In the electronics industry, “organosilicon” has long been synonymous with insulating materials, widely used for circuit protection, sealing, and medical devices. However, recent research from the University of.
Michigan has challenged this traditional perception—scientists discovered that a new type of organosilicon can exhibit semiconductor properties and even display a full color spectrum depending on its chain length. This breakthrough not only challenges fundamental concepts in materials science but also opens up new possibilities for flexible electronics, displays, and wearable devices.
Table of Contents
The Traditional Role of Organosilicon
For a long time, organosilicon has been an indispensable insulating material in electronic products. Its main components, such as silicone and polysiloxane, consist of a main chain of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms (Si–O–Si), with various organic groups attached to the side chains. This molecular design gives organosilicon multiple properties, including high-temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, elasticity, water resistance, and high electrical insulation. Consequently, it is widely used in electronic insulation, sealants, and biomedical implants, and is commonly found in forms like silicone oil, silicone gel, silicone rubber, and silicone resin.
The Difference Between “Silicon” and “Organosilicon”
Although their names are similar, “silicon” and “organosilicon” are distinctly different. Silicon is the core material of the semiconductor industry and must possess high purity and a controllable band structure. Organosilicon, on the other hand, is a polymer primarily used for protection and insulation and does not have the conductive properties of a semiconductor. Therefore, scientists have never previously considered organosilicon as a semiconductor material.
An Accidental Discovery: A Conductive Copolymer
While exploring different cross-linked structures of organosilicon, the research team at the University of Michigan unexpectedly discovered a new type of organosilicon copolymer that showed conductive potential. Generally, the bond angle of the Si–O–Si bond is approximately 110°, making the structure curved and difficult to provide an electron pathway, thus resulting in extremely high insulation. The traditional method for improving conductivity usually requires doping with conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, or metal nanoparticles to create a conductive pathway through the Si–O–Si bonds.
However, the researchers found that the Si–O–Si bond in this organosilicon copolymer had a bond angle of 140° in its ground state, which could stretch to 150° in its excited state. This significantly improved the electron conduction path, enabling the otherwise electrically inert structure to exhibit semiconductor properties.
Color-Tunable Molecular Properties
Even more surprisingly, this new copolymer is not only conductive but also displays different colors depending on its molecular chain length. The longer the chain, the lower the energy required for electron transition, resulting in a red color. The shorter the chain, the higher the energy required, emitting blue light. By controlling the copolymer chain length, the research team successfully created materials that can cover the entire spectrum and, in experiments, used UV light to make samples with different chain lengths sequentially display rainbow-like colors.
This breakthrough challenges the traditional perception that organosilicon can only be transparent or white, demonstrating its potential as a new type of optoelectronic semiconductor.
Application Prospects: A New Era of Flexible and Colorful Electronics
Compared to rigid traditional semiconductors, the flexible nature of organosilicon semiconductors opens up possibilities for a new generation of applications. The research team points out that in the future, it is expected to be applied in:
- New flat-panel displays: Providing lighter, thinner, and foldable display solutions.
- Flexible photovoltaic cells: Developing bendable, wearable green energy devices.
- Wearable sensors: Combining color changes to add interactivity and design appeal.
- Smart textiles: Manufacturing clothing that can display patterns or images.
The Leap from Insulator to Semiconductor
The key to this discovery lies in molecular-level design. The Si–O–Si structure, which was originally believed to only function as an insulator, opened up a conductive pathway due to a change in its bond angle. This not only gives organosilicon a “second life” but may also usher in a new era of flexible, colorful, and electronically functional materials.
As the research team stated: “We’ve taken a material that was for a long time considered to be electrically inert and made it into a semiconductor that can power next-generation electronics.”
Reference:
- New organosilicon materials break the limitations of complete insulation and become semiconductors
- New Material Breaks the Rules: Scientists Turn Insulator Into a Semiconductor
- Zijing Zhang, Cecilia Pilon, Hana Kaehr, Pimjai Pimbaotham, Siriporn Jungsuttiwong, Richard M. Laine. (2025). σ–σ* conjugation Across Si─O─Si Bonds. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 46 (10): e2500081. DOI: 10.1002/marc.202500081
(Source: University of Michigan)
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