductive polymers; non-limiting examples include those in which the conductive polymer contains aromatic cycles, double bonds, or a combination thereof. The conductive polymer may be selected from polymers in which no heteroatoms are present (i.e., only C and H are present) or heteroatoms are present (i.e., atoms other than C and H are also present). Non-limiting examples of conductive polymers include poly(fluorene), polyphenylene, propylene, polyazulene, polynaphthalene, poly(acetylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), poly(pyrrole), polycarbazole, polyindole, polyazepine, polyaniline, poly(thiophene), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(p-phenylene sulfide), or a combination thereof.

[0096] device Disclosed herein are devices comprising conductive adhesives of one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials described herein.

[0097] Herein, the device may be selected from or used for tandem solar cells: interconnect layers (for both two-terminal and three-terminal configurations), perovskite / organic solar cells, electrode materials in batteries, organic thin film transistors for displays and circuits, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) for displays and lighting, bioelectronics, surgical devices, and cell biology.

[0098] In one embodiment, the device described herein comprises a conductive adhesive as defined herein, which is optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0099] Also disclosed herein are photovoltaic devices that include the polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymer materials, described herein as an electrically conductive layer (e.g., a layer that can effectively transfer carriers from one side to the other) and / or an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer can be used as an adhesive and / or boarding layer. In one embodiment, the claimed photovoltaic device comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of a tandem solar cell that includes the polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymer materials, described herein. In another embodiment, the polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymer materials, are present as at least one intermediate layer.

[0100] Also disclosed herein is the use of a polymeric material, or an electrically conductive polymeric material, as described herein to form at least a portion of a device selected from, but not limited to, a battery, an organic thin film transistor, an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a bioelectronic device, and / or a surgical device.

[0101] Also provided herein is a device comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, a third layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer; - a third layer comprising one or more polymers, polymeric materials, or electrically conductive polymeric materials as defined herein.

[0102] Herein, the device may further include an upper solar cell and a lower solar cell, the first layer is disposed between the upper solar cell and the third layer; The second layer is disposed between the lower solar cell and the third layer.

[0103] In another embodiment, the surface of the solar cell in contact with the third layer is textured.

[0104] In one embodiment, the third layer is configured to provide no electrical conductivity along a direction parallel to the plane of the third layer.

[0105] In another embodiment, at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a semiconductor as defined herein.

[0106] In another embodiment, at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a metal as defined herein.

[0107] In another embodiment, at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a conductive adhesive, optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0108] In another embodiment, the first layer is a semiconductor substrate and the second layer is a silicon substrate, hi yet another embodiment, the surface of the silicon substrate in contact with the third layer is textured.

[0109] In yet another embodiment, the first layer is a solar cell and the second layer is a backsheet that includes a first region of patterned conductors. The backsheet may further include a second region that is transparent to solar radiation.

[0110] Exemplary Embodiments This disclosure may be defined by one or more exemplary embodiments.

[0111] 1. A polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or When a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers, The electrical conductivity of the polymer material is increased.

[0112] 2. A polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, - the polymeric material is disposed between a plurality of layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; and -below: A sufficiently strong electric field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or A sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across one or more polymers, and / or A sufficiently high temperature is applied across one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across one or more polymers; The electrical conductivity of the polymer material is increased.

[0113] 3. An electrically conductive polymer material formed from the polymeric material described in exemplary embodiment 1 or exemplary embodiment 2, wherein one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to at least one of a sufficiently strong electric field, a sufficiently strong magnetic field, a sufficiently high temperature, and / or a sufficiently strong pressure.

[0114] 4. The electrically conductive polymer material of exemplary embodiment 3, wherein the conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive.

[0115] 5. The electrically conductive polymer material of exemplary embodiment 3, wherein the conductive polymer material is a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0116] 6. A method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, the method comprising: - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures, A method comprising adding across one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains, wherein the electrical conductivity of the one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers) is increased.

[0117] 7. A method for improving the electrical conductivity of a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers), the method comprising: - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures, A method comprising adding across one or more polymers comprising one or more electron-rich domains, whereby the electrical conductivity of the conductive polymer material is increased.

[0118] 8. A method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, the method comprising: - disposing one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains, optionally one or more insulating polymers, between a plurality of layers, each layer independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; -below: A sufficiently strong electric field, and / or A sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or At least one of the following sufficiently strong pressures: and adding over one or more polymers, wherein the electrical conductivity of the one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers) is increased.

[0119] 9. The use of one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains in a polymeric material to make an electrically conductive polymer, - a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or - a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the pressures is strong enough Uses that, when added across one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers), increase the electrical conductivity of the polymeric material.

[0120] 10. The method or use according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments 6 to 9, wherein the electrically conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive or a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0121] 11. The use of one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers), optionally one or more insulating polymers, to physically and electronically connect multiple layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; - one or more polymers are disposed between the layers; and -below: A sufficiently strong electric field, and / or A sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or At least one of the pressures is strong enough When added across one or more polymers, Use wherein the electrical conductivity of one or more polymers (or optionally monomers and / or oligomers) is increased.

[0122] 12. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the electric field has a strength of at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 V / m.

[0123] 13. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers) comprise one or more electron-rich domains present in the polymer backbone and / or side chains.

[0124] 14. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers (or optionally, monomers and / or oligomers) comprise one or more electron-rich domains selected from one or more optionally substituted double bonds, cyclic groups, heterocyclic rings, aryl rings, heteroaryl rings, fluorine or fluorine-containing groups, cyano groups, carbonyls, aldehydes, hydroxyls, esters, carboxylic acids, glycidyl groups, amines, imines, or atoms having non-bonding electrons selected from Li, Cu, Fe, Si, S, O, F, Br, and mixtures thereof.

[0125] 15. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use of any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise one or more polymers selected from poly(ethylene vinyl acetate), poly(methyl methacrylate), polylactic acid, poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), Nafion, nylon, nylon 6, nylon 6-6, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetherketone, polyketone, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide, polyoxymethylene plastic, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyester resin, epoxy resin, and mixtures thereof.

[0126] 16. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more homopolymers, copolymers, or mixtures thereof.

[0127] 17. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more homopolymers.

[0128] 18. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers.

[0129] 19. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers, one or more of which are derived from or are at least 2, 3, or 4 monomer groups.

[0130] 20. One or more polymers selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, amyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, tert-octyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, 2-bromoethyl acrylate, 4-chlorobutyl acrylate, cyanoethyl acrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, methoxybenzyl acrylate, 2-chlorocyclohexyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, furfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, 5-hydroxypentyl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, 3-methoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl acrylate, 2-isopropoxy acrylate, 2-butoxyethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol acrylate, 1-bromo-2-methoxyethyl acrylate, and 1,1-dichloro-2-ethoxyethyl acrylate;Methacrylic acid esters, optionally methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, sec-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, amyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, benzyl methacrylate, chlorobenzyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, sulfopropyl methacrylate, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylate, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylate, furfuryl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, phenyl methacrylate, cresyl methacrylate, naphthyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate , triethylene glycol monomethacrylate, dipropylene glycol monomethacrylate, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylate, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylate, acrylic methacrylate, and methacrylic acid dimethylaminoethyl methyl chloride salt; vinyl esters, optionally vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl isobutyrate, vinyl caproate, vinyl chloroacetate, vinyl methoxyacetate, vinyl phenylacetate, vinyl benzoate, and vinyl salicylate;Acrylamides, optionally acrylamide, ethylacrylamide, propylacrylamide, isopropylacrylamide, n-butylacrylamide, sec-butylacrylamide, tert-butylacrylamide, cyclohexylacrylamide, benzylacrylamide, hydroxymethylacrylamide, methoxyethylacrylamide, dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, phenylacrylamide, dimethylacrylamide, diethylacrylamide, β-cyanoethylacrylamide, N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl)acrylamide, and diacetoneacrylamide;Methacrylamide, optionally methacrylamide, methyl methacrylamide, ethyl methacrylamide, propyl methacrylamide, isopropyl methacrylamide, n-butyl methacrylamide, sec-butyl methacrylamide, tert-butyl methacrylamide, cyclohexyl methacrylamide, benzyl methacrylamide, hydroxy methacrylamide, chlorobenzyl methacrylamide, octyl methacrylamide, stearyl methacrylamide, sulfopropyl methacrylamide, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylamide, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylamide, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylamide, furfuryl methacrylamide, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylamide, phenyl methacrylamide, cresyl methacrylamide, naphthyl methacrylamide, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylamide, triethylene glycol monomethacrylamide, dipropyl methacrylamide, Pyrene glycol monomethacrylamide, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylamide, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylamide, acryl methacrylamide, dimethylamino methacrylamide, diethylamino methacrylamide, cyanoethyl methacrylamide, and N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl) methacrylamide; olefins, optionally, dicyclopentadiene, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, isoprene, chloroprene, butadiene, and 2,3-dimethylbutadiene;Styrene, optionally styrene, methylstyrene, dimethylstyrene, trimethylstyrene, ethylstyrene, isopropylstyrene, chloromethylstyrene, methoxystyrene, acetoxystyrene, chlorostyrene, dichlorostyrene, bromostyrene, and vinylbenzoic acid methyl ester; vinyl ether, optionally methyl vinyl ether, butyl vinyl ether, hexyl vinyl ether, methoxyethyl vinyl ether, and dimethylaminoethyl vinyl ether; butyl crotonate; hexyl crotonate; dibutyl itaconate; dimethyl maleate; dibutyl maleate The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use of any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, comprising a polymer derived from, or wherein the monomer or oligomer is selected from, or based on, a monomer selected from: methyl vinyl ketone; dimethyl fumarate; dibutyl fumarate; methyl vinyl ketone; phenyl vinyl ketone; methoxyethyl vinyl ketone; glycidyl acrylate; glycidyl methacrylate; N-vinyl oxazolidone; N-vinyl pyrrolidone; acrylonitrile; methacrylonitrile; methylene methyl nitrile; vinylidene; and mixtures thereof.

[0131] 21. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers comprise a polymer derived from, or the monomers are selected from, or the oligomers comprise, ethylene, butylene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, lactic acid, butadiene, acrylonitrile, styrene, tetrafluoroethylene, terephthalate, cyclic groups, heterocyclic groups, aryl groups, optionally heteroaryl groups containing one or more N, O, and / or S atoms, and mixtures thereof.

[0132] 22. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use of any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers optionally comprise one or more inherently conductive polymer materials selected from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), polyacetylene (PA), polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy), polythiophene (PTH), poly(para-phenylene) (PPP), poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV), and polyfuran (PF), and mixtures thereof.

[0133] 23. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use of any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers optionally comprise one or more exogenous conductive polymer materials comprising or consisting of a matrix of polymer having a percentage of conductive material, the conductive material optionally being selected from metal particles, metal-coated particles, indium tin oxide particles, powdered graphite, and mixtures thereof.

[0134] 24. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the one or more polymers are independently produced by one or more processes selected from hot pressing, drop casting and optional pressing, spin coating, spray coating, blade coating, sputtering, thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, electrochemical deposition, electron beam deposition, Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, and colloidal deposition, and mixtures thereof.

[0135] 25. The polymer material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the increase in electrical conductivity is reversible or partially reversible.

[0136] 26. The polymer material, electrically conductive polymer material, method, or use of an exemplary embodiment according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the electrical conductivity is reversible or partial via heat treatment, optionally thermal annealing or cooling, optionally supercooling.

[0137] 27. A polymer material, or an electrically conductive polymer material, obtained from the method according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the polymer material is optionally a conductive polymer adhesive, optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0138] 28. A device comprising a polymeric material according to any one of the preceding exemplary embodiments or an electrically conductive polymeric material.

[0139] 29. A device comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer comprising a transparent conductive adhesive; a third layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer; A third layer, the device, comprising the polymer material according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 27 or an electrically conductive polymer material.

[0140] 30. The device of exemplary embodiment 28 or exemplary embodiment 29, wherein the polymer material, or the electrically conductive polymer material, is a conductive adhesive, optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

[0141] 31. The device of Exemplary Embodiment 28 or Exemplary Embodiment 29, wherein the third layer is configured to not provide electrical conductivity along a direction parallel to the plane of the third layer.

[0142] 32. The device of any one of Exemplary Embodiments 28-31, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a semiconductor.

[0143] 33. The device of any one of Exemplary Embodiments 28-32, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a metal.

[0144] 34. The device of any one of Exemplary Embodiments 28-33, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a transparent conductive material.

[0145] 35. The device of any one of Exemplary Embodiments 28-32, wherein the first layer is a semiconductor substrate and the second layer is a silicon substrate.

[0146] 36. The device of exemplary embodiment 35, wherein the surface of the silicon substrate in contact with the third layer is textured.

[0147] 37. Further comprising an upper solar cell and a lower solar cell; the first layer is disposed between the upper solar cell and the third layer; The device of Exemplary Embodiment 29, wherein the second layer is disposed between the lower solar cell and the third layer.

[0148] 38. The device of exemplary embodiment 29, wherein the first layer is a solar cell and the second layer is a backsheet including a first region of patterned conductor.

[0149] 39. The device of exemplary embodiment 38, wherein the backsheet further comprises a second region that is transparent to solar radiation.

[0150] 40. A photovoltaic device comprising, as a conductive layer and / or intermediate layer, a polymer material according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 27, or an electrically conductive polymer material.

[0151] 41. The photovoltaic device of exemplary embodiment 41, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of a tandem solar cell comprising the polymer material or electrically conductive polymer material of any one of exemplary embodiments 1-27.

[0152] 42. The photovoltaic device of exemplary embodiment 41 or exemplary embodiment 42, wherein the polymer material or electrically conductive polymer material is present as at least one intermediate layer.

[0153] 43. Use of a polymer material or an electrically conductive polymer material according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 27 in batteries, organic thin film transistors, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), bioelectronic devices, surgical devices, and / or cell biology. [Example]

[0154] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings (where relevant).

[0155] Example 1. Experimental Details To convert the insulating polymer layer into a conducting polymer layer, a heavily doped Si wafer (2 × 2 cm) with backside metal contacts was prepared. 2 ) was used as the substrate. Selected polymer materials, exemplified here by commercially available epoxies, were prepared according to their standard process recipes and then spin-coated onto a polished silicon wafer. Another Si wafer (with the polished side facing down) was then attached to the epoxy layer. The attached Si wafers were hot-pressed according to the standard curing method for the selected polymer to form a strong mechanical bond.

[0156] Electrical processing was then performed by applying a voltage to the front and back metal contacts of the Si wafer, as shown in Figure 1. The conductivity of the polymer layer was characterized by monitoring the current using an Advantest direct current (DC) source measure unit (SMU) with a 2 A current limit.

[0157] To analyze its performance as an interlayer, the polymer film was applied to bond semi-transparent III-V cells onto Si wafers and ITO glass, and electrical and optical characterization was performed. The selected polymer layer was then used to bond the semi-transparent III-V cell to a Si bottom cell for two-terminal (2T) III-V / / Si tandem cell fabrication. A 200 nm thick Ag layer was evaporated on the rear side of the HIT Si cell as a back metal contact. The dimensions were 1 × 1 cm. 2 A GaInP / GaAs double-junction solar cell invertedly grown on a GaAs substrate with a size of 1.5 mm was used as the upper cell. The III-V cell was attached to the epoxy-coated substrate, followed by the hot-pressing process described above to harden the epoxy and achieve mechanical bonding. The GaAs substrate was then removed by wet chemical etching to fabricate the III-V device. The edges of the GaInP / GaAs cell were etched to expose the back cap layer for metal contact deposition. Finally, a 200 nm-thick Au layer was deposited by e-beam evaporation using a mask to form metal contacts on the front surface of the III-V cell (T1), the back cap layer of the III-V cell (T2), and the front surface of the lower substrate (T3). The structure of the completed sample is illustrated in Figure 2(a)-(c). Electrical processing was performed through T2 and T3 to fabricate the conductive polymer layer.

[0158] Example 2. Effect of electrical treatment on the electrical properties of polymer layers The thickness of the epoxy layer was controlled by varying the spin speed during spin coating and characterized by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. Figure 3 shows the dependence of the epoxy thickness on the spin speed. As the spin speed increased from 2,000 rpm to 10,000 rpm, the average epoxy thickness decreased from 900 nm to 250 nm. The variation in epoxy thickness was measured to be within ±5% for each branch of the sample, and the standard deviation for different branches of the sample is shown in Figure 3.

[0159] Subsequently, electrical treatment voltages were investigated using Si / epoxy / Si samples with different epoxy thicknesses of 900 nm, 800 nm, 700 nm, and 450 nm. A sweep voltage from 0 V to 7 V was applied to the samples, and the measured I-V curves are shown in Figure 4(a). As the applied voltage increased, a sudden jump in current was observed for each sample at a specific voltage (indicated by the dashed circle). The specific voltage that induces a sudden current increase is the voltage V B Figure 4(b) shows the dependence of the specific voltage on the polymer thickness d. V B increases linearly with d from 3 V for a 450 nm epoxy layer to 5 V for a 900 nm epoxy layer.

[0160] Another selected polymer, exemplified here by ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), was applied to bond a Si wafer, and the I-V curves of the samples were measured after each treatment time under an electric field of 3 V / μm, as shown in Figure 5(a). The electrical resistance of the sample decreases with electrical treatment from >200 Ω to 2 Ω. Furthermore, the conductivity (i.e., the final resistance achieved) can be adjusted by tuning the electric field applied to a film of a certain thickness, meaning that the conductivity is controllable. Figure 5(b) shows that the resistance of the EVA film can be adjusted by using different electric fields.

[0161] Example 3. Film Characterization To investigate the mechanism of converting an insulating polymer layer into a conductive layer through electrical treatment, AFM imaging characterization was performed on the polymer surface before and after treatment, as shown in Figure 6. To achieve topological conductivity throughout the thickness of the used polymer film containing electron-rich domains, an electric field was applied to the film. The electron-rich domains then moved parallel to the applied field. Such movement or tendency to move results in enhanced dangling / extension of the involved covalent bonds and the accumulation of polymer chains containing electron-rich domains. Figure 6 shows the realignment of vinyl acetate (VA) moieties in an EVA thin film (5 μm) when placed in an electric field. Untreated EVA films have randomly arranged polymer chains. After placing them in an electric field of 1 V / μm for 5 seconds, VA chains accumulate. After treatment under an electric field of 2 V / μm, the VA chains are arranged into a regular array. Such accumulation / arrangement of VA moieties (containing C═O electron-rich domains) under a suitable electric field occurs throughout the entire depth of the thin film, resulting in the formation of many pathways for electron transport. Thus, the EVA film becomes conductive throughout its thickness.

[0162] Example 4. Effect of electrical treatment on the optical properties of polymer layers The optical properties of the polymer layer after electrical processing were investigated using the structure illustrated in Figure 7(a). Soldered contacts were made in the exposed areas of the ITO and subjected to cycling. Figure 7(b) shows the measured transmittance of the bonded ITO glass before and after electrical processing. The process of converting the insulating polymer film into a conductive material had negligible effect on the optical properties of the polymer film, as shown in Figure 7(b). Therefore, the optical properties (e.g., transmittance) of the polymer film are determined by the intrinsic properties of the applied polymer material. Most polymer materials are transparent, like glass, and minimal absorption losses of <3% are achievable.

[0163] Example 5. Polymer as an intermediate layer The polymer layer exhibits good electrical and optical properties after electrical processing, highlighting the performance of the polymer as an interlayer and its influence on III-V cell efficiency. III-V top cells are bonded by selected polymers on Si wafers and ITO glass to study their electrical and optical performance, respectively.

[0164] Example 5.1 III-V Cell Bonded on Si Wafer by a Polymer Layer The structure of the III-V cell bonded onto the Si wafer by the polymer layer is shown in Figure 8(a), and its equivalent circuit is shown in Figure 8(a). A standard cyclic electrical treatment was applied through the metal contacts on the back cap layer (T2) of the III-V cell and the front side (T3) of the Si wafer to create the conductive polymer layer. The I-V measurements shown in Figure 8(b) revealed a significant reduction in the T2-T3 resistance to 0.75 Ω after the standard cyclic electrical treatment. The T2-T3 resistance was reduced by the GaAs cap layer (R キャップ ), Si wafer (R Si ), and a polymer layer (R p ) is the sum of the resistances of the polymer layers. Thus, the resistance of the polymer layer is reduced to less than 0.75 Ω after cyclic electrical processing, which is well below the resistance threshold of a high-quality interlayer for efficient tandem cell fabrication. [1][2]

[0165] Figure 9 shows the measured JV curves of the III-V cell through different terminals before and after electrical treatment. The JV curves of the III-V cell measured through the metal contacts on the front (T1) and back cap layer (T2) of the III-V cell before and after electrical treatment are almost identical, indicating that the electrical treatment does not cause cell degradation. The T1-T2 measurement showed an efficiency of 20.93%, which is the result of no contribution from RP or RSi. Cell performance measurements were then performed on the polymer layer through the metal contacts on the front (T1) and Si wafer (T3) of the III-V cell to investigate the influence of the polymer layer's resistance. Before electrical treatment, current could not be collected due to the high resistance of the polymer layer. The JV curves measured through T1-T3 after electrical treatment are presented by the red curve in Figure 9. Compared to the T1-T2 measurement, a slight increase in series resistance is evident, which reduces the FF from 87.00% to 84.62%. The open-circuit voltage (V) measured through T1-T3 OC ) and short circuit current density (J SC ) corresponds to that measured throughout T1-T2. R P and R Si A slightly lower efficiency of 20.12% was obtained throughout T1-T3 due to the involvement of the polymer interlayer. Characterization of the III-V cells bonded onto the Si wafer by the polymer layer indicates that cyclic electrical treatments would not damage the III-V cells, and that relatively high performance was maintained after incorporating the polymer interlayer.

[0166] Example 5.2 Stability Stability is another important factor in evaluating the performance of polymer interlayers. The stability of III-V cells bonded on Si wafers by polymer layers is investigated by monitoring the cell performance after electrical processing. The samples are kept under N2 atmosphere for 120 days and measured every 30 days through T1 and T3. As shown in Figure 10, the FF and V OC was constant after 120 days, with a slight decrease of 0.05% in FF, and V OC The decrease is only 24.7 mV. These results indicate good stability of the polymeric tie layer.

[0167] Example 5.3 III-V Cell Bonded on ITO Glass by a Polymer Layer We also used a polymer layer to bond III-V cells onto ITO glass and investigated their optical performance as an interlayer. The effect of electrical treatment on long-wavelength transmission was first investigated, and then an ARC layer was incorporated to enhance the transmission of sub-bandgap light. The structure of a III-V cell bonded onto ITO glass is shown in Figure 2(b), and its equivalent circuit is presented in Figure 11(a). After standard cyclic electrical treatment through the metal contacts on the rear cap layer (T2) of the III-V cell and the ITO glass (T3), the T2-T3 resistance reduced to 12 Ω, indicating the presence of a conductive polymer layer. The T2-T3 resistance is higher than that of III-V cells bonded onto Si wafers, primarily due to the higher lateral sheet resistance of the ITO layer compared to the heavily doped Si wafer. The J-V curves of a single III-V cell measured through T1-T2 before and after electrical treatment closely overlap in Figure 11(c). The T1-T3 measurements through the polymer layer showed an FF of 78.01%, which is 3.86% lower than the T1-T2 measurements, mainly due to the lateral sheet resistance of the ITO layer.

[0168] The effect of cyclic electrical treatment on the optical properties of the polymer layer was investigated by measuring the transmittance of a III-V cell bonded to ITO glass before and after electrical treatment. As shown in Figure 12, no significant change in transmittance is observed after electrical treatment. This result is consistent with the transmittance measured on ITO glass bonded with a polymer layer, as shown in Figure 7(b), confirming the absence of optical losses at long wavelengths induced by cyclic electrical treatment. Thus, polymer layer bonding provides low resistance without loss of transmittance, negating the traditional trade-off between transparency and conductivity associated with previous composite interlayers containing metal conductive particles. [3][4]

[0169] Several conclusions can be drawn from the characterization of III-V cells bonded to Si wafers and ITO glass with a polymer layer. First, cyclic electrical treatment does not degrade the performance of the III-V cells. Second, electrical treatment does not induce any significant transmittance loss of the sub-bandgap light in the III-V cells. These results demonstrate the considerable performance of polymer layer bonding, which is promising for the fabrication of efficient 2T III-V / Si tandem solar cells.

[0170] Example 6. Two-terminal III-V / / Si tandem solar cell bonded by a polymer layer This figure shows a bonded 2T GaInP / GaAs / Si tandem solar cell containing a polymer layer. The GaInP / GaAs 2J top cell is bonded to the HIT Si bottom cell by a selected polymer. Figure 13(a) illustrates the final structure of the device. To enhance the subcell photocurrent, multiple optical enhancement layers were incorporated into the tandem cell. An 80 nm TiO2 layer was deposited by spray pyrolysis on the backside of the III-V cell before bonding to achieve a refractive index gradient at the semiconductor / epoxy interface. Another 80 nm TiO2 layer was sputtered onto the front side of the III-V subcell after bonding to reduce the refractive index mismatch at the air / III-V interface. The sputtering approach was used because spray pyrolysis requires high-temperature annealing at 500 °C, which would damage the polymer layer. Finally, a PDMS film with a texture replicated from the textured front side of the Si cell was attached on top of the sputtered TiO2 layer to reduce broadband reflection and extend the effective optical path length.

[0171] Figure 13(b) shows an SEM image of the bonding interface. The space between the III-V top cell and the textured front surface of the Si bottom cell was completely filled with epoxy. After standard cyclic electrical treatment through the back cap layer of the III-V top cell and the metal contacts at the front surface of the Si bottom cell (T2 and T3), a conductive polymer layer with a resistance of 40 Ω was obtained, as shown in Figure 13(c). Here, the higher resistance than that of the III-V cell bonded on the Si wafer and ITO glass via the polymer layer must be due to the non-uniformity of the epoxy thickness due to the textured Si surface. The resistance can be further reduced by optimizing the electrical treatment procedure for textured surface bonding.

[0172] Figure 14 shows the performance of the GaInP / GaAs / Si tandem cell, along with that of the individual III-V and Si subcells. Detailed parameters are summarized in Table 1. The J-V curves measured across the polymer layer through the metal contacts on the front surface of the III-V cell (T1) and the front surface of the Si bottom cell (T3) are nearly aligned with those measured by T1 and T2 for the III-V cell alone, without passing through the polymer layer. The 1.80% decrease in FF to 68.81% in the T1-T3 measurements can be attributed to the combined resistance from the polymer layer and the lateral sheet resistance along the front surface of the Si subcell. The lateral resistance of the Si should be the main reason for the FF decrease, since the T1-T4 measurement of the entire tandem cell, which involves only vertical transport of carriers within the Si cell, yields a high FF of 74.54%. The higher FF of the tandem cell than that of each individual subcell implies that the performance of the polymer-bonded III-V / Si tandem cell is limited by the quality of the subcells, not the polymer bonding layer. [Table 1]

[0173] The overall efficiency of the combined 2T GaInP / GaAs / / Si tandem solar cell is 20.43%, and V OC is 2.953V, J SCThe V of the tandem cell is 9.28mA / cm2 and FF is 74.54%. OC is the V of the III-V (2.246V) and Si (0.682V) subcells OC This indicates that there is no voltage drop caused by the polymer layer. OC is wire bonded (140mV) [5] , Smart Stack (140mV) [6] , ZnO-based TCA binding (200 mV) [7] , and metal ball coupling (40mV) [8] Other reported tandem cells showed a voltage drop after electrical connection through OC Furthermore, the FF of the III-V / / Si tandem cell bonded by a polymer layer is higher than that obtained using metal ball bonding with expensive bonding materials in previous reports. [8]

[0174] Example 7 - Reduced Resistivity for Selected Materials Certain materials were treated at different temperatures and / or pressures to reduce the resistivity of the material (as illustrated in Figure 15), and the results are shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0175] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims

1. A polymeric material comprising one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across said one or more polymers, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across said one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across said one or more polymers, and / or when a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across said one or more polymers, A polymeric material, wherein the electrical conductivity of said polymeric material is increased.

2. A polymeric material comprising one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers or one or more conducting polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains, - the polymeric material is disposed between a plurality of layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; and -below: a sufficiently strong electric field is applied across the one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied across the one or more polymers; and / or a sufficiently high temperature is applied across the one or more polymers; and / or when at least one of: a sufficiently strong pressure is applied across the one or more polymers; A polymeric material, wherein the electrical conductivity of said polymeric material is increased.

3. 3. An electrically conductive polymer material formed from the polymer material of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, are exposed to at least one of the sufficiently strong electric field, the sufficiently strong magnetic field, the sufficiently high temperature, and / or the sufficiently strong pressure.

4. The electrically conductive polymer material of claim 3 , wherein the conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive.

5. The electrically conductive polymer material of claim 3 , wherein the conductive polymer material is a transparent conductive adhesive.

6. 1. A method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, said method comprising: a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or - a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following: a sufficiently strong pressure; 1. A method comprising adding across one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains, wherein the electrical conductivity of said one or more polymers is increased.

7. 1. A method for improving the electrical conductivity of a polymeric material comprising one or more polymers, said method comprising: a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following: a sufficiently strong pressure; 10. A method of increasing the electrical conductivity of a conductive polymer material, comprising: adding across said one or more polymers comprising one or more electron-rich domains.

8. 1. A method of making an electrically conductive polymer material, said method comprising: - disposing one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, comprising one or more electron-rich domains between a plurality of layers, each layer being independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; -below: a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the following: a sufficiently strong pressure; and applying the one or more polymers together, wherein the electrical conductivity of the one or more polymers is increased.

9. 1. The use of one or more polymers (optionally one or more insulating polymers) comprising one or more electron-rich domains in a polymeric material to make an electrically conductive polymer, comprising: a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - at least one of the sufficiently strong pressures A use wherein, when applied across said one or more polymers, the electrical conductivity of said polymeric material is increased.

10. The method or use according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the electrically conductive polymer material is a conductive adhesive or a transparent conductive adhesive.

11. the use of one or more polymers, optionally one or more insulating polymers, to physically and electronically connect multiple layers, each layer independently selected from one or more metals, one or more semiconductors, one or more materials capable of conducting an electric charge, and mixtures thereof; - the one or more polymers are disposed between the layers; and -below: a sufficiently strong electric field, and / or a sufficiently strong magnetic field, and / or a sufficiently high temperature, and / or - At least one of the sufficiently strong pressures When added over said one or more polymers, The use wherein the electrical conductivity of said one or more polymers is increased.

12. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electric field has a strength of at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 V / m.

13. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise said one or more electron-rich domains present in the polymer backbone and / or side chains.

14. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise one or more electron-rich domains selected from one or more optionally substituted double bonds, cyclic groups, heterocyclic rings, aryl rings, heteroaryl rings, fluorine or fluorine-containing groups, cyano groups, carbonyls, aldehydes, hydroxyls, esters, carboxylic acids, glycidyl groups, amines, imines, or atoms having non-bonding electrons selected from Li, Cu, Fe, Si, S, O, F, Br, and mixtures thereof.

15. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more polymers comprise one or more polymers selected from poly(ethylene vinyl acetate), poly(methyl methacrylate), polylactic acid, poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), Nafion, nylon, nylon 6, nylon 6-6, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetherketone, polyketone, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide, polyoxymethylene plastic, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyester resin, epoxy resin, and mixtures thereof.

16. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more homopolymers, copolymers or mixtures thereof.

17. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more homopolymers.

18. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers.

19. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers comprise or consist essentially of one or more copolymers, one or more of said copolymers being derived from or being at least 2, 3 or 4 monomer groups.

20. the one or more polymers are selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, amyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, tert-octyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, 2-bromoethyl acrylate, 4-chlorobutyl acrylate, cyanoethyl acrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, methoxybenzyl acrylate, 2-chlorocyclohexyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, furfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, 5-hydroxypentyl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, 3-methoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxybutyl acrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl acrylate, 2-isopropoxy acrylate, 2-butoxyethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol acrylate, 1-bromo-2-methoxyethyl acrylate, and 1,1-dichloro-2-ethoxyethyl acrylate;Methacrylic acid esters, optionally methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, sec-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, amyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, benzyl methacrylate, chlorobenzyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, sulfopropyl methacrylate, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylate, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylate, furfuryl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, phenyl methacrylate, cresyl methacrylate, naphthyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate , triethylene glycol monomethacrylate, dipropylene glycol monomethacrylate, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylate, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylate, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylate, acrylic methacrylate, and methacrylic acid dimethylaminoethyl methyl chloride salt; vinyl esters, optionally vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl isobutyrate, vinyl caproate, vinyl chloroacetate, vinyl methoxyacetate, vinyl phenylacetate, vinyl benzoate, and vinyl salicylate;Acrylamides, optionally acrylamide, ethylacrylamide, propylacrylamide, isopropylacrylamide, n-butylacrylamide, sec-butylacrylamide, tert-butylacrylamide, cyclohexylacrylamide, benzylacrylamide, hydroxymethylacrylamide, methoxyethylacrylamide, dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, phenylacrylamide, dimethylacrylamide, diethylacrylamide, β-cyanoethylacrylamide, N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl)acrylamide, and diacetoneacrylamide;Methacrylamide, optionally methacrylamide, methyl methacrylamide, ethyl methacrylamide, propyl methacrylamide, isopropyl methacrylamide, n-butyl methacrylamide, sec-butyl methacrylamide, tert-butyl methacrylamide, cyclohexyl methacrylamide, benzyl methacrylamide, hydroxy methacrylamide, chlorobenzyl methacrylamide, octyl methacrylamide, stearyl methacrylamide, sulfopropyl methacrylamide, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylamide, 2-(3-phenylpropyloxy)ethyl methacrylamide, dimethylaminophenoxyethyl methacrylamide, furfuryl methacrylamide, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylamide, phenyl methacrylamide, cresyl methacrylamide, naphthyl methacrylamide, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylamide, triethylene glycol monomethacrylamide, dipropyl Pyrene glycol monomethacrylamide, 2-methoxyethyl methacrylamide, 3-methoxybutyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-isopropoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-butoxyethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylamide, ω-methoxypolyethylene glycol methacrylamide, acryl methacrylamide, dimethylamino methacrylamide, diethylamino methacrylamide, cyanoethyl methacrylamide, and N-(2-acetoacetoxyethyl) methacrylamide; olefins, optionally dicyclopentadiene, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, isoprene, chloroprene, butadiene, and 2,3-dimethylbutadiene;Styrene, optionally styrene, methylstyrene, dimethylstyrene, trimethylstyrene, ethylstyrene, isopropylstyrene, chloromethylstyrene, methoxystyrene, acetoxystyrene, chlorostyrene, dichlorostyrene, bromostyrene, and vinylbenzoic acid methyl ester; vinyl ethers, optionally methyl vinyl ether, butyl vinyl ether, hexyl vinyl ether, methoxyethyl vinyl ether, and dimethylaminoethyl vinyl ether; butyl crotonate; hexyl crotonate; dibutyl itaconate; dimethyl maleate; dibutyl maleate; dimethyl fumarate; dibutyl fumarate; methyl vinyl ketone; phenyl vinyl ketone; methoxyethyl vinyl ketone; glycidyl acrylate; glycidyl methacrylate; N-vinyl oxazolidone; N-vinyl pyrrolidone; acrylonitrile; methacrylonitrile; methylene nitrile 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymeric material, method, or use of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a polymer derived from a monomer selected from: vinylene; methyl methacrylate; vinylidene; and mixtures thereof.

21. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more polymers comprise a polymer derived from monomers selected from ethylene, butylene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, lactic acid, butadiene, acrylonitrile, styrene, tetrafluoroethylene, terephthalate, cyclic groups, heterocyclic groups, aryl groups, optionally heteroaryl groups containing one or more N, O and / or S atoms, and mixtures thereof.

22. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more polymers optionally comprise one or more intrinsically conductive polymer materials selected from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), polyacetylene (PA), polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy), polythiophene (PTH), poly(para-phenylene) (PPP), poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV), and polyfuran (PF), and mixtures thereof.

23. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers optionally comprise one or more extrinsic conductive polymer materials comprising or consisting of a matrix of polymer having a percentage of conductive material, said conductive material optionally selected from metal particles, metal coated particles, indium tin oxide particles, powdered graphite, and mixtures thereof.

24. 10. The polymeric material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers are independently produced by one or more processes selected from hot pressing, drop casting and optional pressing, spin coating, spray coating, blade coating, sputtering, thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, electrochemical deposition, electron beam deposition, Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, and colloidal deposition, and mixtures thereof.

25. 10. A polymeric material, an electrically conductive polymeric material, a method or a use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said increase in electrical conductivity is reversible or partially reversible.

26. 10. The polymer material, electrically conductive polymer material, method or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said electrical conductivity is reversible or partial via heat treatment, optionally thermal annealing or cooling, optionally supercooling.

27. 10. A polymeric material, or an electrically conductive polymeric material, obtained from the method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said polymeric material is optionally a conductive polymer adhesive, optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

28. 10. A device comprising a polymeric material or an electrically conductive polymeric material according to any one of the preceding claims.

29. 1. A device comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer comprising a transparent conductive adhesive, - the third layer is disposed between the first and second layers; - said third layer, device comprising a polymer material according to any one of claims 1 to 27 or an electrically conductive polymer material.

30. 30. The device of claim 28 or 29, wherein the polymer material, or the electrically conductive polymer material, is a conductive adhesive, optionally a transparent conductive adhesive.

31. 30. The device of claim 28 or 29, wherein the third layer is configured to provide no electrical conductivity along a direction parallel to the plane of the third layer.

32. The device of any one of claims 28 to 31, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a semiconductor.

33. The device of any one of claims 28 to 32, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a metal.

34. The device of any one of claims 28 to 33, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer comprises a transparent conductive material.

35. The device of any one of claims 28 to 32, wherein the first layer is a semiconductor substrate and the second layer is a silicon substrate.

36. 36. The device of claim 35, wherein the surface of the silicon substrate in contact with the third layer is textured.

37. further comprising an upper solar cell and a lower solar cell; - said first layer is disposed between said upper solar cell and said third layer, 30. The device of claim 29, wherein the second layer is disposed between the lower solar cell and the third layer.

38. 30. The device of claim 29, wherein the first layer is a solar cell and the second layer is a backsheet including first regions of patterned conductors.

39. 40. The device of claim 38, wherein the backsheet further comprises a second region that is transparent to solar radiation.

40. A photovoltaic device comprising a polymer material or an electrically conductive polymer material according to any one of claims 1 to 27 as an electrically conductive layer and / or intermediate layer.

41. 42. A photovoltaic device according to claim 41, comprising, consisting essentially of or consisting of a tandem solar cell comprising a polymeric material or an electrically conductive polymeric material according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

42. 43. A photovoltaic device according to claim 41 or 42, wherein the polymeric material or the electrically conductive polymeric material is present as at least one intermediate layer.

43. 28. Use of a polymer material or an electrically conductive polymer material according to any one of claims 1 to 27 in batteries, organic thin film transistors, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), bioelectronic devices, surgical devices and / or cell biology.

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