Described herein are compositions comprising hole carrier materials, typically conjugated polymers, and poly(aryl ether sulfones)s, ink compositions comprising hole carrier materials and poly(aryl ether sulfones)s, and uses thereof, for example, in organic electronic devices.

Disclosed herein is a composite prepared by dispersing silver flakes in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), phosphoric acid (H.sub.3PO.sub.4), and poly(3,4-ethyl-ene-dioxythiophene) (PEDOT):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS) polymer mixture. The polymer blend can provides conductive pathways between the silver flakes, leading to superior electrical properties even at large deformations.

Water-soluble photoactive polymers, included polymer tandem dyes, as described as well as methods for their preparation and use. The photoactive polymers can be prepared by direct modification of core polymers (e.g., violet excitable polymers) with dyes or other functional groups. Methods of detecting analytes using the polymers are also described.

Provided is a composition for a hole collecting layer of an organic photoelectric conversion element, the composition containing a solvent and an electron transporting substance comprising a polythiophene derivative that includes a repeating unit represented by formula (1) or formula (1′).

##STR00001##

(In formula (1) and formula (1′), R.sup.1 denotes an alkyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms or a fluorine atom. In formula (1), M denotes a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K, NH(R.sup.2).sub.3 or HNC.sub.5H.sub.5. R.sup.2 groups are each independently a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms.)

Provided is an electrically conductive elastomer with high stretchability and high durability. A method of synthesizing an electrically conductive elastomer includes (a) preparing a eutectic solvent by mixing quaternary ammonium salt and organic acid, and (b) adding and blending the eutectic solvent with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), a photocuring agent, and a crosslinker and performing photopolymerization.

A polythiophene derivative including a repeating unit represented by General Formula (1) below:

##STR00001## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently denote a group having from 2 through 9 carbon atoms represented by —(R.sup.3—S).sub.p—R.sup.4 (where R.sup.3 denotes an alkylene group having from 1 through 4 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 denotes an alkyl group having from 1 through 6 carbon atoms or an aromatic group having from 5 through 6 carbon atoms, and p denotes an integer of 1 or 2), Ar denotes an optionally substituted divalent or monovalent aromatic ring moiety or aromatic heterocyclic moiety, m denotes a natural number of 2 or more, and n denotes a natural number of 0 or 2 or more.

The invention provides a method of preparing an electrically conductive polymeric material. The method comprises providing a polymeric network having a short chain conductive polymer dispersed in the polymeric network and electropolymerising a conductive polymer within the polymeric network. Also described is a free standing flexible electrically conductive polymeric material comprising a conductive polymer within a polymeric network.

A polybenzodifuran ladder polymer is disclosed.

A three-dimensional printing ink that has a viscosity suitable for three-dimensional printing, and improved performance.

Cathodes for a fast charging lithium ion battery, processes for manufacturing thereof and corresponding batteries are provided. Cathode formulations comprise cathode material having an olivine-based structure, binder material, and monomer material selected to polymerize into a conductive polymer upon partial delithiation of the cathode material during at least a first charging cycle of a cell having a cathode made of the cathode formulation. When the cathode is used in a battery, polymerization is induced in-situ (in-cell) during first charging cycle(s) of the battery to provide a polymer matrix which is evenly dispersed throughout the cathode.