Pentacene-Based Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Dyads with Cofacial Solid-State π-Stacking

Anthracene-Pentacene Dyads: Synthesis and OFET Characterization

The synthesis of a series of unsymmetrical derivatives of pentacene appended with functionalized anthracene moieties is reported. These anthracene-pentacene dyads have been characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry to examine their electronic properties. X-ray crystallographic analysis was used to examine the solid-state features of anthracene-pentacene dyads 1 a-d with H-, F-, Cl-, and Br- substituents on the 9-position of anthracene, and shows that the packing arrangement of anthracene-pentacene derivatives 1 b,d,e are remarkably similar irrespective of the presence of fluoride, bromide or methyl substituents. The pentacene-anthracene dyads have been incorporated into OTFTs to evaluate their semiconducting properties. The pentacene derivative 1 b shows ambipolar behavior using AlO_x C₁₄ PA as the gate dielectric (electron and hole mobilities of 7.6 ⋅ 10^-3 and 1.6 ⋅ 10^-1  cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ), while performance of all derivatives was poor using p-doped Silicon as the substrate. These studies highlight the importance of thin-film formation over molecular structure.

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Derivatives of Pentacene for Materials Applications

Pentacene shows unique electronic properties that have long been appreciated and exploited. Over the past 20 years, new synthetic schemes have been developed to address some of the problems encountered with pristine pentacene (e.g., stability and solubility), and pentacene derivatives have become a mainstay in the realm of organic semiconductors in applications such as organic light-emitting diodes, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and organic photovoltaics. At the onset of our work, the vast majority of known pentacene derivatives featured a symmetrical structure, often as the result of synthetic protocols that rely on nucleophilic additions to 6,13-pentacenequinone (PQ). The assembly of pentacenes featuring an unsymmetrical framework held great appeal, but the stepwise formation of derivatives, in which a specific function might be incorporated through each individual addition step, did not exist. This Account presents contributions from our lab and others to the synthesis and study of unsymmetrical pentacene derivatives. PQ offers an ideal platform for desymmetrization through the sequential addition of nucleophiles to each of the two ketone groups. Addition can be completed in a one-pot protocol, or through individual steps in which the product of the first addition is isolated and used as a precursor in the divergent synthesis of a series of structurally related molecules. This general approach has been used to assemble pentacene derivatives appended with alkynyl/aryl/alkyl groups, polarized frameworks via substitution with donor and/or acceptor groups, and conjugated oligomers linked by butadiynyl moieties. Stepwise substitution also provides derivatives with remarkable functionality, including pentacene-porphyrin dyads, pendent TEMPO free radicals, cyanoacrylic acid anchor groups (for incorporation into dye-sensitized solar cells), and derivatives with ambipolar behavior for OFET devices. The study of intramolecular singlet fission (iSF) has emerged as one of the most fruitful applications of unsymmetrical pentacene derivatives. SF involves the spontaneous splitting of a photoexcited singlet state (S₁) in one chromophore into a pair of triplets (T₁) shared with a neighboring chromophore. Pentacene derivatives are particularly well suited for this since E(S₁) ≥ 2E(T₁) satisfies the thermodynamic requirements for SF, and they have the additional feature that two chromophores can be tethered together by a "spacer" that allows spectroscopic studies of iSF to be done in dilute solution. From a synthetic perspective, the major advantage of the dimeric structure is the ability to modify the spacer, which allows for control over the distance, geometric relationship, and electronic coupling between the two pentacene groups. Dimeric pentacenes are central to providing an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of SF, often providing advances not possible from measurements in the solid state.

An Ethynylene-Bridged Pentacene Dimer: Two-Step Synthesis and Charge-Transport Properties

A rigid and planar ethynylene-bridged pentacene dimer (PenD) was synthesized from pentacenequinone in two steps, skipping the conventional stepwise approach. A brickwork motif in the single crystal shows two-dimensionally extended electronic interaction in the solid state. Highly crystalline dip-coated films exhibited average hole mobility of 0.24 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 , comparable to that of the single-crystal organic field-effect transistors. This discovery and understanding of the reaction for the facile synthesis of ethynylene-bridged π-conjugated systems enables to the synthesis of a wide range of organic semiconducting materials.

Reductive Aromatization/Dearomatization and Elimination Reactions to Access Conjugated Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Heteroacenes, and Cumulenes

Acenes, heteroacenes, conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (collectively referred to in this review as conjugated polycyclic molecules, CPMs) have fascinated chemists since they were first isolated and synthesized in the mid 19th century. Most recently, these compounds have shown significant promise as the active components in organic devices (e.g., solar cells, thin-film transistors, light-emitting diodes, etc.), and, since 2001, a plethora of publications detail synthetic strategies to produce CPMs. In this review, we discuss reductive aromatization, reductive dearomatization, and elimination/extrusion reactions used to form CPMs. After a brief discussion on early methods to synthesize CPMs, we detail the use of reagents used for the reductive (de)aromatization of precursors containing 1,4-diols/diethers, including SnCl₂ and iodide (I^- ). Extension of these methods to carbomers and cumulenes is briefly discussed. We then describe low-valent metal species used to reduce endoxides to CPMs, and discuss the methods to directly reduce acenediones and acenones to the respective acene. In the final section, we describe methods used to affect aromatization to the desired CPM via extrusion of small, volatile molecules.

Synthesis, physical properties, and chemistry of donor–acceptor-substituted pentacenes

Pentacenes bearing electron-donating and (or) -withdrawing groups, namely methoxy-, dialkylamino-, and nitroaryl moieties, are synthesized to afford polarized pentacenes. The optical, electrochemical, and chemical properties of these derivatives are explored. The cycloaddition reaction of selected derivatives with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) is explored, and the experimental results are rationalized on the basis calculations using density functional theory (DFT). X-ray crystallographic data provides insight into the molecular structure and intermolecular interactions present in the solid state.

Gold-Catalyzed Cyclization of Furan-Ynes bearing a Propargyl Carbonate Group: Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reaction with In Situ Generated Allenes

Gold-catalyzed cyclization of various furan-ynes with a propargyl carbonate or ester moiety results in the formation of a series of polycyclic aromatic ring systems. The reactions can be rationalized through a tandem gold-catalyzed 3,3-rearrangement of the propargyl carboxylate moiety in furan-yne substrates to form an allenic intermediate, which is followed by an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of furan and subsequent ring-opening of the oxa-bridged cycloadduct. It was found that the steric and electronic properties of phosphine ligands on the gold catalyst had a significant impact on the reaction outcome. In the case of 1,5-furan-yne, the cleavage of the oxa-bridge in the cycloadduct with concomitant 1,2-migration of the R(1) group occurs to furnish anthracen-1(2H)-ones bearing a quaternary carbon center. For 1,4-furan-yne, a facile aromatization of the cycloadduct takes place to give 9-oxygenated anthracene derivatives.

Pentacene based Onsager crosses

A dearomatization/aromatization strategy accesses the tetrahedral (crosslike) pentacene tetramer (tetrakis(4-((6,13-bis(TIPS-ethynyl)pentacen-2-yl)ethynyl)phenyl)silane). This molecular caltrop and one of its derivatives form amorphous thin films, demonstrating the impact of the 3D-tetramerization on the bulk morphology of the otherwise crystalline TIPS-pentacene.

Crystal structure of ({4-[(4-bromo-phen-yl)ethyn-yl]-3,5-di-ethyl-phen-yl}ethyn-yl)triiso-propyl-silane

The title compound, C29H37BrSi, was synthesized by the Sonogashira coupling of [(3,5-diethyl-4-ethynylphen-yl)ethyn-yl]triiso-propyl-silane with 4-bromo-1-iodo-benzene. In the structure, the two phenyl rings are nearly parallel to each other with a dihedral angle of 4.27 (4)°. In the crystal, π-π inter-actions between the terminal and central phenyl rings of adjacent mol-ecules link them in the a-axis direction [perpendicular distance = 3.5135 (14); centroid-centroid distance = 3.7393 (11) Å]. In addition, there are weak C-H⋯π inter-actions between the isopropyl H atoms and the phenyl rings of adjacent mol-ecules.

A new synthetic route to substituted tetracenes and pentacenes via stereoselective [4+2] cycloadditions of 1,4-dihydro-1,4-epoxynaphthalene and isobenzofuran

Substituted tetracene and pentacene were efficiently prepared by stereoselective [4+2] cycloadditions of 1,4-dihydro-1,4-epoxynaphthalenes and isobenzofurans.

Aryl substitution of pentacenes

A series of 11 new pentacene derivatives has been synthesized, with unsymmetrical substitution based on a trialkylsilylethynyl group at the 6-position and various aryl groups appended to the 13-position. The electronic and physical properties of the new pentacene chromophores have been analyzed by UV–vis spectroscopy (solution and thin films), thermoanalytical methods (DSC and TGA), cyclic voltammetry, as well as X-ray crystallography (for 8 derivatives). X-ray crystallography has been specifically used to study the influence of unsymmetrical substitution on the solid-state packing of the pentacene derivatives. The obtained results add to our ability to better predict substitution patterns that might be helpful for designing new semiconductors for use in solid-state devices.

Influence of spiral framework on nonlinear optical materials

A series of spiral donor-π-acceptor frameworks (i.e. 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5) based on 4-nitrophenyldiphenylamine with π-conjugated linear acenes (naphthalenes, anthracenes, tetracenes, and pentacenes) serving as the electron donor and nitro (NO2 ) groups serving as the electron acceptor were designed to investigate the relationships between the nonlinear optical (NLO) responses and the spirality in the frameworks. A parameter denoted as D was defined to describe the extent of the spiral framework. The D value reached its maximum if the number of NO2 groups was equal to the number of fused benzene rings contained in the linear acene. A longer 4-nitrophenyldiphenylamine chain led to a larger D value and, further, to a larger first hyperpolarizability. Different from traditional NLO materials with charge transfer occurring in the one-dimensional direction, charge transfer in 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5 occur in three-dimensional directions due to the attractive spiral frameworks, and this is of great importance in the design of NLO materials. The origin of such an enhancement in the NLO properties of these spiral frameworks was explained with the aid of molecular orbital analysis.

Facile Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed generation and successive aromatization of isobenzofuran from o-dicarbonylbenzenes

Isobenzofuran can be prepared from o-phthalaldehyde using hydrosilane. The formed isobenzofuran is trapped by an alkene via a Diels-Alder reaction. Further dehydration proceeds to furnish the conjugated aromatic compound. This multistep reaction was promoted by catalytic amounts of Sc(OTf)(3).

Unsymmetrical diimine chelation to M(II) (M=Zn, Cd, Pd): atropisomerism, pi-pi stacking and photoluminescence

Three types of atropisomeric unsymmetrical diimine complexes, tetrahedral (L(R)(Φ))MX(2) (M = Zn, Cd; X = Cl, Br; R = Me, CMe(3), OH, OMe, Cl; 1a-k, type-I), tetrahedral (L(Me2)(Φ))ZnBr(2) (2, type-II) and square planar (L(OH)(ϕ))PdCl(2) (3, type-III) with different photoluminescence properties, have been reported (L(R)(Φ) = (E)-4-R-N-(pyridine-2-ylmethylene)aniline; Φ = dihedral angle between the diimine unit including the pyridine ring and the phenyl ring planes). In crystals, Φ = 0° for type-I, 90° for type-II and 63° for type-III atropisomers have been confirmed by single crystal X-ray structure determinations of 1c, 1e, 2 and 3·H(2)O isomers. Optimizations of geometries in methanol have established Φ = 28-32° for type-I, 90.83° for type-II and 43.44° for type-III isomers. In solids, type-I atropisomers with Φ = 0, behave as conjugated 14πe systems facilitating π-π stacking and are brightly luminescent at room temperature while type-II and type-III isomers in solid and type-I isomers in solutions are more like non-conjugated 8πe + 6πe systems and non-emissive. Frozen glasses of acetonitrile, methanol and dichloromethane-toluene mixture at 77 K of type-I isomers are emissive and display structured excitation and emission spectra for R = Me, CMe(3), OMe species. Excitation and emission maxima of frozen glasses (λ(ex) = 320-380 nm; λ(em) = 440-485 nm) are red shifted in the solid (λ(ex) = 390-455 nm; λ(em) = 470-550 nm). TD-DFT calculations on 1b, 1d, 1f and stacked (1b)(2) isomers and luminescence lifetime measurements have elucidated that an excited (1)ILCT state has been the origin of emission of the type-I isomers and delocalizations of the photoactive π(diimine) and π(diimine)(*) orbitals of the L(R)(Φ) over the stacked layers shift the λ(ext) and λ(em) of solids to lower energies than those in frozen glasses. The trends of diimine ligand based electron transfer events of the complexes in DMF have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry at 298 K.

Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers Based on Anthracene, Tetracene, Pentacene, Naphthodithiophene, and Anthradithiophene Building Blocks

Acene derivatives provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Recent synthetic achievements have provided several oligomers and polymers based on acene building blocks of varied structural motifs, including anthracene, tetracene, pentacene, as well as naphtho- and anthradithiophene. This report highlights recent work in this area, particularly for the higher acenes tetracene, pentacene, and anthradithiophene. When possible, the properties of defined-length oligomers are compared and contrasted to those of mono- and polymeric systems.

Oligomers and Polymers Based on Pentacene Building Blocks

Functionalized pentacene derivatives continue to provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Although oligomers and polymers based on pentacene building blocks remain quite rare, recent synthetic achievements have provided a number of examples with varied structural motifs. This review highlights recent work in this area and, when possible, contrasts the properties of defined-length pentacene oligomers to those of mono- and polymeric systems.