Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Aldrich Materials Science Collaborates with Agfa to Further Expand Organic and Printed Electronics Portfolio: Extending PEDOT:PSS Availability for Use in Printed and Organic Electronics

Home > Press > Aldrich Materials Science Collaborates with Agfa to Further Expand Organic and Printed Electronics Portfolio: Extending PEDOT:PSS Availability for Use in Printed and Organic Electronics

Abstract:
Aldrich® Materials Science, a technology growth initiative of Sigma-Aldrich (NASDAQ: SIAL), today announced that it has entered into collaboration with Agfa Materials, a division of Agfa-Gevaert N.V., a world renowned imaging and information technology company. Under the terms of the collaboration, the two companies plan to produce and distribute OrgaconTM conductive polymers for use in high technology applications including, organic photovoltaics, touch screens and printed sensors. Information regarding the products produced via the new collaboration can be found at sigma-aldrich.com/conductingpoly.

Aldrich Materials Science Collaborates with Agfa to Further Expand Organic and Printed Electronics Portfolio: Extending PEDOT:PSS Availability for Use in Printed and Organic Electronics

St. Louis, MO | Posted on April 5th, 2011

The products available under this Agfa/Aldrich Materials Science initiative are specifically targeted at research requiring the highest conductivity PEDOT:PSS, (Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) materials and formulations for use in printed electronics applications. The distinct advantages of these materials include enhanced conductivity, transparency, printability, flexibility and patternability.

This agreement supplements other material offerings from Aldrich Materials Science, including silver inks and pastes, in a continued effort to enable research in all areas of organic and printed electronics.

The introduction of four specific OrgaconTM materials complements the existing Aldrich Materials Science PEDOT:PSS portfolio and include:

· Two raw high-conductive PEDOT:PSS materials that can enable researchers to make their own formulations, including a neutral pH version also suitable for high-tech applications such as polymer tandem solar cell devices.

· Two formulated high-conductive PEDOT:PSS materials for researchers who prefer to use highly-optimized, ready-to-use formulations directly in the application. These materials can be readily deposited via a variety of methods including spin coating, drop casting as well as inkjet printing.

"This agreement is a strategic step forward for both companies, as it will allow the addition of these key performance products to the comprehensive and growing Organic and Printed Electronics portfolio offered by Aldrich Materials Science," commented Dr. Frank Louwet, Orgacon Business Manager at Agfa. He further noted, "The availability of these materials in R&D quantities provides researchers worldwide with resources to accelerate application development and commercialization of Orgacon™ in the emerging fields of printed electronics, OPV and OLED lighting."

The collaboration between Aldrich Materials Science and Agfa offers researchers worldwide a continuous supply of these PEDOT:PSS materials from research through development and manufacturing, with Aldrich Materials Science handling all global research scale distribution and Agfa covering larger scale commercial opportunities.

"We are pleased to offer these high-performance, conductive polymers," noted Kaushik Patel, Ph.D., Global Product Manager at Aldrich Materials Science, adding, "This agreement serves to further enhance the mission of Aldrich Materials Science as a key materials partner offering valuable research solutions in the powerful and potentially transformative fields of organic and printed electronics."

The products distributed via this collaboration are listed in Aldrich Materials Science's technical publication, Material Matters™, Volume 6, No. 1, and online at sigma-aldrich.com/conductingpoly.

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About Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company committed to Enabling Science to Improve the Quality of Life. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 40 countries and has 7,700 employees providing excellent service worldwide. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at www.sigma-aldrich.com.

Aldrich and Sigma-Aldrich are registered trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology LP and Sigma-Aldrich Co.

About Agfa: The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analog and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,948 million euro in 2010.

About Agfa Materials: OrgaconTM Electronic Materials is part of the Advanced Coatings & Chemicals division of Agfa Materials, a market leading low cost producer of film and related products. Agfa Materials serves Agfa Graphics and Agfa HealthCare, as well as third parties in the printing and the medical sector and plays a prominent role in industrial markets outside printing and healthcare, such as the printed circuit board industry, aerial photography, motion picture film and e-consumables (e.g. conductive polymers, identity & security systems). Agfa Materials is working to develop several new businesses using expertise and know-how in film making and coating processes, as well as by making targeted R&D investments. Materials currently under development include new customized foils, chemicals and services for various industrial applications, such as the graphic arts, photovoltaics, security, fuel cell and electronics industry. All materials are produced in Agfa's state-of-the art film manufacturing facilities. www.agfa.com/orgacon

OrgaconTM is the trade name for Agfa Materials’ conductive polymer product line.

Cautionary statement: The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "plan to", "can enable", " can be", “will allow,” “will provide,” "distinct advantages,” "enhance,” or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding potential future revenues from the Orgacon products described herein. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. There can be no guarantee that the Orgacon products described in this release will meet the demands of the marketplace. Nor can there be any guarantee that any of these products will achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. In particular, management's expectations regarding these products could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Company’s assets and liabilities as recorded in its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Sigma-Aldrich’s current Form 10-K on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-Aldrich is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Contacts:
COMPANY INQUIRIES TO:
Sarah Leese
Aldrich Materials Science
Marketing Communications

+ (44) 151 482 7230

Dr. Frank Louwet
Agfa-Gevaert
Orgacon Business Manager

+ (32) 3-444-3250

MEDIA INQUIRIES TO IMPRESS PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Mark Button
+ (1) 503-616-3817
Senior Vice President