Synthesis of Ladder-Type Thienoacenes and Their Electronic and Optical Properties

Ambipolar conjugated ladder polymers by room-temperature Knoevenagel polymerization

Two soluble conjugated ladder polymers (cLPs), decorated with multiple electron-poor species (i.e., cyano groups, fused pentagons, and N-heterocyclic rings), have been synthesized from the newly developed tetraketo-functionalized double aza[5]helicene building blocks using a single-step Knoevenagel polycondensation strategy. This facile approach features mild conditions (e.g., room temperature) and high efficiency, allowing us to quickly access a nonalternant ladder-like conjugated system with the in situ formation of multicyano substituents in the backbone. Analysis by 1H NMR, FT-Raman, and FT-IR spectra confirms the successful synthesis of the resulting cLPs. The combination of theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations reveals that the slightly contorted geometry coupled with a random assignment of trans- and cis-isomeric repeating units in each main chain contributes to improving the solubility of such rigid, multicyano nanoribbon systems. Apart from outstanding thermal stability, the resulting cLPs exhibit attractive red fluorescence, excellent redox properties, and strong π-π interactions coupled with orderly face-on packing in their thin-film states. They are proven to be the first example of ambipolar cLPs that show satisfactory hole and electron mobilities of up to 0.01 and 0.01 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. As we demonstrate, the Knoevenagel polycondensation chemistries open a new window to create complex and unique ladder-like nanoribbon systems under mild reaction conditions that are otherwise challenging to achieve.

Tethered Helical Ladder-Type Aromatic Lactams

Tethered nonplanar aromatics (TNAs) make up an important class of nonplanar aromatic compounds showing unique features. However, the knowledge on the synthesis, structures, and properties of TNAs remains insufficient. In this work, a new type of TNAs, the tethered aromatic lactams, is synthesized via Pd-catalyzed consecutive intramolecular direct arylations. These molecules possess a helical ladder-type conjugated system of up to 13 fused rings. The overall yields ranged from 3.4 to 4.3%. The largest of the tethered aromatic lactams, 6L-Bu-C14, demonstrates a guest-adaptive hosting capability of TNAs for the first time. When binding fullerene guests, the cavity of 6L-Bu-C14 became more circular to better accommodate spherical fullerene molecules. The host-guest interaction is thoroughly studied by X-ray crystallography, theoretical calculations, fluorescence titration, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titration experiments. 6L-Bu-C14 shows stronger binding with C70 than with C60 due to the better convex-concave π-π interaction. P and M enantiomers of all tethered aromatic lactams show distinct and persistent chiroptical properties and demonstrate the potential of chiral TNAs as circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) emitters.

An n-Type All-Fused-Ring Molecule with Photoresponse to 1000 nm for Highly Sensitive Near-Infrared Photodetector

Most of all-fused-ring π-conjugated molecules have wide or medium bandgap and show photo response in the visible range. In this work, an all-fused-ring n-type molecule, which exhibits an ultrasmall optical bandgap of 1.22 eV and strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption with an onset absorption wavelength of 1013 nm is reported. The molecule consists of 14 aromatic rings and has electron donor-acceptor characteristics. It exhibits excellent n-type properties with low-lying HOMO/LUMO energy levels of -5.48 eV/-3.95 eV and high electron mobility of 7.0 × 10^-4  cm²  V^-1  s^-1 . Most importantly, its thin film exhibits a low trap density of 5.55 × 10¹⁶  cm^-3 because of the fixed molecular conformation and consequently low conformation disorder. As a result, organic photodetector (OPD) based on the compound exhibits a remarkably low dark current density (J_d ) of 2.01 × 10^-10  A cm^-2 at 0 V. The device shows a shot-noise-limited specific detectivity (D_sh *) of exceeding 10¹³  Jones at 400-1000 nm wavelength region with a peak specific detectivity of 4.65 × 10¹³  Jones at 880 nm. This performance is among the best reported for self-powered NIR OPDs.

Periphery Fusion Strategy of a Carbazole-Based Macrocycle toward Coplanar N-Heterocycloarene for High-Mobility Single-Crystal Transistors

Designing (hetero)cycloarenes through the modifications of the π-topology and molecular packing of organic semiconductors has recently garnered considerable attention. However, their applications as an organic active layer in field-effect transistors are very limited, and the obtained hole carrier mobilities are less than 1 cm² V^-1 s^-1 . In this work, a novel alkyl-substituted coplanar N-heterocycloarene (FM-C4) containing four carbazole units is successfully synthesized in crystalline form. As compared to the corresponding single-bond-linked carbazole-based macrocycle M-C4, it is found that the periphery fusion strategy greatly changes the electronic structures, energy levels, photophysical properties, host-guest interactions with fullerenes, and molecular crystal stacking motifs. In particular, the fully fused N-heterocycloarene FM-C4 exhibits a herringbone packing structure with an unusual long-range π-π overlap distance as low as 3.19 Å, whereas the single crystal of M-C4 demonstrates no π-π interactions. As a consequence, FM-C4 in single-crystal transistors displays the highest hole mobility of 2.06 cm² V^-1 s^-1 , significantly outperforming M-C4 and all the reported (hetero)cycloarenes and suggesting the high potential of (hetero)cycloarenes for organic electronic applications.

Fluorination Enhances NIR-II Emission and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency of Phototheranostic Agents for Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapy

Phototheranostics with second near-infrared (NIR-II) imaging and photothermal effect have become a burgeoning biotechnology for tumor diagnosis and precise treatment. As important parameters of phototheranostic agents (PTAs), fluorescence quantum yield (QY) and photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) are usually considered as a pair of contradictions that is difficult to be simultaneously enhanced. Herein, a fluorination strategy for designing A-D-A type PTAs with synchronously improved QY and PCE is proposed. Experimental results show that the molar extinction coefficient (ε), NIR-II QY, and PCE of all fluorinated PTAs nanoparticles (NPs) are definitely improved compared with the chlorinated counterparts. Theoretical calculation results demonstrate that fluorination can maximize the electrostatic potential difference by virtue of the high electronegativity of fluorine, which may increase intra/intermolecular D-A interactions, tighten molecule packing, and further promote the increase of ε, ultimately leading to simultaneously enhanced QY and PCE. In these PTA NPs, FY6-NPs display NIR-II emission extended to 1400 nm with the highest NIR-II QY (4.2%) and PCE (80%). These features make FY6-NPs perform well in high-resolution imaging of vasculature and NIR-II imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors. This study develops a valuable guideline for constructing NIR-II organic PTAs with high performance.

Thiazole fused S,N-heteroacene step-ladder polymeric semiconductors for organic transistors

Ladder-type thiazole-fused S,N-heteroacenes with an extended π-conjugation consisting of six (SN6-Tz) and nine (SN9-Tz) fused aromatic rings have been synthesized and fully characterized. To date, the synthesis of well-defined fused building blocks and polymers of π-conjugated organic compounds based on the thiazole moiety is a considerable synthetic challenge, due to the difficulty in their synthesis. Acceptor-donor building blocks M1 and M2 were successfully polymerized into ladder homopolymers P1-P2 and further copolymerized with a diketopyrrolopyrrole unit to afford step-ladder copolymer P3. The optical, electronic, and thermal properties, in addition to their charge transport behavior in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), were investigated. The results showed an interesting effect on the molecular arrangement of the thiazole-based ladder-type heteroacene in the crystal structure revealing skewed π-π-stacking, and expected to possess better p-type semiconducting performance. The polymers all possess good molecular weights and excellent thermal properties. All the polymer-based OTFT devices exhibit annealing temperature dependent performance, and among the polymers P3 exhibits the highest mobility of 0.05 cm2 V-1 s-1.

Molecular tetrominoes: selective masking of the donor π-face to control the configuration of donor-acceptor complexes

Understanding the doping mechanism in organic semiconductors and generating molecular design rules to control the doping process are crucial for improving the performance of organic electronics. Even though controlling the location and orientation of the dopant along the semiconductor backbone is an important step in the doping mechanism, studies in this direction are scarce as it is a challenging task. To address this, herein, we incorporated π-face masked (strapped) units in 1,4-bis(phenylethynylene)benzene (donor) to control the acceptor (dopant) location along the trimer, donor-acceptor binding strength, and acceptor ionization. Two strapped trimers, PCP and CPC, are synthesized with control over the location of the strapped repeat unit in the trimer. The trimers are complexed with the 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) acceptor in solution. DFT calculations show that DDQ residing on the non-strapped repeat unit (the percentage of this configuration is at least ca. 73%) has the highest binding energy for both PCP and CPC. The percentage of dopant ionization is higher in the case of strapped trimers (PCP and CPC) compared to that of linear control trimers (PLP and LPL) and the completely non-strapped (PPP) trimer. The percentage of dopant ionization increased by 15 and 59% in the case of PCP and CPC respectively compared to that of PPP.

Synthesis of bent-shaped π-extended thienoacenes from 2,5-distannylated 3,4-dialkynethiophene

Bent-shaped thienoacenes show promise as next-generation organic semiconductors. Here we present the synthesis of an air-stable, pure and easily scalable thiophene precursor, 2,5-distannylated-3,4-dialkyne thiophene, starting from 3,4-dialkyne thiophene in quantitative yields. This precursor has been used for the synthesis of a versatile class of syn-thienoacenes comprising up to 13 fused rings, helical acenes and donor-acceptor acenes.

Electron-Deficient Polycyclic π-System Fused with Multiple B←N Coordinate Bonds

An extensive polycyclic π-system with 23 fused rings is synthesized via a highly efficient borylation reaction, in which four B-N covalent bonds and four B←N coordinate bonds are formed in one pot. B←N coordinate bonds not only lock the backbone into a near-coplanar conformation but also decrease the LUMO energy level to around -3.82 eV, demonstrating the dual utility of this strategy for the synthesis of extensive rigid polycyclic molecules and the development of n-type conjugated materials for organic electronics and organic photovoltaics.

Method for the Large-Scale Synthesis of Multifunctional 1,4-Dihydro-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles

A thorough investigation has enabled the optimization of the synthesis of 1,4-dihydro-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles. Although salts of such metals as vanadium, niobium, cerium, and manganese were found to facilitate the formation of 1,4-dihydro-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles from amines, aldehydes, and diacetyl, we confirmed that iron salts are the most efficient catalysts. The conditions identified (first step: toluene/AcOH = 1:1, 1 h, 50 °C; second step: toluene/AcOH = 1:1, Fe(ClO₄)₃·H₂O, 16 h, 50 °C) resulted in the formation of tetraarylpyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles in a 6–69% yield. For the first time, very electron-rich substituents (4-Me₂NC₆H₄, 3-(OH)C₆H₄, pyrrol-2-yl) originating from aldehydes and sterically hindered substituents (2-ClC₆H₄, 2-BrC₆H₄, 2-CNC₆H₄, 2-(CO₂Me)C₆H₄, 2-(TMS-C≡C)C₆H₄) present on anilines can be appended to the pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole core. It is now also possible to prepare 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles bearing an ordered arrangement of N-substituents and C-substituents ranging from coumarin, quinoline, phthalimide to truxene. These advances in scope enable independent regulations of many desired photophysical properties, including the Stokes shift value and emission color ranging from violet-blue through deep blue, green, yellow to red. Simultaneously, the optimized conditions have finally allowed the synthesis of these extremely promising heterocycles in amounts of more than 10 g per run without a concomitant decrease in yield or product contamination. Empowered with better functional group compatibility, novel derivatization strategies were developed.

The hetero-Friedel-Crafts-Bradsher Cyclizations with Formation of Ring Carbon-Heteroatom (P, S) Bonds, Leading to Organic Functional Materials

The interest in functional materials possessing improved properties led to development of new methods of their synthesis, which allowed to obtain new molecular arrangements with carbon and heteroatom motifs. Two of the classical reactions of versatile use are the Friedel-Crafts and the Bradsher reactions, which in the new heteroatomic versions allow to replace ring carbon atoms by heteroatoms. In the present work, we review methods of synthesis of C-S and C-P bonds utilizing thia- and phospha-Friedel-Crafts-Bradsher cyclizations. Single examples of C-As and lack of C-Se bond formation, involving two of the closest neighbors of P and S in the periodic table, have also been noted. Applications of the obtained π-conjugated molecules, mainly as semiconducting materials, flame retardants, and resins hardeners, designed on the basis of five- and six-membered cyclic molecules containing ring phosphorus and sulfur atoms, are also included. This comprehensive review covers literature up to August 2020.

Activating intramolecular singlet exciton fission by altering π-bridge flexibility in perylene diimide trimers for organic solar cells

In this study, two analogous perylene diimide (PDI) trimers, whose structures show rotatable single bond π-bridge connection (twisted) vs. rigid/fused π-bridge connection (planar), were synthesized and investigated. We show via time resolved spectroscopic measurements how the π-bridge connections in A-π-D-π-A-π-D-π-A multichromophoric PDI systems strongly affect the triplet yield and triplet formation rate. In the planar compound, with stronger intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character, triplet formation occurs via conventional intersystem crossing. However, clear evidence of efficient and fast intramolecular singlet exciton fission (iSEF) is observed in the twisted trimer compound with weaker ICT character. Multiexciton triplet generation and separation occur in the twisted (flexible-bridged) PDI trimer, where weak coupling among the units is observed as a result of the degenerate double triplet and quintet states, obtained by quantum chemical calculations. The high triplet yield and fast iSEF observed in the twisted compound are due not only to enthalpic viability but also to the significant entropic gain allowed by its trimeric structure. Our results represent a significant step forward in structure-property understanding, and may direct the design of new efficient iSEF materials.

Photophysical implications of ring fusion, linker length, and twisting angle in a series of perylenediimide-thienoacene dimers

Perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives have been widely studied as electron acceptor alternatives to fullerenes in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) because of their tunable absorption in the visible range, inexpensive synthesis, and photochemical stability. A common motif for improving device efficiency involves joining multiple PDIs together through electron-rich linkers to form a twisted acceptor-donor-acceptor molecule. Molecular features such as ring fusion are further employed to modify the structure locally and in films. These synthetic efforts have greatly enhanced OPV device efficiencies, however it remains unclear how the increasingly elaborate structural modifications affect the photophysical processes integral to efficient photon-to-charge conversion. Here we carry out a systematic study of a series of PDI dimers with thienoacene linkers in which the twist angle, linker length, and degree of ring fusion are varied to investigate the effects of these structural features on the molecular excited states and exciton recombination dynamics. Spectroscopic characterization of the dimers suggest that ring fusion causes greater coupling between the donor and acceptor components and greatly enhances the lifetime of a thienoacene to PDI charge transfer state. The lifetime of this CT state also correlates well with the linker-PDI dihedral angle, with smaller dihedral angle resulting in longer lifetime. DFT and two-photon absorption TDDFT calculations were developed in-house to model the ground state and excited transitions, providing theoretical insight into the reasons for the observed photophysical properties and identifying the charge transfer state in the excited state absorption spectra. These results highlight how the longevity of the excited state species, important for the efficient conversion of excitons to free carriers in OPV devices, can be chemically tuned by controlling ring fusion and by using steric effects to control the relative orientations of the molecular fragments. The results provide a successful rationalization of the behavior of solar cells involving these acceptor molecules.

Metal-free polymerization: synthesis and properties of fused benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]bis[b]benzothiophene (BBBT) polymers

A family of fused semiconducting polymers containing the thienoacenes BBBT has been synthesized efficiently by non-metal and environmentally benign polymerization.

New fused conjugated molecules with fused thiophene and pyran units for organic electronic materials

Rigid and planar conjugated molecules have substantial significance due to their potential applications in organic electronics. Herein we report two highly fused ladder type conjugated molecules, TTCTTC and TTTCTTTC, with up to 10 fused rings in which the fused-thiophene rings are fused to the chromeno[6,5,4-def]chromene unit. Both molecules show high HOMO levels and accordingly they can be oxidized into their radical cations with absorptions extending to 1300 nm in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid. Thin films of TTCTTC and TTTCTTTC exhibit p-type semiconductor properties with hole mobilities up to 0.39 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Moreover, TTCTTC shows a high fluorescence quantum yield of up to 16.5% in the solid state.

Fused conjugated molecules TTCTTC and TTTCTTTC with up to ten heterocycles were constructed by fusing fused-thiophene to the chromeno[6,5,4-def]chromene unit.

Trisulfur radical anion-triggered stitching thienannulation: rapid access to largely π-extended thienoacenes

Largely π-extended rylene diimide-fused thienoacenes, a new family of fully fused electron donor-acceptor (D-A) molecules, have been readily synthesized by a novel trisulfur radical anion (S3˙-)-triggered stitching thienannulation strategy. The ladder-type fused thiophene cores are constructed in a stitching manner through multiple carbon-sulfur bond formation between acetylenic rylene dyes and S3˙-. A detailed mechanistic study of these stitching thienannulations unveiled the multiple reactivities of S3˙-. Physical properties of the newly formed D-A, A-D-A, and D-A-D type thienoacenes have also been investigated, which revealed their precisely controllable electronic properties.

Simple Route to Synthesize Fully Conjugated Ladder Isomer Copolymers with Carbazole Units

Two isomer polymers, P3 and P6, with fully conjugated ladder structures are presented by simple synthetic routes. The well-defined structures of fully conjugated ladder polymers P3 and P6 were ensured by the high yields of every reaction step. The fully rigid ladder structures were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and photophysical test. Polymers P3 and P6 with bulky alkyl side chains exhibit good solution processability and desirable thermostable properties. After the intramolecular cyclization reaction, the band gaps of polymers P3 and P6 become lower (2.86 eV and 2.66 eV, respectively) compared with polymers P1 and P4. This initial study provides insight for the rational design of fully ladder-conjugated isomeric polymers with well-defined structures.

β-Strand inspired bifacial π-conjugated polymers

Access to diverse, relatively high molecular weight soluble linear polymers without pendant solubilizing chains is the key to solution state synthesis of structurally diverse nanoribbons of conjugated materials. However, realizing soluble 1D-π-conjugated polymers without pendant solubilizing chains is a daunting task. Herein, inspired from the polypeptide β-strand architecture, we have designed and developed novel bifacial π-conjugated polymers (M n: ca. 24 kDa) that are soluble (ca. 70 to >250 mM) despite the absence of pendant solubilizing chains. The impact of varying the bifacial monomer height on polymer solubility, optical properties, and interactions with small molecules is reported.

Isomeric Pyrenodithiophenediones and Their Derivatives: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Device Performance

Two isomeric pyrenodithiophenediones and their triisopropylsilyl(TIPS)-ethynyl-functionalized derivatives were synthesized and characterized. With treatment of excess lithium TIPS-acetylide, the isomeric diones could undergo Michael and carbonyl additions to form three derivatives with four, three, and two TIPS-ethynyl groups, respectively. The isomeric TIPS-ethynyl-functionalized derivatives show different physicochemical properties. The single-crystalline transistors based on TIPS-ethynyl-functionalized derivatives exhibit a promising p-type transport behavior, with hole mobilities up to 0.51 cm² V^-1 s^-1.

Covalent and Noncovalent Approaches to Rigid Coplanar π-Conjugated Molecules and Macromolecules

Molecular conformation and rigidity are essential factors in determining the properties of individual molecules, the associated supramolecular assemblies, and bulk materials. This correlation is particularly important for π-conjugated molecular and macromolecular systems. Within such an individual molecule, a coplanar conformation facilitates the delocalization of not only molecular orbitals but also charges, excitons, and spins, leading to synergistically ensembled properties of the entire conjugated system. A rigid backbone, meanwhile, imposes a high energy cost to disrupt such a favorable conformation, ensuring the robustness and persistence of coplanarity. From a supramolecular and material point of view, coplanarity and rigidity often promote strong intermolecular electronic coupling and reduce the energy barrier for the intermolecular transport of charges, excitons, and phonons, affording advanced materials properties in bulk. In this context, pursuing a rigid and coplanar molecular conformation often represents one of the primary objectives when designing and synthesizing conjugated molecules for electronic and optical applications. Two general bottom-up strategies-covalent annulation and noncovalent conformational control-are often employed to construct rigid coplanar π systems. These strategies have afforded various classes of such molecules and macromolecules, including so-called conjugated ladder polymers, graphene nanoribbons, polyacenes, and conformationally locked organic semiconductors. While pursuing these targets, however, one often confronts challenges associated with precise synthesis and limited solubility of the rigid coplanar systems, which could further impede their large-scale preparation, characterization, processing, and application. To address these issues, we developed and utilized a number of synthetic methods and molecular engineering approaches to construct and to process rigid coplanar conjugated molecules and macromolecules. Structure-property correlations of this unique class of organic materials were established, providing important chemical principles for molecular design and materials applications. In this Account, we first describe our efforts to synthesize rigid coplanar π systems fused by various types of bonds, including kinetically formed covalent bonds, thermodynamically formed covalent bonds, N→B coordinate bonds, and hydrogen bonds, in order of increasing dynamic character. The subsequent section discusses the characteristic properties of selected examples of these rigid coplanar π systems in comparison with control compounds that are not rigid and coplanar, particularly focusing on the optical, electronic, and electrochemical properties. For systems bridged with noncovalent interactions, active manipulation of the dynamic bonds can tune variable properties at the molecular or collective level. Intermolecular interactions, solid-state packing, and processing of several cases are then discussed to lay the foundation for future materials applications of rigid coplanar π conjugated compounds.

Fe(iii)-Catalyzed synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles: formation of new dyes and photophysical studies

A new method for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrarylpyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles has been developed employing iron(iii) perchlorate as a catalyst.

Extraordinary Redox Activities in Ladder-Type Conjugated Molecules Enabled by B ← N Coordination-Promoted Delocalization and Hyperconjugation

The introduction of B ← N coordinate bond-isoelectronic to C-C single bond-into π-systems represents a promising strategy to impart exotic redox and electrochromic properties into conjugated organic molecules and macromolecules. To achieve both reductive and oxidative activities using this strategy, a cruciform ladder-type molecular constitution was designed to accommodate oxidation-active, reduction-active, and B ← N coordination units into a compact structure. Two such compounds (BN-F and BN-Ph) were synthesized via highly efficient N-directed borylation. These molecules demonstrated well-separated, two reductive and two oxidative electron-transfer processes, corresponding to five distinct yet stable oxidation states, including a rarely observed boron-containing radical cation. Spectroelectrochemical measurements revealed unique optical characteristics for each of these reduced/oxidized species, demonstrating multicolor electrochromism with excellent recyclability. Distinct color changes were observed between each redox state with clear isosbestic points on the absorption spectra. The underlying redox mechanism was elucidated by a combination of computational and experimental investigations. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis on the neutral state, the oxidized radical cation, and the reduced dianion of BN-Ph revealed structural transformations into two distinct quinonoid constitutions during the oxidation and reduction processes, respectively. B ← N coordination played an important role in rendering the robust and reversible multistage redox properties, by extending the charge and spin delocalization, by modulating the π-electron density, and by a newly established hyperconjugation mechanism.

Investigations of Thienoacene Molecules for Classical and Entangled Two-Photon Absorption

Investigations of the optical effects in thienoacene chromophores with different central atoms were performed. These chromophores provide a basis for the comparison of the linear, two-photon, and entangled two-photon properties in organic molecules with varying degrees of dipolar or quadrupolar character. Linear absorption and emission as well as time-dependent density functional theory calculations were performed for the chromophores investigated. Measurements of the classical two-photon absorption (TPA), entangled two-photon absorption (ETPA), as well as entangled two-photon fluorescence were experimentally performed for the four chromophores. Electronic structure calculations were utilized to provide estimates of the classical two-photon absorption coefficients. The results of the measured entangled two-photon cross sections were compared with theoretical estimates for the molecules investigated. It is found that the dipole (transition or permanent) pathway can have an effect on the trends in the entangled photon absorption process in dipolar organic chromophores. This study helps predict the properties of the entangled two-photon effect in chromophores with different dipolar and quadrupolar character.

Drastic Effects of Fluorination on Backbone Conformation of Head-to-Head Bithiophene-Based Polymer Semiconductors

This study shows that the backbone conformation of head-to-head type 3,3'-dialkyl-2,2'-bithiophene can be tuned via fluorination of the neighboring benzothiadiazole (BTz). Without fluorination, the polymer backbone is highly twisted, whereas difluorination of BTz produced a coplanar backbone. Monofluorination of BTz yielded a tunable polymer backbone conformation depending on the film annealing temperature. In organic thin-film transistors, the polymer with the head-to-head linkages showed a remarkable hole mobility of >0.5 cm² V^-1 s^-1 upon attaining a planar backbone. Thus, the head-to-head linkage does not necessarily lead to backbone nonplanarity, and achieving planar conformation of 3,3'-dialkyl-2,2'-bithiophene has profound implications in materials design for organic semiconducting devices, yielding good solubility, reduced materials synthetic steps, and improved opto-electrical properties.

Synthesis, Crystal Analysis, and Optoelectronic Properties of Diazole-Functionalized Acenes and Azaacenes

Doping heteroatoms into the skeletons of parent acenes can provide more opportunities to construct novel thermally and photostable organic π-conjugated semiconductors. Herein, a family of diazole-decorated acenes (APyS and APySe) and azaacenes (PyP, PyTh, PyPy, PyPh, and PyAP) have been successfully synthesized through the classical reactions. Single-crystal X-ray analyses showed that these as-formed diazole-modified derivatives adopted a twisted topology configuration, whereas the azaacenes display reclining-chair architectures, besides a twisted structure. All these compounds displayed yellow or red light in solution. Moreover, their electrochemical behaviors were also examined. We also found that the azaacenes exhibited a positive spectroscopic response to acid.

Enhancement in Open-Circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells by Using Ladder-Type Nonfullerene Acceptors

The open-circuit voltage ( V_oc) loss has always been a major factor in lowering power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). A method to improve the V_oc is indispensable to achieve high PCEs. In this paper, we investigated a series of perylene diimide-based ladder-type molecules as electron acceptors in nonfullerene OPVs. The D-A ladder-type structures described here lock our π-systems into a planar structure and eliminate bond twisting associated with linear conjugated systems. This enlarges the interface energy gap (Δ E_DA), extends electronic delocalization, and hence improves the V_oc. More importantly, these devices showed an increase in V_oc without compromising either the J_sc or the FF. C5r exhibited a strong intermolecular interaction and a PCE value of 6.1%. Moreover, grazing-incident wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis and atomic force microscopy images suggested that our fused-ring acceptors showed a suitable domain size and uniform blend films, which were not affected by their rigid molecular structures.

Fused Isoindigo Ribbons with Absorption Bands Reaching Near-Infrared

Through fusing isoindigo (IID) units at 6,7;6',7'-positions, a series of new near-infrared (NIR) absorbing and stable ribbon-like conjugated molecules, namely nIIDs in which n represents the number of IID units, have been synthesized. The optical band gaps of the molecules are lowered from 2.03 eV of 1IID to 1.12 eV of 6IID with the increase of the conjugation length. 3IID, 4IID, and 6IID have strong absorption in the NIR region and exhibit photothermal conversion efficiencies of greater than 50 % under laser irradiation at λ=808 nm.

Dibenzothienopyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole: The Missing Member of the Thienoacene Family

Dibenzothienopyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole and the corresponding bis(S,S-dioxide) were synthesized by using a concise synthetic strategy. Despite the presence of six fused aromatic rings, π-expanded pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrroles of this type absorb and emit at relatively short wavelengths, which reflects inefficient π conjugation due to the angular arrangement of the aromatic rings. They exhibit interesting and complex electrochemical behavior, which highlights their potential in organic electronics. Both heteroacenes undergo two-stage oxidation while retaining the independence of each 1-phenyl-1H-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]pyrrole, which was proved by in situ electron spin resonance measurements. Interestingly, electrochemically generated dicationdiradicals are not only distributed over the pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole scaffold, but also over the phenyl substituents located on nitrogen atoms.

Synthesis and properties of isoindigo and benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]bis[b]benzothiophene oligomers

A series of thienoacene-isoindigo oligomers have been synthesized from novel BBBT bislactam. Their opto-electronic and device characteristics have been investigated.

A Ladder-type Heteroheptacene 12H-Dithieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b:2',3'-h]fluorene Based D-A Copolymer with Strong Intermolecular Interactions toward Efficient Polymer Solar Cells

Ladder-type electron-donating units for D-A copolymers applied in polymer solar cells usually comprise multiple tetrahedral carbon bridges bonded with out-of-plane alkyl chains for desirable solubility for device processing. However, molecular packing of resultant copolymers in the solid state and charge transport within devices are also impeded in spite of with multiple fused aromatic backbones. To mitigate this issue, a structurally well-defined ladder-type electron-donating heteroheptacene, 12H-dithieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b:2',3'-h]fluorene (DTTF) with an extended conjugated backbone and a single tetrahedral carbon bridge attached with two bulky alkyl chains was designed and synthesized. The copolymerization of DTTF with 4,7-bis(4-hexylthiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (DTBT) afforded a soluble D-A copolymer (PDTTF-DTBT) with a medium optical band gap of 1.72 eV and low-lying HOMO level at -5.36 eV. PDTTF-DTBT unprecedentedly exhibits strong intermolecular stacking ability and presents preferential face-on orientation on both ZnO and PEDOT:PSS layers. The improved packing order and appropriate phase separation of both the copolymer and PC₇₁BM in the bulk heterojunction blend on the ZnO layer over on the PEDOT:PSS layer lead to much improved power conversion efficiency of ∼8.2% in the inverted solar cell device, among the highest for reported ladder-type D-A copolymers. The research demonstrates that it is an effective method to incorporate a single tetrahedral carbon bridge to the molecular center of a ladder-type heteroacene with heavily extended π-conjugation to prepare D-A copolymers toward highly efficient PSCs.

An Imide-Based Pentacyclic Building Block for n-Type Organic Semiconductors

A new electron-deficient unit with a fused 5-membered heterocyclic ring was developed by replacing a cyclopenta-1,3-diene from electron-rich donor indacenodithiophene (IDT) with a cyclohepta-4,6-diene-1,3-diimde unit. The imide bridge endows dithienylbenzenebisimide (BBI) with a fixed planar configuration and low energy levels for both the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO; -6.24 eV) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbit (LUMO; -2.57 eV). Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on BBI polymers exhibit electron mobility up to 0.34 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 , which indicates that the BBI is a promising n-type building block for optoelectronics.