Sigma-Aldrich Signs Agreement With Plextronics to Distribute Plexcore Organic Electronics Materials

Sigma-Aldrich announced that the company has signed an agreement with Plextronics, Inc., a leading innovator of technology for printed electronics, to distribute its organic semiconductors and conductive inks.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich will exclusively distribute research quantities of Plexcore OS organic semiconducting polymers and Plexcore OC organic conductive inks globally through the Aldrich Materials Science initiative of its Research Specialties business. Plextronics will continue to work closely with industry partners to deliver commercial quantities of the materials and focus on development of its Plexcore technology.
Printed electronics — an emerging industry that takes advantage of printing technology to manufacture electronics devices — holds many possibilities for new applications including printed organic solar cells, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and flexible displays.

From a technology standpoint, each of these applications requires one or more conductive layers that can be integrated with organic semiconductors and other solution-processed materials to form multilayer electronic devices on a variety of substrates. Plexcore OS is an organic semiconducting polymer, known chemically as Poly(3-Hexyl Thiophene) (P3HT) and available in two high-purity (electronics) grades optimized for use in organic transistors and solar cells. Plexcore(R) OC is a solution-processable organic conductive ink specifically developed for use as a charge-transport layer in organic light emitting diodes and solar cells. Together, the two types of Plexcore materials offer a reliable technology platform for research in organic electronics.

Plextronics CEO Andy Hannah indicated that the partnership with Sigma-Aldrich is an important one for the company. “The easier we make it for the research community to access our materials, the more innovation we can spur in the printed electronics field. Sigma-Aldrich has a world-class distribution network, and it is that access and expertise that we are looking for to help us put Plextronics’ products into the hands of today’s leading researchers,” said Mr. Hannah.

“Scientists and engineers working to advance the rapidly developing field of printed electronics depend on the availability of high quality standard materials that they can use as foundations to develop new materials and devices. Plexcore technology is such a reliable foundation, and Aldrich’s collaboration with Plextronics will ensure that this technology will be readily available to researchers around the world,” added Dr. Ilya Koltover, technology transfer manager of Sigma-Aldrich Chemistry business.