Synthesis of oligoacenes using precursors for evaluation of their electronic structures

Acenes, which are hydrocarbons comprising linearly fused benzene rings, have attracted considerable attention owing to their electronic structures and utility as organic electronic materials. However, the ease with which oligoacenes undergo oxidation increases with the number of linearly fused benzene rings owing to the increased energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital. The synthesis of naked oligoacenes with seven or more benzene rings is difficult because their open-shell structure renders them unstable. The recent development of a precursor method has enabled the in situ synthesis of oligoacenes under specific conditions and the spectroscopic observation of oligoacene in single crystals, in film matrices and under cryogenic conditions. Scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy under ultra-high vacuum conditions have also made significant advances in the study of oligoacenes and oligoazaacenes. This paper reviews the recent progress in the synthesis of oligoacenes using precursors, with a particular focus on the chemical structures, synthesis, and reactivity of the precursors. The electronic properties of oligoacenes are also discussed in relation to the number of fused benzene rings, including their energy levels and spin states. These results will contribute to the synthesis and development of carbon nanomaterials with applications in the field of organic electronics.

Base-Mediated Annulation of Electrophilic Benzothiophene with Naphthols and Phenols: Accessing Benzothiophene-Fused Heteroacenes

A base-mediated annulation of 2-nitrobenzothiophenes with naphthols was realized for the synthesis of hitherto unknown class of heteroacenes, namely benzothieno[2,3-b]naphthofurans. By using naphthols with a hydroxyl group positioned at 1st or 2nd position, we could synthesize two positional isomers, benzothieno[2,3-b]naphtho[2,1-d]furans or benzothieno[2,3-b]naphtho[2,3-d]furans. The annulation was found to be general with a range of substituted 2-nitrobenzothiophenes and naphthols. This heteroannulation of benzothiophene was extended using a range of phenols affording the corresponding benzothieno[2,3-b]benzofurans in moderate yields. The basic photophysical properties of these heteroacenes were evaluated, and we also demonstrated the applicability of this annulation on the gram scale.

Nickel-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] benzannulation of alkynes: a new route to the synthesis of highly substituted naphthalenes

The Ni(II)-catalyzed aromatic homologation of various directing groups with alkynes to afford highly substituted naphthalene products via C-X bond cleavage followed by alkyne insertion and C-H activation is described. This reaction proceeded with a wide range of directing groups such as pyrazoles, imidazopyridines, benzoimidazothiazoles, thiazoles and triazoles with alkynes to afford highly substituted naphthalenes in moderate to good yields. This transformation is promoted by a simple, straightforward combination of a Ni(II)-complex, Zn dust and a base.

Controlled Growth and Self-Assembly of Multiscale Organic Semiconductor

Currently, organic semiconductors (OSs) are widely used as active components in practical devices related to energy storage and conversion, optoelectronics, catalysis, and biological sensors, etc. To satisfy the actual requirements of different types of devices, chemical structure design and self-assembly process control have been synergistically performed. The morphology and other basic properties of multiscale OS components are governed on a broad scale from nanometers to macroscopic micrometers. Herein, the up-to-date design strategies for fabricating multiscale OSs are comprehensively reviewed. Related representative works are introduced, applications in practical devices are discussed, and future research directions are presented. Design strategies combining the advances in organic synthetic chemistry and supramolecular assembly technology perform an integral role in the development of a new generation of multiscale OSs.

Decarbonylative/decarboxylative [4 + 2] annulation of phthalic anhydrides and cyclic iodoniums towards triphenylenes

A palladium-catalyzed decarbonylative/decarboxylative [4 + 2] annulation of phthalic anhydrides with cyclic diaryliodonium salts to synthesize triphenylenes has been developed. The reaction shows broad substrate scope with a high yield of up to 99%, and it provides an efficient and fast way to access functionalized triphenylenes in only one hour.

The Molecular Ordering and Double-Channel Carrier Generation of Nonfullerene Photovoltaics within Multi-Length-Scale Morphology

The success of nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) solar cells lies in their unique physical properties beyond the extended absorption and suitable energy levels. The current study investigates the morphology and photophysical behavior of PBDB-T donor blending with ITIC, 4TIC, and 6TIC acceptors. Single-crystal study shows that the π-π stacking and side-chain interaction dictate molecular assembly, which can be carried to blended films, forming a multi-length-scale morphology. Spontaneous carrier generation is seen in ITIC, 4TIC, and 6TIC neat films and their blended thin films using the PBDB-T donor, providing a new avenue of zero-energy-loss carrier formation. The molecular packing associated with specific contacts and geometry is key in influencing the photophysics, as demonstrated by the charge transfer and carrier lifetime results. The 2D layer of 6TIC facilitates the exciton-to-polaron conversion, and the largest photogenerated polaron yield is obtained. The new mechanism, together with the highly efficient blending region carrier generation, has the prospect of the fundamental advantage for NFA solar cells, from molecular assembly to thin-film morphology.

On-surface synthesis of a phenylene analogue of nonacene

Cyclobuta[1,2-b:3,4-b']ditetracene - an analogue of nonacene with a cyclobutadiene unit embedded in the central part has been synthesized by the combination of solution and on-surface chemistry. The atomic structure and electronic properties of the product on Au(111) have been determined by high resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy corroborated by density functional theory calculations. Structural and magnetic parameters derived from theoretical calculations reveal that π conjugation is dominated by radialene-type contribution, with an admixture of cyclobutadiene-like antiaromaticity.

High-performance five-ring-fused organic semiconductors for field-effect transistors

Organic molecular semiconductors have been paid great attention due to their advantages of low-temperature processability, low fabrication cost, good flexibility, and excellent electronic properties. As a typical example of five-ring-fused organic semiconductors, a single crystal of pentacene shows a high mobility of up to 40 cm² V^-1 s^-1, indicating its potential application in organic electronics. However, the photo- and optical instabilities of pentacene make it unsuitable for commercial applications. But, molecular engineering, for both the five-ring-fused building block and side chains, has been performed to improve the stability of materials as well as maintain high mobility. Here, several groups (thiophenes, pyrroles, furans, etc.) are introduced to design and replace one or more benzene rings of pentacene and construct novel five-ring-fused organic semiconductors. In this review article, ∼500 five-ring-fused organic prototype molecules and their derivatives are summarized to provide a general understanding of this catalogue material for application in organic field-effect transistors. The results indicate that many five-ring-fused organic semiconductors can achieve high mobilities of more than 1 cm² V^-1 s^-1, and a hole mobility of up to 18.9 cm² V^-1 s^-1 can be obtained, while an electron mobility of 27.8 cm² V^-1 s^-1 can be achieved in five-ring-fused organic semiconductors. The HOMO-LUMO levels, the synthesis process, the molecular packing, and the side-chain engineering of five-ring-fused organic semiconductors are analyzed. The current problems, conclusions, and perspectives are also provided.

Hexacene on Cu(110) and Ag(110): Influence of the Substrate on Molecular Orientation and Interfacial Charge Transfer

Hexacene, composed of six linearly fused benzene rings, is an organic semiconductor material with superior electronic properties. The fundamental understanding of the electronic and chemical properties is prerequisite to any possible application in devices. We investigate the orientation and interface properties of highly ordered hexacene monolayers on Ag(110) and Cu(110) with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), photoemission orbital tomography (POT), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT). We find pronounced differences in the structural arrangement of the molecules and the electronic properties at the metal/organic interfaces for the two substrates. While on Cu(110) the molecules adsorb with their long molecular axis parallel to the high symmetry substrate direction, on Ag(110), hexacene adsorbs in an azimuthally slightly rotated geometry with respect to the metal rows of the substrate. In both cases, molecular planes are oriented parallel to the substrate. A pronounced charge transfer from both substrates to different molecular states affects the effective charge of different C atoms of the molecule. Through analysis of experimental and theoretical data, we found out that on Ag(110) the LUMO of the molecule is occupied through charge transfer from the metal, whereas on Cu(110) even the LUMO+1 receives a charge. Interface dipoles are determined to a large extent by the push-back effect, which are also found to differ significantly between 6A/Ag(110) and 6A/Cu(110).

Tailored Solvatochromic NIR Phosphorus-Chromophores via Selective P-N and P-C Chemistry in P-Heteropines

Herein we report selective P-C and P-N chemistry as a new synthetic tool for constructing phosphorus (P)-chromophores with rich chemical structures. Our studies reveal that isomeric structures significantly influence the chemical structure and electronic communication of P-heteropines, which results in efficient tunability of the photophysical properties. In particular, isomeric P-chromophores with a protic N-H (indole) are also capable of participating in intramolecular H bonding, offering a new strategy to access a near-infrared chromophore.

An Access to Benzo[a]fluorenes, Benzo[b]fluorenes, and Indenes Triggered by Simple Lewis Acid

This report illustrates BF₃·OEt₂ promoted intramolecular cascade cycloaromatization of 1,7-ynones toward synthesizing structurally diverse benzofluorene scaffolds. Remarkably, the present protocol promotes the formation of two consecutive C-C bonds intramolecularly and undergoes aromatization under mild reaction conditions to afford the tetracyclic benzo[a]fluorene frameworks. Besides, the formation of indenes was observed when 1-bromo-2-iodoarenes are relatively more electron-rich when compared with the one originating from the terminal arylacetylenes, under controlled conditions, wherein triple bond polarity has been just reversed due to the change of electronic effects exerted by the strong +M group of 1-bromo-2-iodoarenes, which is in conjugation to the connected triple bond. The same concept to generate indenes has also been extended by using aliphatic alkyne tethered ynones. Further, it was noticed that 1,7-ynones bearing the more electron-rich 1-bromo-2-iodoarenes than the arene ring arriving from the terminal arylacetylenes lead to benzo[b]fluorenes, under thermodynamic conditions, instead of delivering the benzo[a]fluorenes. In addition, this method features metal-free conditions, easily accessible starting materials, operational simplicity, gram-scale synthesis, and a wide range of substrate scopes.

Regioselective Fluorination of Acenes: Tailoring of Molecular Electronic Levels and Solid-State Properties

Optoelectronic properties of molecular solids are important for organic electronic devices and are largely determined by the adopted molecular packing motifs. In this study, we analyzed such structure-property relationships for the partially regioselective fluorinated tetracenes 1,2,12-trifluorotetracene, 1,2,10,12-tetrafluorotetracene and 1,2,9,10,11-pentafluorotetracene that were further compared with tetracene and perfluoro-tetracene. Quantum chemical DFT calculations in combination with optical absorption spectroscopy data show that the frontier orbital energies are lowered with the degree of fluorination, while their optical gap is barely affected. However, the crystal structure changes from a herringbone packing motif of tetracene towards a planar stacking motif of the fluorinated tetracene derivatives, which is accompanied by the formation of excimers and leads to strongly red-shifted photoluminescence with larger lifetimes.

On-surface synthesis and characterization of nitrogen-substituted undecacenes

Heteroatom substitution in acenes allows tailoring of their remarkable electronic properties, expected to include spin-polarization and magnetism for larger members of the acene family. Here, we present a strategy for the on-surface synthesis of three undecacene analogs substituted with four nitrogen atoms on an Au(111) substrate, by employing specifically designed diethano-bridged precursors. A similarly designed precursor is used to synthesize the pristine undecacene molecule. By comparing experimental features of scanning probe microscopy with ab initio simulations, we demonstrate that the ground state of the synthesized tetraazaundecacene has considerable open-shell character on Au(111). Additionally, we demonstrate that the electronegative nitrogen atoms induce a considerable shift in energy level alignment compared to the pristine undecacene, and that the introduction of hydro-aza groups causes local anti-aromaticity in the synthesized compounds. Our work provides access to the precise fabrication of nitrogen-substituted acenes and their analogs, potential building-blocks of organic electronics and spintronics, and a rich playground to explore π-electron correlation.

Optical Study of Solvatochromic Isocyanoaminoanthracene Dyes and 1,5-Diaminoanthracene

Isocyanoaminoarenes (ICAAr-s) are a novel and versatile group of solvatochromic fluorophores. Despite their versatile applicability, such as antifungals, cancer drugs and analytical probes, they still represent a mostly unchartered territory among intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) dyes. The current paper describes the preparation and detailed optical study of novel 1-isocyano-5-aminoanthrace (ICAA) and its N-methylated derivatives along with the starting 1,5-diaminoanthracene. The conversion of one of the amino groups of the diamine into an isocyano group significantly increased the polar character of the dyes, which resulted in a significant 50-70 nm (2077-2609 cm-1) redshift of the emission maximum and a broadened solvatochromic range. The fluorescence quantum yield of ICAAs is strongly influenced by the polarity of the solvent. The starting anthracene-diamine is highly fluorescent in every solvent (√f = 12-53%), while the isocyano derivatives are practically nonfluorescent in solvents more polar than dioxane. This phenomenon implies the potential application of ICAAs to probe the polarity of the medium and is favorable in practical applications, such as cell-staining, resulting in a reduced background fluorescence. The ICT character of the emission states of ICAAs are in good agreement with the computational findings presented in TD-DFT calculations and molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) isosurfaces.

Inverting Conventional Chemoselectivity in the Sonogashira Coupling Reaction of Polyhalogenated Aryl Triflates with TMS-Arylalkynes

A newly developed phosphine ligand with a C2-cyclohexyl group on the indole ring was successfully applied in a chemoselective Sonogashira coupling reaction with excellent chemoselectivity, affording an inversion of the conventional chemoselectivity order of C-Br > C-Cl > C-OTf. This study also provided an efficient approach to the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the natural product analogue trimethyl-selaginellin L by merging of chemoselective Sonogashira and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions.

A simple model to engineer single-molecule conductance of acenes by chemical disubstitution

Understanding and controlling electrical conductivity at the single-molecule level is of fundamental importance for the development of new molecular electronic devices. This ideally requires considering the many different options offered by the molecular structure, the nature of the electrodes, and all possible molecule-electrode anchoring configurations, which is experimentally tedious and theoretically very expensive. Here we present a systematic theoretical study of the conductance of di-amino, di-methylthio and di-(4-methylthio)phenyl acenes, from benzene to pentacene, and for all possible distributions of two identical linkers symmetrically placed on opposite sides of the same ring. We show that, for all investigated compounds, the relative variation of the conductance is well explained by the variations of the HOMO energies as predicted by a simple extended-Hückel approach, i.e., without the need for further input from more elaborate calculations. The model predicts quite nicely that diamino acenes are better conductors than their corresponding dimethylthio analogues, and both much better than the di-(4-methylthio)phenyl counterparts, irrespective of the linkers' relative positions. It also predicts, for a given pair of linkers, the variations in the conductance resulting from changing the acene size and/or the relative position of the linkers. These variations can be as large as an order of magnitude, and therefore can be used to engineer molecular conductance. Finally, we show that a similar approach should be useful to predict trends in the relative conductance of a large variety of disubstituted acene isomers, including various linkers.

Enantiopure 2-(2-ethylhexyl)dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophenes: synthesis, single-crystal structure and a surprising lack of influence of stereoisomerism on thin-film structure and electronic properties

Starting from a chiral resolution of 2-ethylhexanoic acid followed by conversions of functional groups without interfering with the enantiopurity, we have successfully introduced an enantiopure 2-ethylhexyl group on to dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) via a Negishi-coupling reaction to synthesize 2-(R)-(2-ethylhexyl)- and 2-(S)-(2-ethylhexyl)-DNTT (R- and S-EH-DNTT, respectively). Then, the crystallinities, thin-film structures, and the organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on R-, S- and racemic EH-DNTT (rac-EH-DNTT) were studied to elucidate the effect of stereoisomerism in the 2-ethylhexyl group. The crystal structures of the R- and S-EH-DNTTs are classified as herringbone packing and contain two crystallographically independent molecules connected by edge-to-face CH-π intermolecular interactions, and the molecules' directly opposite directions avoid steric repulsion between the 2-ethylhexyl groups. Thin films of the EH-DNTTs fabricated using both the spin-coating and vacuum-deposition methods were revealed to have similar but slightly different packing structures to that in the single crystal. Intriguingly, the packing structures in the thin-film state depend on the deposition method, and not on the stereoisomers of EH-DNTT. Consistent with the packing structures in the thin-film state, the performance of OFETs based on the thin films of the R-, S- and rac-EH-DNTTs were affected by the deposition method, and not by the stereoisomerism. This means that the stereoisomerism in the alkyl side chain has a marginal effect on the packing structure and electronic properties in the thin-film state. This is endorsed by the theoretical calculations using the functional-group symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (F-SAPT), which indicated that the intermolecular interactions between the DNTT cores are dominant in the total intermolecular interaction energies, and implies that the crystallization process in the thin-film deposition could be governed by intermolecular interactions between the DNTT cores. We conclude that in 2-ethylhexyl-substituted organic semiconductors with a large and highly aggregative π-conjugated core, like EH-DNTT, the enantiopurity in the 2-ethylhexyl group does not significantly affect the thin-film structure and thus the performance of thin-film OFETs.

Synthesis, Aromaticity, and Application of peri-Pentacenopentacene: Localized Representation of Benzenoid Aromatic Compounds

We report the synthesis and optoelectronic properties of TIPS-peri-pentacenopentacene (TIPS-PPP), a vertical extension of TIPS-pentacene (TIPS-PEN) and a low-band-gap material with remarkable stability. We found the synthetic conditions to avoid the competition between 1,2- and 1,4-addition of lithium acetylide on the large aromatic dione. The high stability of TIPS-PPP is due to the peri-fusion which increases the aromaticity by generating two localized aromatic sextets that are flanked with 2 diene fragments, similar to two fused-anthracenes. Like TIPS-PEN, TIPS-PPP shows the archetypal 2D brickwall motif in crystals with a larger transfer integral and smaller reorganization energy. The high mobility of up to 1 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 was obtained in an organic field-effect transistor fabricated by a wet process. Also, TIPS-PPP was used as a near-infrared (NIR) emitter for NIR organic-light-emitting-diode devices resulting in a high external quantum efficiency at 800 nm.

Corannulene-based acenes

Synthesis of diacenes still represents a considerable challenge due to their poor stability and low solubility.

Structure–property relationships of diketopyrrolopyrrole- and thienoacene-based A–D–A type hole transport materials for efficient perovskite solar cells

Two DPP-based hole-transporting materials with different aromatic π-bridges have been synthesized and tested for perovskite solar cells. Improved power conversion efficiency and stability were achieved by employing DPP-TT.

π-Topology and Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics of Remarkably Photochemically Stabilized Pentacene Derivatives with Radical Substituents

Pentacene derivatives with both π-radical- and TIPS-substituents (1m and 1p) were synthesized and their photochemical properties and excited-state dynamics were evaluated. The pentacene-radical-linked systems 1m (1p) showed a remarkable improvement...

Computational studies on nitrogen (N)-substituted 2,6-diphenylanthracene: a novel precursor of organic field effect transistor materials

The investigation shows that nitrogen (N)-substituted π-conjugated semiconductor materials have improved optical and electronic performance and work efficiently in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs).

Accessing Polycyclic Heteroarenes Enabled by Copper-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative C-H/C-H [4 + 2] Annulation of 3-Arylindole Derivatives

Several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are delivered at room temperature by copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative C-H/C-H [4 + 2] annulation of alkyl-substituted 3-arylindole derivatives. Specifically, dual aryl C-H functionalization is furnished under mild conditions through the 1,2-migration of copper catalyst and regioselective alkyne insertion. Mechanistic experiments demonstrate that the C-H bond cleavage on the indole and phenyl rings is not involved in the rate-limiting step.

Benzohexacene guide in accurate determination of field effect carrier mobilities in long acenes

Oligoacenes are promising materials in the field of electronic devices since they exhibit high charge carrier mobility and more particularly as a semiconductor in thin film transistors. Herein, we investigate the field effect charge carrier mobility of benzohexacene, recently obtained by cheletropic decarbonylation at moderate temperature. Initially, high performance bottom contact organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated using tetracene to validate the fabrication process. For easier comparison, the geometries and channel sizes of the fabricated devices are the same for the two acenes. The charge transport in OTFTs being closely related to the organic thin film at the dielectric/organic semiconductor interface, the structural and morphological features of the thin films of both materials are therefore studied according to deposition conditions. Finally, by extracting relevant device parameters the benzohexacene based OTFT shows a four-probe contact-corrected hole mobility value of up to 0.2 cm2 V-1 s-1.

Doubly-Reduced Pentacene in Different Coordination Environments: X-ray Crystallographic and Theoretical Insights into Structural and Electronic Changes

Chemical reduction of pentacene (C22H14, 1) with Group 1 metals ranging from Li to Cs revealed that 1 readily undergoes a two-fold reduction to afford a doubly-reduced 12- anion in THF. With the help of 18-crown-6 ether used as a secondary coordinating agent, five π-complexes of 12- with different alkali metal counterions have been isolated and fully characterized. This series of complexes enables the first evaluation of alkali-metal ion binding patterns and structural changes of the 12- dianion based on the crystallographically confirmed examples. The difference in coordination of the smallest Li+ ion vs. heavier Group 1 congeners has been demonstrated. In addition, the use of benzo-15-crown-5 in the reaction of 1 with Na metal allowed the isolation of the unique solvent-separated ion product with a "naked" dianion, 12-. The detailed structural analyses of the series revealed the C-C bond alteration and core deformation of pentacene upon two-fold reduction and complexation. The negative charge localization at the central six-membered ring of 12- identified by theoretical calculations corroborates with the X-ray crystallographic results. Subsequent in-depth theoretical analysis provided a detailed description of changes in the electronic structure and aromaticity of pentacene upon reduction.

NBN-Doped Bis-Tetracene and Peri-Tetracene: Synthesis and Characterization

Combining solution-based and surface-assisted synthesis, we demonstrate the first synthesis of NBN-doped bis-tetracene (NBN-BT) and peri-tetracene (NBN-PT). The chemical structures are clearly elucidated by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in combination with noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) characterizations reveal that NBN-BT and NBN-PT possess higher energy gaps than bis-tetracene and peri-tetracene. Interestingly, NBN-BT can undergo stepwise one-electron oxidation and convert into its corresponding radical cation and then to its dication. The energy gap of the NBN-BT dication is similar to that of bis-tetracene, indicating their isoelectronic relationship. Moreover, a similar energy gap between the NBN-PT dication and peri-tetracene can be predicted by DFT calculations. This work provides a novel synthesis along with characterizations of multi-NBN-doped zigzag-edged peri-acenes with tunable electronic properties.

Substituent Effect in Pyridinium Alkynylanthracenes on their Performance as Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy

Progress in photodynamic therapy (PDT) relies on the design and synthesis of photosensitizers that can efficiently sensitize singlet oxygen using visible light irradiation while displaying limited dark toxicity. Here, we highlight the paper by Linker and coworkers published in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology, which evaluates the effect of the regiochemistry of pyridinium rings in three isomeric pyridinium alkynylanthracenes on their performance as photosensitizers for PDT in HeLa cells.

Approaching isotropic charge transport of n-type organic semiconductors with bulky substituents

Benzo[de]isoquinolino[1,8-gh]quinolinetetracarboxylic diimide (BQQDI) is an n-type organic semiconductor that has shown unique multi-fold intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions, leading to aggregated structures with excellent charge transports and electron mobility properties. However, the strong intermolecular anchoring of BQQDI presents challenges for fine-tuning the molecular assembly and improving the semiconducting properties. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of two BQQDI derivatives with phenyl- and cyclohexyl substituents (Ph-BQQDI and Cy₆-BQQDI), where the two organic semiconductors show distinct molecular assemblies and degrees of intermolecular orbital overlaps. In addition, the difference in their packing motifs leads to strikingly different band structures that give rise to contrasting charge-transport capabilities. More specifically, Cy₆-BQQDI bearing bulky substituents exhibits isotropic intermolecular orbital overlaps resulting in equal averaged transfer integrals in both π-π stacking directions, even when dynamic disorders are taken into account; whereas Ph-BQQDI exhibits anisotropic averaged transfer integrals in these directions. As a result, Cy₆-BQQDI shows excellent device performances in both single-crystalline and polycrystalline thin-film organic field-effect transistors up to 2.3 and 1.0 cm² V^-1 s^-1, respectively.

Excited-state engineering of oligothiophenes via phosphorus chemistry towards strong fluorescent materials

Due to efficient intersystem crossing (ISC), combined with efficient non-radiative processes of the triplet excited state, oligothiophenes generally exhibit very weak photoluminescence. Phosphorus (P)-bridged terthiophenes (P-terThs) and phosphorus (P)-bridged bithiophenes (P-biThs) were synthesized. The diverse and well-defined P-chemistry has been applied to fine tune the photophysical properties of these materials. The asymmetric electronic coupling between the P-center and terThs suppressed the electronic interactions of two terTh and biTh moieties in the ground state S₀. Particularly, P-terThs and P-biThs having a positively charged P(+)-center induce pronounced asymmetric electronic environments on the two terThs and two biThs, respectively, which allows relaxation from the initial excited state via symmetry breaking charge transfer (SBCT) to give the charge separated state S_SBCT. P-terThs and P-biThs having a positively charged P(+)-center exhibit stronger SBCT than others, which may result in a weaker ISC of oligothiophenes, and consequently lead to the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) being as high as 71% and 39%, respectively. The current study uncovered detailed insights on the effects of phosphorus chemistry on the SBCT of oligothiophenes and their resulting effects on the photophysical properties of P-bridged oligothiophenes, which have not been previously addressed in oligothiophenes.

Anthracene-Based Zwitterion with a Small HOMO–LUMO Energy Gap

We have designed and synthesized an anthracene-based zwitterion, 2-methyl-2-azoniaanthracene-7-olate. The zwitterion shows amphoteric redox properties and low-energy-light absorption originating from the small HOMO–LUMO energy gap of ca. 1.7 eV. DFT calculations show that the combination of replacing the C–H with N+–Me and introducing O− is necessary to alter the electronic structure and properties of anthracene significantly.

A Distorted Hybrid Corannulene-Dibenzobistetracene

We have designed and synthesized a new type of distorted nanographene by Diels-Alder and Scholl reactions that contains one dibenzobistetracene (DBT, 1) core and two end-capping corannulene units. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that nanographene 1 contains two [5] helicene subunits with a dihedral angle of 62°, consequently leading to the distorted DBT core. In addition, the photophysical properties and (non)aromaticity of 1 were investigated by the absorption and emission spectra in combination with theoretical calculations.

Direct aryl-aryl coupling of pentacene on Au(110)

Selective C-H bond activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is challenging due to the relatively high bond dissociation energy and the existence of multiple equivalent C-H sites. Herein, we report a scanning tunneling microscopy study on the covalent coupling of pentacene molecules on Au(110) surfaces. The missing-row reconstruction of Au(110) surfaces strengthens the molecule-substrate interactions. At elevated temperatures (470-520 K), pentacenes undergo direct aryl-aryl coupling via C-H bond activation. Due to the anisotropic feature of the reconstructed Au(110) surface, pentacenes are preferentially oriented parallel or perpendicular, making the linear and T-shaped dimers the predominant products. Based on density functional theory calculations, the aryl C-H bond activation barrier is reduced to 1.42 eV on Au(110)-(1 × 3) reconstructed surfaces, at which the extra row of gold atoms located in the (1 × 3) reconstructed grooves plays a key role.