The interface bonding and orientation of a quinonoid zwitterion

Charge frustration in ligand design and functional group transfer

Molecules with different resonance structures of similar importance, such as heterocumulenes and mesoionics, are prominent in many applications of chemistry, including 'click chemistry', photochemistry, switching and sensing. In coordination chemistry, similar chameleonic/schizophrenic entities are referred to as ambidentate/ambiphilic or cooperative ligands. Examples of these had remained, for a long time, limited to a handful of archetypal compounds that were mere curiosities. In this Review, we describe ambiphilicity - or, rather, 'charge frustration' - as a general guiding principle for ligand design and functional group transfer. We first give a historical account of organic zwitterions and discuss their electronic structures and applications. Our discussion then focuses on zwitterionic ligands and their metal complexes, such as those of ylidic and redox-active ligands. Finally, we present new approaches to single-atom transfer using cumulated small molecules and outline emerging areas, such as bond activation and stable donor-acceptor ligand systems for reversible 1e^- chemistry or switching.

The Quinonoid Zwitterion Interlayer for the Improvement of Charge Carrier Mobility in Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The interface between the semiconductor and the dielectric layer plays a crucial role in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) because it is at the interface that charge carriers are accumulated and transported. In this study, four zwitterionic benzoquinonemonoimine dyes featuring alkyl and aryl N-substituents were used to cover the dielectric layers in OFET structures. The best interlayer material, containing aliphatic side groups, increased charge carrier mobility in the measured systems. This improvement can be explained by the reduction in the number of the charge carrier trapping sites at the dielectric active layer interface from 10¹⁴ eV⁻¹ cm⁻² to 2 × 10¹³ eV⁻¹ cm⁻². The density of the traps was one order of magnitude lower compared to the unmodified transistors. This resulted in an increase in charge carrier mobility in the tested poly [2,5-(2-octyldodecyl)-3,6-diketopyrrolopyrrole-alt-5,5-(2,5-di(thien-2-yl)thieno [3,2-b]thiophene)] (DPPDTT)-based transistors to 5.4 × 10⁻¹ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Small Panchromatic and NIR Absorbers from Quinoid Zwitterions

The transamination of oxoaminobenzoquinonemonoimine (BQI derivatives), an unconventional zwitterionic quinone, allows isolation of a series of compounds featuring electron-donating aryl auxochromes. The substitution has a very strong impact on the electrochemical and optical features, which is rationalized by theoretical calculations. Protonation and alkylation of the BQIs toward the corresponding cations lead to surprising red-shifts of the absorption, especially in the instance of the most electron-rich dyes that exhibit panchromatic absorption spanning up to the near-infrared (NIR) region, a remarkable achievement for such small molecules.

Quinonoid Zwitterion: An Amphiphilic Cathode Interlayer with Initial Thickness-Insensitive and Self-Organizing Properties for Inverted Polymer Solar Cells

Orthogonal solvent processability is generally considered as one of the key requirements for an efficient interfacial material. Here, we showed that in inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs), solvent orthogonality is not required for an effective and reliable cathode interlayer. A quinonoid zwitterionic molecule with amphiphilic property [dissolved in both methanol and o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB)] named ZW-Bu was first applied as the cathode interlayer in inverted PSCs. For three different photoactive systems, the devices with ZW-Bu cathode buffer layers (CBLs) exhibited better performance than those with commonly used ZnO CBLs. Most importantly, the device efficiency was fairly insensitive to the initial thickness of ZW-Bu. In addition, due to the high surface energy of the ZW-Bu film, it was successfully used as a self-organized CBL in poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) systems, yielding a desirable efficiency compared to the PSCs fabricated via the layer-by-layer deposition method.

Tuning graphene transistors through ad hoc electrostatics induced by a nanometer-thick molecular underlayer

We report on the modulation of the electrical properties of graphene-based transistors that mirror the properties of a few nanometers thick layer made of dipolar molecules sandwiched in between the 2D material and the SiO₂ dielectric substrate. The chemical composition of the films of quinonemonoimine zwitterion molecules adsorbed onto SiO₂ has been explored by means of X-ray photoemission and mass spectroscopy. Graphene-based devices are then fabricated by transferring the 2D material onto the molecular film, followed by the deposition of top source-drain electrodes. The degree of supramolecular order in disordered films of dipolar molecules was found to be partially improved as a result of the electric field at low temperatures, as revealed by the emergence of hysteresis in the transfer curves of the transistors. The use of molecules from the same family, which are suitably designed to interact with the dielectric surface, results in the disappearance of the hysteresis. DFT calculations confirm that the dressing of the molecules by an external electric field exhibits multiple minimal energy landscapes that explain the thermally stabilized capacitive coupling observed. This study demonstrates that the design and exploitation of ad hoc molecules as an interlayer between a dielectric substrate and graphene represents a powerful tool for tuning the electrical properties of the 2D material. Conversely, graphene can be used as an indicator of the stability of molecular layers, by providing insight into the energetics of ordering of dipolar molecules under the effect of electrical gating.

Structural organization and phase behaviour of meta-substituted dioctadecylaminobenzoquinones at the air/water interface

The structural organization and phase behaviour of an amphiphilic zwitterionic quinonemonoimine at the air/water interface are presented. Brewster angle microscopy reveals multiple co-existing phases are observed over the entire isotherm while grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) shows that these comprise both tilted, untilted and multilayer structures with crystalline headgroups. Despite the heterogeneity, the phase transitions are highly reversible over multiple cycles.

Dicyanobenzothiadiazole Derivatives Possessing Switchable Dielectric Permittivities

Benzothiadiazoles are important electron acceptors and are frequently employed as electron-deficient components of donor-acceptor polymers. We report the effect of nitrile functionalities on the reactivity, steric hindrance, optoelectronic properties, and dielectric permittivity in dicyanobenzothioadiazole (DCNBT). Dielectric spectroscopy in the bulk and in solution assisted by DFT-calculations revealed that these molecules can be engineered to engender maximum values of the dipole moment and of dielectric permittivity due to the strong electron-withdrawing effect of the nitrile groups. The self-assembly in the bulk was investigated by X-ray scattering performed on single crystals, fibers (2D-WAXS), and thin films (GiWAXS). Combining these results, we found a switching of dielectric permittivity of the 4,7-alkylthienyl-substituted dicyanobenzothiadiazole at the transition from the liquid crystalline to the isotropic phase with values capable of competing with the best known rodlike liquid crystals.

Changes in molecular film metallicity with minor modifications of the constitutive quinonoid zwitterions

The electronic properties of molecular films formed by quinonoid zwitterions deposited on gold are highly dependent on the nature of the N-substituent.

Influence of steric hindrance on the molecular packing and the anchoring of quinonoid zwitterions on gold surfaces

The N-substituent on quinonoid zwitterions influences the molecules packing and impacts their anchoring on gold surfaces.

Toward Ferroelectric Control of Monolayer MoS2

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) single-layer films onto periodically poled lithium niobate is possible while maintaining the substrate polarization pattern. The MoS2 growth exhibits a preference for the ferroelectric domains polarized "up" with respect to the surface so that the MoS2 film may be templated by the substrate ferroelectric polarization pattern without the need for further lithography. MoS2 monolayers preserve the surface polarization of the "up" domains, while slightly quenching the surface polarization on the "down" domains as revealed by piezoresponse force microscopy. Electrical transport measurements suggest changes in the dominant carrier for CVD MoS2 under application of an external voltage, depending on the domain orientation of the ferroelectric substrate. Such sensitivity to ferroelectric substrate polarization opens the possibility for ferroelectric nonvolatile gating of transition metal dichalcogenides in scalable devices fabricated free of exfoliation and transfer.

Reactivity of TCNE and TCNQ derivatives of quinonoid zwitterions with Cu(I)

The reactions of TCNE- and TCNQ-functionalized (TCNE: tetracyanoethylene and TCNQ: 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane) zwitterionic benzoquinonemonoimines with a Cu(I)-BIAN complex (BIAN = bis(o,o'-bisisopropylphenyl)acenaphthenequinonediimine) have been investigated and found to follow a diversity of interesting patterns. The complexes [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)(L2)]BF4 (2) and [Cu(BIAN)(L2)2]BF4 (4) were obtained by reacting [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)2]BF4 (1) with one and two equivalents of L2, respectively. Following similar procedures, the complexes [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)(L3)]BF4 (6) and [Cu(BIAN)(L3)2]BF4 (7) were obtained by reaction of 1 with L3. The reaction of 2 with 0.5 equiv. of 4,4'-bipyridine afforded [{Cu(BIAN)(L2)}2(μ-4,4'-bipyridine)](BF4)2 (3). The complexes were characterized by multinuclear NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of complexes 3 ·4CH2Cl2 and 4 ·CH2Cl2 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. An unexpected coordination polymer [Cu((L2-))2]∞ (5) was also structurally characterized, which contains Cu(II) centres chelated by two N,O-bound ligands resulting from the monodeprotonation of L2.

Molecular adsorption on graphene

Current studies addressing the engineering of charge carrier concentration and the electronic band gap in epitaxial graphene using molecular adsorbates are reviewed. The focus here is on interactions between the graphene surface and the adsorbed molecules, including small gas molecules (H(2)O, H(2), O(2), CO, NO(2), NO, and NH(3)), aromatic, and non-aromatic molecules (F4-TCNQ, PTCDA, TPA, Na-NH(2), An-CH(3), An-Br, Poly (ethylene imine) (PEI), and diazonium salts), and various biomolecules such as peptides, DNA fragments, and other derivatives. This is followed by a discussion on graphene-based gas sensor concepts. In reviewing the studies of the effects of molecular adsorption on graphene, it is evident that the strong manipulation of graphene's electronic structure, including p- and n-doping, is not only possible with molecular adsorbates, but that this approach appears to be superior compared to these exploiting edge effects, local defects, or strain. However, graphene-based gas sensors, albeit feasible because huge adsorbate-induced variations in the relative conductivity are possible, generally suffer from the lack of chemical selectivity.

Approaching an organic semimetal: Electron pockets at the Fermi level for a p-benzoquinonemonoimine zwitterion

There is compelling evidence of electron pockets, at the Fermi level, in the band structure for an organic zwitterion molecule of the p-benzoquinonemonoimine type. The electronic structure of the zwitterion molecular film has a definite, although small, density of states evident at the Fermi level as well as a nonzero inner potential and thus is very different from a true insulator. In spite of a small Brillouin zone, significant band width is observed in the intermolecular band dispersion. The results demonstrate that Bloch's theorem applies to the wave vector dependence of the electronic band structure formed from the molecular orbitals of adjacent molecules in a molecular thin film of a p-benzoquinonemonoimine type zwitterion.

Altering the static dipole on surfaces through chemistry: molecular films of zwitterionic quinonoids

The adsorption of molecular films made of small molecules with a large intrinsic electrical dipole has been explored. The data indicate that such dipolar molecules may be used for altering the interface dipole screening at the metal electrode interface in organic electronics. More specifically, we have investigated the surface electronic spectroscopic properties of zwitterionic molecules containing 12π electrons of the p-benzoquinonemonoimine type, C(6)H(2)(···NHR)(2)(···O)(2)(R = H (1), n-C(4)H(9) (2), C(3)H(6)-S-CH(3) (3), C(3)H(6)-O-CH(3) (4), CH(2)-C(6)H(5) (5)), adsorbed on Au. These molecules are stable zwitterions by virtue of the meta positions occupied by the nitrogen and oxygen substituents on the central ring, respectively. The structures of 2-4 have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and indicate that in these molecules, two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6π electron subunits are present, which explains their strong dipolar character. We systematically observed that homogeneous molecular films with thickness as small as 1 nm were formed on Au, which fully cover the surface, even for a variety of R substituents. Preferential adsorption toward the patterned gold areas on SiO(2) substrates was found with 4. Optimum self-assembling of 2 and 5 results in ordered close packed films, which exhibit n-type character, based on the position of the Fermi level close to the conduction band minimum, suggesting high conductivity properties. This new type of self-assembled molecular films offers interesting possibilities for engineering metal-organic interfaces, of critical importance for organic electronics.

Charge-assisted hydrogen bond-directed self-assembly of an amphiphilic zwitterionic quinonemonoimine at the liquid-solid interface

Charge-assisted hydrogen bond-directed self-assembly of a zwitterionic quinonemonoimine was investigated at the liquid/solid interface using scanning tunnelling microscopy. Factors governing morphology, chirality and multilayer formation are discussed, presenting an important foundation for understanding the properties of a large family of related molecules with interesting potential in supramolecular design.