The mere act of aligning an ensemble of polymer chains along a given axis transforms its physical characteristics more dramatically than, arguably, any other post-synthesis approach that one can summon. Consider an oriented polyethylene fiber: an object with the density of water and a tensile strength which is double of steel – and 100-fold higher than the unoriented polymer. It is not surprising, therefore, that Nature calls upon fibrous proteins to assemble the body’s connective and muscle tissues, while synthetic fibers permeate the textile and composites industries. This broad-brush overview will examine the above in the context of molecular electronic materials. How does one align macromolecules in a thin-film format?

How to deal with fibrillar topography for device fabrication? What functionalities are gained by unmasking the intrinsically 1D characteristics of macromolecular semiconductors? These questions will be examined using a case-in-point example of polarised photodetectors based on oriented all-polymer bulk heterojunction active layers. With the community actively seeking performance enhancements derived from advanced processing, molecular alignment is proposed as an elegant means to get more out of your beautiful materials.