Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation

Jin-Tao Feng; Long Ye

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3635-4

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Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation

REVIEW | Updated：2026-07-01

- Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 7, Pages: 2086-2111(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  School of Materials Science and Engineering, State key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Author bio：
  
  yelong@tju.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3635-4
  CLC：
- Received：29 December 2025，
  
  Revised：2026-02-01，
  
  Accepted：26 February 2026，
  
  Online First：07 May 2026，
  
  Published：05 July 2026
- Accepted：
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Feng, J. T.; Ye, L. Advancing the thin-film mechanics of conjugated polymers: characterization, modulation, and innovation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2086–2111

Jin-Tao Feng, Long Ye. Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(7): 2086-2111.
Feng, J. T.; Ye, L. Advancing the thin-film mechanics of conjugated polymers: characterization, modulation, and innovation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2086–2111 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3635-4.

Jin-Tao Feng, Long Ye. Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(7): 2086-2111. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3635-4.

摘要

This review establishes a tripartite framework for conjugated polymer mechanics

spanning multiscale characterization

molecular and morphological engineering

and architectural innovation toward tailored functionality and bio-integrated electronics.

Abstract

Conjugated polymer thin films are key functional layers in flexible and wearable devices

where mechanical behavior directly influences device performance and stability. However

accurate mechanical characterization remains challenging due to their nanoscale thickness and brittleness. This review aims to offer a holistic view on thin-film mechanics of conjugated polymers and systematically summarizes static and dynamic mechanical characterization methods for conjugated polymer thin films

spanning bulk materials

substrate-supported ultrathin films

and freestanding ultrathin films

and elucidates the measurement principles and key features of each technique. By integrating reported experimental results

we identify multiple factors affecting thin-film mechanical behavior. Finally

an outlook is presented in which

guided by device-level mechanical requirements

the mechanical behavior of polymer optoelectronic thin films is designed and regulated through multiple strategies

and comprehensively evaluated using complementary mechanical characterization approaches

enabling subsequent optimization based on the measured mechanical response.

关键词

Keywords

references

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