Surface-grafting polymers: from chemistry to organic electronics

Surface-grafting polymers, also known as polymer brushes, have become an important tool for surface modification or functionalization. The strong covalent bond between the polymer brushes and the surface endow polymer brushes with several unique characteristics: precise control of surface property by the grafting process, better stability, easier patterning and so on. Thus, during the past few decades, surface-grafting polymers have gradually played an important role in the development of organic electronic devices, such as OFETs, OLEDs, OPVs, and so on. In this article, we will comprehensively review the recent progress in surface-grafting polymers, including their formation process and the utilization of surface-grafting polymers as functional materials of insulators, conductors and semiconductors in versatile organic electronic devices. Then, we will provide an outlook on the promising future of surface-grafting polymers in organic electronics.