Thiophene-Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Quinoidal Small Molecules as Solution-Processable and Air-Stable Organic Semiconductors: Tuning of the Length and Branching Position of the Alkyl Side Chain toward a High-Performance n-Channel Organic Field-Effect Transistor

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2015 papers

Abstract

A series of thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole-based quinoidal small molecules (TDPPQ-2-TDPPQ-5) bearing branched alkyl chains with different side-chain lengths and varied branching positions are synthesized. Field-effect transistor (FET) measurement combined with thin-film characterization is utilized to systematically probe the influence of the side-chain length and branching position on the film microstructure, molecular packing, and, hence, charge-transport property. All of these TDPPQ derivatives show air-stable n-channel transporting behavior in spin-coated FET devices, which exhibit no significant decrease in mobility even after being stored in air for 2 months. Most notably, TDPPQ-3 exhibits an outstanding n-channel semiconducting property with electron mobilities up to 0.72 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), which is an unprecedented value for spin-coated DPP-based n-type semiconducting small molecules. A balance of high crystallinity, satisfactory thickness uniformity and continuity, and strong intermolecular interaction accounts for the superior charge-transport characteristics of TDPPQ-3 films. Our study demonstrates that tuning the length and branching position of alkyl side chains of semiconducting molecules is a powerful strategy for achieving high FET performance.

Related Papers

• → BODIPY derivatives as n-type organic semiconductors: Isomer effect on carrier mobility(2011)34 cited
• → Rational In Silico Design of an Organic Semiconductor with Improved Electron Mobility(2017)30 cited
• → Effect of Charge Mobility for Organic Photovoltaic Devices(2006)1 cited
• → Investigation into the modeling of field-effect mobility in disordered organic semiconductors(2005)1 cited
• → Naphthothiophenes and Other Thiophene Compounds Containing Two Carbocyclic Fused Rings(1954)