Effects of stereoisomerism on the crystallization behavior and optoelectrical properties of conjugated molecules

Selective Chirality-Driven Photopolymerization of Diacetylene Crystals

Crystal engineering of two diacetylene monomers was achieved by branching two chiral groups [R = PhC*MeNH(CO2)CH2] exhibiting an enantiopure configuration of S,S-(DA2) and an achiral R,S-meso-isomer (DA4). The X-ray structures of DA2 and DA4 reveal the presence of supramolecular arrangements driven by intermolecular H-bonding. A significant intermolecular closer proximity in DA4 than that in DA2 is depicted, ultimately resulting in a slow thermal (days) and swift (min) photochemical polymerization of DA4 to form PDA5, whereas DA2 is unreactive. DFT computations indicate that in both cases the lowest energy-excited state is the charge-transfer state [CT; PhC*MeNH(CO2) → π*(-C≡C-C≡C-)]. Therefore, this outcome illustrates a drastic selectivity via a settle change in a carbon configuration. Analysis demonstrates that PDA5 is nonemissive and that its coloration arises from a π → π* excitation of the polymer backbone (DFT computations).

Lest We Forget-The Importance of Heteroatom Interactions in Heterocyclic Conjugated Systems, from Synthetic Metals to Organic Semiconductors

The field of synthetic metals is, and remains, highly influential for the development of organic semiconductor materials. Yet, with the passing of time and the rapid development of conjugated materials in recent years, the link between synthetic metals and organic semiconductors is at risk of being forgotten. This review reflects on one of the key concepts developed in synthetic metals - heteroatom interactions. The application of this strategy in recent organic semiconductor materials, small molecules and polymers, is highlighted, with analysis of X-ray crystal structures and comparisons with model systems used to determine the influence of these non-covalent short contacts. The case is made that the wide range of effective heteroatom interactions and the high performance that has been achieved in devices from organic solar cells to transistors is testament to the seeds sown by the synthetic metals research community.

Stereoisomeric Non-Fullerene Acceptors-Based Organic Solar Cells

Chiral alkyl chains are ubiquitously observed in organic semiconductor materials and can regulate solution processability and active layer morphology, but the effect of stereoisomers on photovoltaic performance has rarely been investigated. For the racemic Y-type acceptors widely used in organic solar cells, it remains unknown if the individual chiral molecules separate into the conglomerate phase or if racemic phase prevails. Here, the photovoltaic performance of enantiomerically pure Y6 derivatives, (S,S)/(R,R)-BTP-4F, and their chiral mixtures are compared. It is found that (S,S) and (R,R)-BTP-4F molecule in the racemic mixtures tends to interact with its enantiomer. The racemic mixtures enable efficient light harvesting, fast hole transfer, and long polaron lifetime, which is conducive to charge generation and suppresses the recombination losses. Moreover, abundant charge diffusion pathways provided by the racemate contribute to efficient charge transport. As a result, the racemate system maximizes the power output and minimizes losses, leading to a higher efficiency of 18.16% and a reduced energy loss of 0.549 eV, as compared to the enantiomerically pure molecules. This study demonstrates that the chirality of non-fullerene acceptors should receive more attention and be designed rationally to enhance the efficiency of organic solar cells.

Fused-Ring Electron-Acceptor Single Crystals with Chiral 2D Supramolecular Organization for Anisotropic Chiral Optoelectronic Devices

Supramolecular chiral organization gives π-conjugated molecules access to fascinating specific interactions with circularly polarized light (CPL). Such a feature enables the fabrication of high-performance chiral organic electronic devices that detect or emit CPL directly. Herein, it is shown that chiral fused-ring electron-acceptor BTP-4F single-crystal-based phototransistors demonstrate distinguished CPL discrimination capability with current dissymmetry factor exceeding 1.4, one of the highest values among state-of-the-art direct CPL detectors. Theoretical calculations prove that the chirality at the supramolecular level in these enantiomeric single crystals originates from chiral exciton coupling of a unique quasi-2D supramolecular organization consisting of interlaced molecules with opposite helical conformation. Impressively, such supramolecular organization produces a higher dissymmetry factor along the preferred growth direction of the chiral single crystals in comparison to that of the short axis direction. Furthermore, the amplified, inverted, and also anisotropic current dissymmetry compared to optical dissymmetry is studied by finite element simulations. Therefore, a unique chiral supramolecular organization that is responsible for the excellent chiroptical response and anisotropic electronic properties is developed, which not only enables the construction of high-performance CPL detection devices but also allows a better understanding of the structure-property relationships in chiral organic optoelectronics.

Enantiopure Dinaphtho[2,3-b:2,3-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophenes: Reaching High Magnetoresistance Effect in OFETs

Chiral molecules are known to behave as spin filters due to the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. Chirality can be implemented in molecular semiconductors in order to study the role of the CISS effect in charge transport and to find new materials for spintronic applications. In this study, the design and synthesis of a new class of enantiopure chiral organic semiconductors based on the well-known dinaphtho[2,3-b:2,3-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) core functionalized with chiral alkyl side chains is presented. When introduced in an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with magnetic contacts, the two enantiomers, (R)-DNTT and (S)-DNTT, show an opposite behavior with respect to the relative direction of the magnetization of the contacts, oriented by an external magnetic field. Each enantiomer displays an unexpectedly high magnetoresistance over one preferred orientation of the spin current injected from the magnetic contacts. The result is the first reported OFET in which the current can be switched on and off upon inversion of the direction of the applied external magnetic field. This work contributes to the general understanding of the CISS effect and opens new avenues for the introduction of organic materials in spintronic devices.

Novel stereoisomeric lignin-derived polycarbonates: towards the creation of bisphenol polycarbonate mimics

In this work, we have described a family of bio-based polycarbonates (PC-MBC) based on the unique lignin-derived aliphatic diol 4,4'-methylenebiscyclohexanol (MBC) that was sustainably sourced from lignin oxidation mixture. The detailed structure analysis of these polycarbonates has been confirmed by a series of 2D NMR (HSQC and COSY) characterizations. Depending on the stereoisomerism of MBC, the PC-MBC displayed a wide achievable T g range of 117-174 °C and high T d5% of >310 °C by variation of the ratio of the stereoisomers of MBC, offering great substitution perspectives towards a bisphenol-containing polycarbonates. Nonetheless, the most here presented PC-MBC polycarbonates were film-forming and transparent.

Complete Set of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Centrosymmetrical Cofacial Stacked Pairs

Stacked centrosymmetrical dimers and simultaneously H-bonded and stacked hexamers of thiophene-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole (ThDPP) were studied using DFT as models for crystals with slipped-stacked molecules in 1D columns. Eight stacked dimer arrangements were found, six of which are driven by the minimisation of electron repulsion and realised by placing the partially negatively charged atoms of the diketopyrrolopyrrole rings below the centre of an adjancent thiophene ring. Four of these stacks are related to N,N'-diacylated derivative. An analogous set of eight stacks was discovered computationally for phenyl-substituted DPP (PhDPP), four of which are known among H-bonded DPP pigments, and one more among N,N'-dialkylated PhDPP derivatives. The results shed more light on the mechanisms that drive the formation of stacks between nonaromatic (DPP) and aromatic (Th, Ph) rings. The excitation energies of the lowest four singlet states computed by TD DFT enabled excitonic coupling and energy separation between Frenkel-resonsnce-type and charge-transfer states to be established, depending on the equilibrium stack geometry.

Crystallinity and Molecular Packing of Small Molecules in Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells

Crystallinity has played a major role in organic solar cells (OSCs). In small molecule (SM) bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) OSCs, the crystallinity and crystalline packing of SM donors have been shown to have a dramatic impact on the formation of an optimum microstructure leading to high-power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein we describe how crystallinity differs from polymers to SMs, and how the packing habits of SMs (particularly donors) in active layers of BHJ devices can be described as following two different main modes: a single crystal-like and a liquid crystal-like packing type. This notion is reviewed from a chronological perspective, emphasising milestone donor structures and studies focusing on the crystallinity in SM-BHJ OSCs. This review intends to demonstrate that a shift towards a liquid crystalline-like packing can be identified throughout the history of SM-BHJ, and that this shift can be associated with an increase in overall PCE.

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.

Controlled Assembly of Conjugated Ladder Molecules with Different Bridging Structures toward Optoelectronic Application

Structural design of organic π-conjugated small molecules allows the energy band structure and electronic properties of the molecules to be tuned as needed, which provides a feasible strategy for enhancing the performance of optoelectronic devices. The introduction of bridging structures is a common structural modification method to adjust the rigidity and coplanarity of the molecular backbone, thus affecting the molecular packing. However, patterning of organic single-crystalline microstructures based on conjugated ladder molecules with different bridging structures still remains challenging for large-area integration of optoelectronic devices. In this paper, a controlled dewetting process is applied to obtain organic single-crystalline arrays with precise positioning and a regular morphology based on two isomers with silicon-oxygen bridging and their two carbon-oxygen-bridged analogues. Molecules with different bridging structures show disparate packing models due to the difference of dihedral angles and ring tensions. A microwire-array ultraviolet photodetector based on the oxygen-silicon-bridging ladder molecule exhibits a high light on/off ratio of 24 and a responsivity of 0.63 mA W^-1 owing to the effective π-π stacking governed by the molecular planarity. This work not only provides a universal method for the integration of organic optoelectronic devices but also explains the effect of bridging structure engineering on molecular assembly and optoelectronic performance.

The Importance of Spin State in Chiral Supramolecular Electronics

The field of spintronics explores how magnetic fields can influence the properties of organic and inorganic materials by controlling their electron’s spins. In this sense, organic materials are very attractive since they have small spin-orbit coupling, allowing long-range spin-coherence over times and distances longer than in conventional metals or semiconductors. Usually, the small spin-orbit coupling means that organic materials cannot be used for spin injection, requiring ferromagnetic electrodes. However, chiral molecules have been demonstrated to behave as spin filters upon light illumination in the phenomenon described as chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. This means that electrons of certain spin can go through chiral assemblies of molecules preferentially in one direction depending on their handedness. This is possible because the lack of inversion symmetry in chiral molecules couples with the electron’s spin and its linear momentum so the molecules transmit the one preferred spin. In this respect, chiral semiconductors have great potential in the field of organic electronics since when charge carriers are created, a preferred spin could be transmitted through a determined handedness structure. The exploration of the CISS effect in chiral supramolecular semiconductors could add greatly to the efforts made by the organic electronics community since charge recombination could be diminished and charge transport improved when the spins are preferentially guided in one specific direction. This review outlines the advances in supramolecular chiral semiconductors regarding their spin state and its influence on the final electronic properties.

The improvement in hole-transporting and electroluminescent properties of diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment by grafting with carbazole dendrons

Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) pigments are essential and have been intensively exploited as building-blocks for the synthesis of organic semiconducting polymers and small molecules; however, DPP derivatives as emissive materials for electroluminescent (EL) devices have rarely been explored. In this work, a series of new DPP derivatives grafted with carbazole dendrons in a non-conjugated fashion using an amide linkage was designed to improve the performance of DPP in EL devices. Three DPP derivatives (G0DPP, G1DPP and G2DPP) bearing di(p-chlorophenyl)-DPP (Pigment Red 254) as the core substituted with a hexyl chain, N-hexyl carbazole and N-hexyl-N'-9,3':6',N''-tercarbazole, respectively, were synthesized to afford improved hole-transporting properties without affecting the photophysical and electronic properties of the DPP core. The synthesized DPP derivatives displayed an intense yellow fluorescence emission peaked at 536 nm with an absolute photoluminescence quantum yield close to unity in solution. The hole-transporting capability of molecules was improved when carbazole dendrons were incorporated, which increased with an increase in the generation of substituent carbazole dendrons in the order of G0DPP < G1DPP < G2DPP. Significantly, the use of G2DPP, showing the highest hole mobility, in an EL device yielded a strong and stable yellow emission peaked at 556 nm (CIE x, y color coordinates of (0.45, 0.53)) with a brightness of 3060 cd m-2, maximum luminous efficiency of 9.24 cd A-1 and a maximum EQE of 3.11%.

All-carbocycle hydrocarbon thermosets with high thermal stability and robust mechanical strength for low-k interlayer dielectrics

Two kinds of hydrocarbon precursors were synthesized and cured at elevated temperatures to give cross-linked all-aliphatic/aromatic-ring polymers with a low dielectric constant for next-generation interlayer dielectrics.

Solid state structure and properties of phenyl diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives

Crystal structures of the title compounds show diverse packing by interactions of auxochromes giving materials with varied optoelectronic properties.

Tuning the Optical Characteristics of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Molecules in the Solid State by Alkyl Side Chains

The optical properties of two sets of donor-acceptor-donor molecules with terminal bithiophene donor units and a central diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) acceptor unit are studied. The two sets differ in the alkyl chains on the DPP, which are either branched at the α-carbon (3-pentyl) (1-4) or linear (n-hexyl) (5-8). Within each set, the molecules differ by the absence or presence of n-hexyl chains on the terminal thiophene rings in the 3', 4', or 5' positions. While in solution, the optical spectra differ only subtly; they differ dramatically in the solid state. In contrast to 5-8, 1-4 are nonplanar as a consequence of the sterically demanding 3-pentyl groups, which inhibit π-stacking of the DPP units. Using the crystal structures of 2 (brick layer stacking) and 6 (slipped stacking), we quantitatively explain the solid state absorption spectra. By computing the molecular transition charge density and solving the dispersion relation, the optical absorption of the molecules in the crystal is predicted and in agreement with experiments. For 2, a single resonance frequency is obtained, while for 6 two transitions are seen, with the lower-energy transition being less intense. The results demonstrate how subtle changes in substitution exert large effects in optical properties.

Optoelectronic Property Modulation in Chiral Organic Semiconductor/Polymer Blends

Organic phototransistors (OPTs) have been widely used in biomedical sensing, optical communications, and imaging. Charge-trapping effect has been utilized as an effective strategy for enhancing their photoresponsivity by effectively decreasing the dark current. The combination of organic semiconductors (OSCs), especially chiral OSCs, with insulating polymers has rarely been carried out for optoelectronic applications. Here, we fabricated OPTs containing both enantiopure and racemic air-stable n-type perylene diimide derivatives, CPDI-CN2-C6, and insulating biopolymer polylactide (PLA) and evaluated their photoresponsive properties. The PLA-blended systems exhibited greatly enhanced optoelectronic performances owing to the intense charge-trapping effect. Interestingly, the racemic system showed 3 times higher electron mobility and 12 times higher specific detectivity (1.3 × 10¹³ jones) compared with the enantiopure systems due to the more aggregated morphologies and larger grains, indicating that chiral composition can be used as a tuning parameter in optoelectronic devices. Our systematic study provides a feasible and effective method for producing high-performance n-type OPTs under ambient conditions.

Molecular Semiconductors for Logic Operations: Dead-End or Bright Future?

The field of organic electronics has been prolific in the last couple of years, leading to the design and synthesis of several molecular semiconductors presenting a mobility in excess of 10 cm² V^-1 s^-1 . However, it is also started to recently falter, as a result of doubtful mobility extractions and reduced industrial interest. This critical review addresses the community of chemists and materials scientists to share with it a critical analysis of the best performing molecular semiconductors and of the inherent charge transport physics that takes place in them. The goal is to inspire chemists and materials scientists and to give them hope that the field of molecular semiconductors for logic operations is not engaged into a dead end. To the contrary, it offers plenty of research opportunities in materials chemistry.

From Homochiral Assembly to Heterochiral Assembly: A Leap in Charge Transport Properties of Binaphthol-Based Axially Chiral Materials

Chirality, as a fundamental symmetry property, plays an important role in molecular assembly in the solid state, impacting upon the properties and performance of organic materials. Here, heterochiral assembly was observed upon a binaphthol-based axially chiral material in the thin film state, where the heterochiral assemblies of racemic mixtures exhibit superior crystallization behavior and film morphologies than their homochiral counterparts. Additionally, a dramatic increase (nearly 2 orders of magnitudes) in electronic mobility was obtained upon switching the active layers of organic thin-film transistors from homochiral assemblies to heterochiral assemblies. This work not only gives insights into the structure-aggregation property relationships of axially chiral self-assemblies but also offers new opportunities for novel organic soft materials.

Impact of 2-Ethylhexyl Stereoisomers on the Electrical Performance of Single-Crystal Field-Effect Transistors

Many organic semiconductors (OSCs) inherit chiral alkyl chains, which ensure the desirable high solubility for solution-processing but may also lead to disorder, inhomogeneous film-formation, as well as interfacial defects due to the presence of mixtures of stereoisomers or diastereomers, which impair their peak performance. Here, single-crystal field-effect transistors (SCFETs) of a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based organic semiconductor with chiral 2-ethylhexyl substituents by sublimation in air and organic ribbon mask method are fabricated. Devices of the mesomer (R/S), both enantiomers (R/R, S/S), as well as mixtures of these three stereoisomers measured under ambient conditions exhibit all appreciable p-channel charge carrier mobilities of > 0.1 cm² V^-1 s^-1 despite different packing arrangement in the R/S, R/R (or S/S), and racemate crystal structures. These results suggest a surprising tolerance for isomeric impurities. The highest literature-reported p-channel mobility so far for a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based OSC of 3.4 cm² V^-1 s^-1 (I_on /I_off of 1 × 10⁶ ) is, however, only obtained for the pure R/S mesomer, illustrating the inherent potential of stereochemical purity. These results on SCFETs are further substantiated by studies on organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) of pure and mixed thin films of the different stereoisomers.

Unravelling the Self-Assembly of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Photovoltaic Molecules

The nanostructure of bulk heterojunction in an organic solar cell dominating the electron transport process plays an important role in improving the device efficiency. However, there is still a great need for further understanding the local nanostructures from the viewpoint of molecular design because of the complex alignment in the solid film. In this work, four kinds of photovoltaic materials containing a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) unit combined with other different building blocks were selected and their self-assembled structures on a solid surface were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy technique in combination with theory calculations. The results reveal these DPP-based photovoltaic molecules self-assembled into different nanostructures, which strongly depend on the chemical structure, in particular the backbones and alkyl side chains. The planarities of backbones are affected both by molecule-substrate interaction and steric hindrance induced by the substituted thiophene or benzo[ b]thiophene units on DPP and porphyrin building blocks. The substituted branched alkyl side chains are out of the plane, which are influenced by the alignments of molecular backbones. In addition, the solution concentration also shows a large effect on the self-assembled nanostructures. This systematic research on the self-assembled structures of DPP-based semiconductors on a surface would provide guidance for designing materials and controlling the morphology of a donor/acceptor heterojunction system.

Impact of Optical Purity on the Light Harvesting Property in Supramolecular Nanofibers

Supramolecular ordering and orientation of chromophores are tremendously accomplished in photosynthetic light harvesting complexes, which are crucial for long-range transfer of collected solar energy. We herein demonstrate the importance of optical purity on the organization of chromophoric chiral molecules for efficient energy migration. Enantiomeric bichromophoric compounds, which self-assemble into nanofibers capable of chiral recognition, were mixed to form supramolecular coassemblies with variable enantiopurity. The chiral molecules self-assembled into extended fibers regardless of enantiopurity, while their morphology was dependent on the enantiomeric excess. The optical purity of assemblies also had an effect on the emission efficiency; the nanofibers with higher enantiomeric excess afforded a larger emission quantum yield. The presence of an opposite enantiomer is considered to deteriorate the chiral molecular packing suitable for directional growth of the nanofiber, efficient exciton migration, and chiral guest recognition.

Melt-processing of small molecule organic photovoltaics via bulk heterojunction compatibilization

Melt-processing of organic semiconductors (OSCs) is a promising environmentally-friendly technique that can alleviate dependence on toxic chlorinated solvents. While melt-processed single-component OSC devices (e.g. field-effect-transistors) have been demonstrated, multi-component bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) remain a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy that affords tunable BHJ phase segregation and domain sizes from a single-phase homogeneous melt by employing strongly-crystalline small-molecule OSCs together with a customized molecular compatibilizing (MCP) additive. An optimized photoactive BHJ with 50 wt% MCP achieved a device power conversion efficiency of ca. 1% after melting the active layer at 240 °C (15 min, followed by slow cooling) before deposition of the top electrode. BHJ morphology characterization using atomic force and Kelvin probe microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photo-luminescence measurements further demonstrate the trade-off between free charge generation and transport with respect to MCP loading in the BHJ. In addition, a functional OPV was also obtained from the melt-processing of dispersed micron-sized solid BHJ particles into a smooth and homogeneous thin-film by using the MCP approach. These results demonstrate that molecular compatibilization is a key prerequisite for further developments towards true solvent-free melt-processed BHJ OPV systems.

Langmuir-Blodgett Thin Films of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Amphiphiles

We report on two π-conjugated donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) molecules of amphiphilic nature, aiming to promote intermolecular ordering and carrier mobility in organic electronic devices. Diketopyrrolopyrrole was selected as the acceptor moiety that was disubstituted with nonpolar and polar functional groups, thereby providing the amphiphilic structures. This structural design resulted in materials with a strong intermolecular order in the solid state, which was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of ordered mono- and multilayers were transferred onto glass and silicon substrates, with layer quality, coverage, and intermolecular order controlled by layer compression pressure on the LB trough. Organic field-effect transistors and organic photovoltaics devices with active layers consisting of the amphiphilic conjugated D-A-D-type molecules were constructed to demonstrate that the LB technique is an effective layer-by-layer deposition approach to fabricate self-assembled, ordered thin films.

From Linear to Angular Isomers: Achieving Tunable Charge Transport in Single-Crystal Indolocarbazoles Through Delicate Synergetic CH/NH⋅⋅⋅π Interactions

Weak intermolecular interaction in organic semiconducting molecular crystals plays an important role in molecular packing and electronic properties. Here, four five-ring-fused isomers were rationally designed and synthesized to investigate the isomeric influence of linear and angular shapes in affecting their molecular packing and resultant electronic properties. Single-crystal field-effect transistors showed mobility order of 5,7-ICZ (3.61 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ) >5,11-ICZ (0.55 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ) >11,12-ICZ (ca. 10^-5  cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ) and 5,12-ICZ (ca. 10^-6  cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ). Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and polaron transport model revealed that 5,7-ICZ can reach higher mobilities than the others thanks to relatively higher hole transfer integral that links to stronger intermolecular interaction due to the presence of multiple NH⋅⋅⋅π and CH⋅⋅⋅π(py) interactions with energy close to common NH⋅⋅⋅N hydrogen bonds, as well as overall lower hole-vibrational coupling owing to the absence of coupling of holes to low frequency modes due to better π conjugation.

Influences of Conjugation Length on Organic Field-Effect Transistor Performances and Thin Film Structures of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Oligomers

Here, two diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based oligomers, DPP-4T and DPP-6T, are studied to reveal the influences of conjugation length on thin-film morphology and organic field-effect transistor (OFET) performances. PDMS-assisted crystallization in a solvent-annealing chamber is applied to prepare crystal arrays of DPP-4T and DPP-6T to optimize the quality of charge channels for OFET characterizations. To deliver insights into microstructure and morphology of thin films, a characterization procedure for determining molecular packing in thin film and crystallinity of the crystal arrays is presented via grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, electron diffraction, and lattice simulation software package (Cerius2). With the lattice parameters derived from analyses of grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and electron diffraction (ED), the lattice modeling results indicate that the inferior organic field-effect transistor (OFET) performances of DPP-6T are attributed to longer π-stacking distance. Also, less-ordered molecular arrangement and lower continuity of crystalline domains, both of which are revealed from crystallinity results, lead to lower mobility of DPP-6T. In this case, longer conjugated backbones with more conformational degrees of freedom thus cause inherent crystal defects during the crystal growth process, despite the potential to enhance intermolecular π-orbital overlap. Therefore, to achieve better OFET performance, suitable backbone length makes conjugated oligomers give high intermolecular π-orbital overlap and low density of structural disorder, which are the priorities for constructing good charge channel.

Emergent Properties of an Organic Semiconductor Driven by its Molecular Chirality

Chiral molecules exist as pairs of nonsuperimposable mirror images; a fundamental symmetry property vastly underexplored in organic electronic devices. Here, we show that organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) made from the helically chiral molecule 1-aza[6]helicene can display up to an 80-fold difference in hole mobility, together with differences in thin-film photophysics and morphology, solely depending on whether a single handedness or a 1:1 mixture of left- and right-handed molecules is employed under analogous fabrication conditions. As the molecular properties of either mirror image isomer are identical, these changes must be a result of the different bulk packing induced by chiral composition. Such underlying structures are investigated using crystal structure prediction, a computational methodology rarely applied to molecular materials, and linked to the difference in charge transport. These results illustrate that chirality may be used as a key tuning parameter in future device applications.

Enhancing the Thermal Stability of Solution-Processed Small-Molecule Semiconductor Thin Films Using a Flexible Linker Approach

Using flexible aliphatic chains to link conjugated molecular semiconductors affords a polymeric material that possesses defined conjugated segments but extended covalent connectivity, which enhances crystallinity and thermal stability in field-effect transistors and bulk heterojunction solar-cell devices when used as an additive.

Improving Photovoltaic Performance of the Linear A-Ar-A-type Small Molecules with Diketopyrropyrrole Arms by Tuning the Linkage Position of the Anthracene Core

Two isomeric A-Ar-A-type small molecules of DPP2An(9,10) and DPP2An(2,6), were synthesized with two acceptor arms of diketopyrropyrroles (DPP) and a planar aryl hydrocarbon core of the different substituted anthracene (An), respectively. Their thermal stability, crystallinity, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic performances were investigated. Significantly red-shifted absorption profile and higher HOMO level were observed for the DPP2An(2,6) with 2,6-substituted anthracene relative to the DPP2An(9,10) with 9,10-substituted anthracene, as the former exhibited better planarity and a larger conjugate system. As a result, the solution-processing solar cells based on DPP2An(2,6) and PC71BM (w/w,1:1) displayed remarkably increased power conversion efficiency of 5.44% and short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 11.90 mA/cm(2) under 1% 1,8-diiodooctane additive. The PCE and Jsc values were 3.7 and 2.9 times those of the optimized DPP2An(9,10)-based cells, respectively. This work demonstrates that changing the linkage position of the anthracene core in the A-Ar-A-type SMs can strongly improve the photovoltaic properties in organic solar cells.

Synthesis, optical properties, and electronic structures of nucleobase-containing π-conjugated oligomers

The molecular recognition properties of the nucleobases instruct the formation of complex three-dimensional architectures in natural and synthetic systems; relatively unexplored is their use as building blocks for π-conjugated materials where they might mutually tune electronic and supramolecular structures. Toward this goal, an introductory set (1a-d and 2a-d) of six purine-terminated and two pyrimidine-terminated π-conjugated oligomers has been synthesized and used to develop experimental electronic and photophysical structure-property trends. Unlike 2,2':5',2″-terthiophene (TTT) derivatives 2a-d, intramolecular charge transfer dominates oligomers 1a-d bearing a 4,7-bisthienylbenzothiadiazole (TBT) spacer due to the strong electron-accepting ability of its benzothiadiazole (BTD) ring. The resulting donor-acceptor-donor systems feature lower HOMO-LUMO gaps than the terthiophene-linked nucleobases (ΔE(g) ∼ 1.8 eV vs 2.4 eV based on electrochemical measurements), and the lowest so far for π-conjugated molecules that include nucleobases within the π-framework. Experiments reveal a dependence of photophysical and electronic structure on the nature of the nucleobase and are in good agreement with theoretical calculations performed at the B3LYP/6-31+G** level. Overall, the results show how nucleobase heterocycles can be installed within π-systems to tune optical and electronic properties. Future work will evaluate the consequences of these information-rich components on supramolecular π-conjugated structure.

Thiophene-based push–pull chromophores for small molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs)

A concise review on small molecules organic solar cells based on π-conjugated thiophene scaffolds.

Polymorphism of Crystalline Molecular Donors for Solution-Processed Organic Photovoltaics

Using ab initio calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations coupled to complementary experimental characterization, four molecular semiconductors were investigated in vacuum, solution, and crystalline form. Independently, the molecules can be described as nearly isostructural, yet in crystalline form, two distinct crystal systems are observed with characteristic molecular geometries. The minor structural variations provide a platform to investigate the subtlety of simple substitutions, with particular focus on polymorphism and rotational isomerism. Resolved crystal structures offer an exact description of intermolecular ordering in the solid state. This enables evaluation of molecular binding energy in various crystallographic configurations to fully rationalize observed crystal packing on a basis of first-principle calculations of intermolecular interactions.

Organic soluble and uniform film forming oligoethylene glycol substituted BODIPY small molecules with improved hole mobility

A propeller type donor imparts organic solubility to oligoethylene glycol substituted conjugated small molecules. The oligoethylene glycol facilitates better intermolecular contacts and improved organic field effect transistor efficiency.