Exploration and development of molecule-based printed electronics materials: an integrated approach using experimental, computational, and data sciences

The challenge in developing molecule-based electronic materials lies in the uncontrollable or unpredictable nature of their crystal structures, which are crucial for determining both electrical properties and thin-film formability. This review summarizes the findings of a research project focused on the systematic development of crystalline organic semiconductors (OSCs) and organic ferroelectrics by integrating experimental, computational, and data sciences. The key outcomes are as follows: 1) Data Science: We developed a method to identify promising materials from crystal structure databases, leading to the discovery of unique molecule-based ferroelectrics. 2) Computational Science: The origin of high layered crystallinity in π-core - alkyl-chain-linked molecules was clarified based on intermolecular interaction calculations. We proposed a stepwise structure optimization method tailored for layered OSCs. 3) Material Development: We developed various alkylated layered OSCs, which exhibit high mobility, heat resistance, and solubility. We discovered several unique phenomena, including frozen liquid crystal phases, significant polar/antipolar control, and phase control through mixing, leveraging the variability of alkyl chain length. We also developed molecule-based ferroelectrics showing peculiar ferroelectricity, including multiple polarization reversal, competing ferroelectric/antiferroelectric order, and spinner-type configurations with π-skeletons. 4) Advanced Structural Analysis: By combining cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray-free electron laser (XFEL), we enabled crystal structure analysis for ultrathin crystals that are usually difficult to analyse. 5) Device Development: Utilizing the self-organized growth of layered OSCs through solution processes, we developed a method to produce exceptionally clean semiconductor - insulator interfaces, achieving field-effect transistors that show sharp (near theoretical limit) and stable switching at low voltages.

Control of Polar/Antipolar Layered Organic Semiconductors by the Odd-Even Effect of Alkyl Chain

Some rodlike organic molecules exhibit exceptionally high layered crystallinity when composed of a link between π-conjugated backbone (head) and alkyl chain (tail). These molecules are aligned side-by-side unidirectionally to form self-organized polar monomolecular layers, providing promising 2D materials and devices. However, their interlayer stacking arrangements have never been tunable, preventing the unidirectional arrangements of molecules in whole crystals. Here, it is demonstrated that polar/antipolar interlayer stacking can be systematically controlled by the alkyl carbon number n, when the molecules are designed to involve effectively weakened head-to-head affinity. They exhibit remarkable odd-even effect in the interlayer stacking: alternating head-to-head and tail-to-tail (antipolar) arrangement in odd-n crystals, and uniform head-to-tail (polar) arrangement in even-n crystals. The films show excellent field-effect transistor characteristics presenting unique polar/antipolar dependence and considerably improved subthreshold swing in the polar films. Additionally, the polar films present enhanced second-order nonlinear optical response along normal to the film plane. These findings are key for creating polarity-controlled optoelectronic materials and devices.

Polar Polymorphism: A New Intermediate Structure toward the Thin-Film Phase in Asymmetric Benzothieno[3,2-b][1]-benzothiophene Derivatives

Understanding structure and polymorphism is relevant for any organic device optimization, and it is of particular relevance in 7-decyl-2-phenyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10) since high carrier mobility in Ph-BTBT-10 thin films has been linked to the structural transformation from the metastable thin-film phase to the thermodynamically stable bilayer structure via thermal annealing. We combine here a systematic nanoscale morphological analysis with local Kelvin probe force microcopy (KPFM) that demonstrates the formation of a polar polymorph in thin films as an intermediate structure for thicknesses lower than 20 nm. The polar structure develops with thickness a variable amount of structural defects in the form of individual flipped molecules (point defects) or sizable polar domains, and evolves toward the reported nonpolar thin-film phase. The direct experimental evidence is supported by electronic structure density functional theory calculations. The structure of the film has dramatic effects on the electronic properties, leading to a decrease in the film work function (by up to 1 eV) and a considerable broadening of the occupied molecular orbitals, attributed to electrostatic disorder. From an advanced characterization point of view, KPFM stands out as a valuable tool for evaluating electrostatic disorder and the conceivable emergence of polar polymorphs in organic thin films. The emergence of polar assemblies introduces a critical consideration for other asymmetric BTBT derivatives, which may be pivotal to understanding the structure-property relationships in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). A precise determination of any polar assemblies close to the dielectric interface is critical for the judicious design and upgrading of high-performance OFETs.

Stereo-electronic effect of perfluoropropyl group on solid state molecular packing of isomeric dibenzo [a,c]phenazine derivatives

We report here the synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of three perfluoropropylated dibenzo [a,c]phenazine constitutional isomers where the only differences among them are the position of perfluoropropyl substituents. The crystal...

Spectra and nature of the electronic states of [1]Benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT): Single crystal and the aggregates

Absorption, fluorescence, and phosphorescence spectra of single crystals of [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) and BTBT dispersed in frozen n-nonane, n-hexadecane, and dichloromethane matrices were studied at 5 K. Observation of a new absorption band and related changes in the fluorescence to phosphorescence intensity ratio, when the concentration of BTBT in the matrix increased above 10^-4M, indicated the presence of BTBT aggregates. Quantum-chemistry calculations performed for the simplest aggregate, isolated dimer, showed that its structure is similar to the "herringbone" element in the BTBT crystal unit cell and the lowest electronic excited singlet state of the dimer has the intermolecular charge-transfer character. A qualitatively different nature of this state in dimers and in crystals, when compared with the situation in BTBT monomer [locally excited (LE) state], is associated with a decrease in the intersystem crossing yield. The structured vibronic structure of phosphorescence spectra in the studied systems indicated LE character of the triplet states.

Regioisomeric control of layered crystallinity in solution-processable organic semiconductors

The construction and control of 2D layered molecular packing motifs with functionally substituted π-electron cores are crucial for developing organic electronic materials and devices. We investigated a regioisomeric structure–property relationship in high-performance and solution-processable layered organic semiconductors based on mono-octyl-substituted benzothieno[3,2-b]naphtho[2,3-b]thiophene (mono-C8-BTNT). We demonstrated that an isomorphous bilayer-type layered herringbone packing motif is obtainable in a series of four positional isomers of mono-C8-BTNTs whose π-electron core is substituted by an octyl chain at one of the four most peripheral positions with roughly keeping the rod-like molecular shape. These regioisomeric compounds exhibited systematic variations in the solvent solubility and liquid-crystalline phase transitions at elevated temperatures. The analysis of intermolecular interaction energies in the crystals based on dispersion-corrected DFT calculations revealed that the crystals of 2- and 8-mono-C8-BTNTs are more stable than those of 3- and 9-mono-C8-BTNTs owing to the higher ordering of alkyl chain layers in the crystals. Such differences of the stability in their crystal formation are closely correlated with TFT performances, where the single-crystal devices of the 2- and 8-mono-C8-BTNTs substituted at the most peripheral positions exhibit high-performance TFT characteristics with a mobility of approximately 10 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

An isomorphous bilayer-type layered herringbone crystal packing is reported for a series of four positional isomers of mono-C8-BTNTs, where the single-crystal devices with the isomers exhibit high-performance TFT characteristics.