Sulfur-bridged annulene-TCNQ co-crystal: a self-assembled ''molecular level heterojunction'' with air stable ambipolar charge transport behavior

Revealing the charge-transfer interactions in self-assembled organic cocrystals: two-dimensional photonic applications

A new crystal of a charge-transfer (CT) complex was prepared through supramolecular assembly and it has unique two-dimensional (2D) morphology. The CT nature of the ground and excited states of this new Bpe-TCNB cocrystal (BTC) were confirmed by electron spin resonance measurements, spectroscopic studies, and theoretical calculations, thus providing a comprehensive understanding of the CT interactions in organic donor-acceptor systems. And the lowest CT1 excitons are responsible for the efficient photoluminescence (Φ(PL)=19%), which can actively propagate in individual 2D BTCs without anisotropy, thus implying that the optical waveguide property of the crystal is not related to the molecular stacking structure. This unique 2D CT cocrystal exhibits potential for use in functional photonic devices in the next-generation optoelectronic communications.

Understanding the charge transport and polarities in organic donor-acceptor mixed-stack crystals: molecular insights from the super-exchange couplings

Charge transport and polarity in organic D-A mixed-stack crystals are examined in terms of super-exchange electronic couplings. When the super-exchange coupling is dominated by the interaction between donor HOMO and acceptor LUMO, ambipolar transport is achieved. Otherwise, involvement of other bridge orbitals can lead to unbalanced, even to unipolar transport in a special case that the HOMO-LUMO interaction vanishes.

Two-dimensional soft nanomaterials: a fascinating world of materials

The discovery of graphene has triggered great interest in two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials for scientists in chemistry, physics, materials science, and related areas. In the family of newly developed 2D nanostructured materials, 2D soft nanomaterials, including graphene, Bx Cy Nz nanosheets, 2D polymers, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and 2D supramolecular organic nanostructures, possess great advantages in light-weight, structural control and flexibility, diversity of fabrication approaches, and so on. These merits offer 2D soft nanomaterials a wide range of potential applications, such as in optoelectronics, membranes, energy storage and conversion, catalysis, sensing, biotechnology, etc. This review article provides an overview of the development of 2D soft nanomaterials, with special highlights on the basic concepts, molecular design principles, and primary synthesis approaches in the context.

Direct co-crystal assembly from synthesis to co-crystallization

The ternary phase diagram for the direct assembly of a 2 : 1 co-crystal of benzoic acid–sodium benzoate was illustrated. Benzoic acid acted as a reactant and underwent neutralization to produce sodium benzoate. The excessive amount of benzoic acid as an API can interact with the product, sodium benzoate as another API, to undertake API–API co-crystallization by cooling.

The impact of molecular stacking interactions on the electronic structure and charge transport properties in distyrylbenzene (DSB-) based D–A complexes: a theoretical study

Comparison and prediction of the D–A configuration and electrical/optical properties of three mixed-stack D–A cocrystal complexes have been investigated by density functional theory.

Fabrication and physical properties of self-assembled ultralong polymer/small molecule hybrid microstructures

The present work showed a novel approach to fabricate polymer/small molecule hybrid microstructures, and the transport characteristics and morphologies of the as-fabricated wires with different ratios of the two different components.

Laterally-stacked, solution-processed organic microcrystal with ambipolar charge transport behavior

We report the formation of laterally stacked ambipolar crystal wire for high-mobility organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), along with a simple logic circuit through a solution process. A soluble pentacene derivative, 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (Tips-pentacene), and N,N'-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (PTCDI-C8) were used as p-type and n-type organic semiconductors, respectively. The laterally stacked ambipolar crystal wire is made up of Tips-pentacene and PTCDI-C8 crystals in a structure of Tips-pentacene/PTCDI-C8/Tips-pentacene (TPT). The inner part of the crystal is made up of PTCDI-C8, and Tips-pentacene is present on both sides. These TPT crystals exhibit typical ambipolar charge transport behavior in organic electronic devices, which show very balanced hole and electron mobility as high as 0.23 cm(2)/V·s and 0.13 cm(2)/V·s, respectively. Static and dynamic operational stability of the device is investigated by measuring the device performance as a function of storage time and applying voltage pulse, respectively, and it shows good air stability. In addition, a simple logic circuit based on the TPT crystal wire has been fabricated, and the static and dynamic performance has been evaluated. The results indicate that the TPT crystals are potentially useful for miniaturized organic electronic devices.

Charge-transfer complex crystal based on extended-π-conjugated acceptor and sulfur-bridged annulene: charge-transfer interaction and remarkable high ambipolar transport characteristics

A single crystal of a novel mixed-stack donor-acceptor complex formed by a tetracyanoquinodimethane derivative with an extended π-conjugated system and a sulfur-bridged annulene displays the highest ambipolar transport behavior among donor-acceptor complexes reported with electron and hole mobilities reaching up to 0.24 and 0.77 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) , respectively.

Outlook and emerging semiconducting materials for ambipolar transistors

Ambipolar or bipolar transistors are transistors in which both holes and electrons are mobile inside the conducting channel. This device allows switching among several states: the hole-dominated on-state, the off-state, and the electron-dominated on-state. In the past year, it has attracted great interest in exotic semiconductors, such as organic semiconductors, nanostructured materials, and carbon nanotubes. The ability to utilize both holes and electrons inside one device opens new possibilities for the development of more compact complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits, and new kinds of optoelectronic device, namely, ambipolar light-emitting transistors. This progress report highlights the recent progresses in the field of ambipolar transistors, both from the fundamental physics and application viewpoints. Attention is devoted to the challenges that should be faced for the realization of ambipolar transistors with different material systems, beginning with the understanding of the importance of interface modification, which heavily affects injections and trapping of both holes and electrons. The recent development of advanced gating applications, including ionic liquid gating, that open up more possibility to realize ambipolar transport in materials in which one type of charge carrier is highly dominant is highlighted. Between the possible applications of ambipolar field-effect transistors, we focus on ambipolar light-emitting transistors. We put this new device in the framework of its prospective for general lightings, embedded displays, current-driven laser, as well as for photonics-electronics interconnection.

Supramolecular control of organic p/n-heterojunctions by complementary hydrogen bonding

The supramolecular structure of organic semiconductors (OSCs) is the key parameter controlling their performance in organic electronic devices, and thus methods for controlling their self-assembly in the solid state are of the upmost importance. Recently, we have demonstrated the co-assembly of p- and n-type organic semiconductors through a three-point hydrogen-bonding interaction, utilizing an electron-rich dipyrrolopyridine (P2P) heterocycle which is complementary to naphthalenediimides (NDIs) both in its electronic structure and H bonding motif. The hydrogen-bonding-mediated co-assembly between P2P donor and NDI acceptor leads to ambipolar co-crystals and provides unique structural control over their solid-state packing characteristics. In this paper we expand our discussion on the crystal engineering aspects of H bonded donor–acceptor assemblies, reporting three new single co-crystal X-ray diffraction structures and analyzing the different packing characteristics that arise from the molecular structures employed. Particular attention is given toward understanding the formation of the two general motifs observed, segregated and mixed stacks. Co-assembly of the donor and acceptor components into a single, crystalline material, allows the creation of ambipolar semiconductors where the mutual arrangement of p- and n-conductive channels is engineered by supramolecular design based on complementary H bonding.

Sulphur bridged [22]annulene[2.1.2.1] based organic field-effect transistors: interplay of the steric bulk and charge transport

New, neutral, slightly puckered aromatic meso-substituted tetrathia[22]porphyrin(2.1.2.1) macrocyclic architectures display efficacious p-type semiconductor behaviour with improved on/off ratios.

Self-assembly and hierarchical patterning of aligned organic nanowire arrays by solvent evaporation on substrates with patterned wettability

The controlled growth and alignment of one-dimensional organic nanostructures at well-defined locations considerably hinders the integration of nanostructures for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here, we demonstrate a simple process to achieve the growth, alignment, and hierarchical patterning of organic nanowires on substrates with controlled patterns of surface wettability. The first-level pattern is confined by the substrate patterns of wettability. Organic nanostructures are preferentially grown on solvent wettable regions. The second-level pattern is the patterning of aligned organic nanowires deposited by controlling the shape and movement of the solution contact lines during evaporation on the wettable regions. This process is controlled by the cover-hat-controlled method or vertical evaportation method. Therefore, various new patterns of organic nanostructures can be obtained by combing these two levels of patterns. This simple method proves to be a general approach that can be applied to other organic nanostructure systems. Using the as-prepared patterned nanowire arrays, an optoelectronic device (photodetector) is easily fabricated. Hence, the proposed simple, large-scale, low-cost method of preparing patterns of highly ordered organic nanostructures has high potential applications in various electronic and optoelectronic devices.

A photoconductive charge-transfer crystal with mixed-stacking donor-acceptor heterojunctions within the lattice

A pyrene derivative as the donor and a butyl-viologen as the acceptor were used to construct a novel charge-transfer cocrystal consisting of mixed-stacking structure and having switchable photoconductivity stemming from the donor-acceptor heterojunctions within the lattice.