There is a great interest in peryleneimide (PI)-containing compounds given their unique combination of good electron accepting ability, high abosorption in the visible region, and outstanding chemical, thermal, and photochemical stabilities. Thus, herein we report the synthesis of perylene imide derivatives endowed with a 1,2-diketone functionality (PIDs) as efficient intermediates to easily access peryleneimide (PI)-containing organic semiconductors with enhanced absorption cross-section for the design of tunable semiconductor organic materials. Three processable organic molecular semiconductors containing thiophene and terthiophene moieties, PITa, PITb, and PITT, have been prepared from the novel PIDs. The tendency of these semiconductors for molecular aggregation have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy and supported by quantum chemical calculations. 2D NMR experiments and theoretical calculations point to an antiparallel π-stacking interaction as the most stable conformation in the aggregates. Investigation of the optical and electrochemical properties of the materials is also reported and analyzed in combination with DFT calculations. Although the derivatives presented here show modest electron mobilities of ∼10 cmVs, these preliminary studies of their performance in organic field effect transistors (OFETs) indicate the potential of these new building blocks as n-type semiconductors.
The p-type semiconducting properties of a triphenylene-fused triindole mesogen, have been studied by applying two complementary methods which have different alignment requirements. The attachment of only three flexible alkyl chains to the nitrogen atoms of this π-extended core is sufficient to induce columnar mesomorphism. High hole mobility values (0.65 cm V s) have been estimated by space-charge limited current (SCLC) measurements in a diode-like structure which are easily prepared from the melt, rendering this material a good candidate for OPVs and OLEDs devices. The mobility predicted theoretically via a hole-hopping mechanism is in very good agreement with the experimental values determined at the SCLC regime. On the other hand the hole mobility determined on solution processed thin film transistors (OFETs) is significantly lower, which can be rationalized by the high tendency of these large molecules to align on surfaces with their extended π-conjugated core parallel to the substrate as demonstrated by SERS. Despite the differences obtained with the two methods, the acceptable performance found on OFETs fabricated by simple drop-casting processing of such an enlarged aromatic core is remarkable and suggests facile hopping between neighboring molecular columns owing to the large conducting/isolating ratio found in this discotic compound.
Quinoidal compounds with proaromatic structures possess differing degrees of diradical character, where the open-shell diradical resonance form has restored aromaticity throughout the compound. Methods to tune the diradical character of these compounds have traditionally focused on altering the length and the molecular composition of the π-conjugated backbones. However, other molecular design strategies to tune the singlet−triplet gap of π-conjugated quinoidal molecules have not been extensively explored. We previously reported a strikingly small energy gap between the quinoidal and diradical states of a quinoidal small molecule containing methano[10]annulene (TMTQ) that was dictated in large part by the unusual aromaticity of the central annulene ring. Here, we report on two alkylated derivatives of TMTQ that present substantially different torsional biases to the planarity of the TMTQ π-system. Using a combination of electronic and vibrational spectroscopies, magnetic measurements, and quantum chemical calculations, we demonstrate here how a steric effect rather than π-electron compositional molecular engineering can dramatically narrow the singlet−triplet gap of a quinoidal compound to as small as −0.52 kcal/mol, determined experimentally. This study offers important insight for the continued development of open-shell diradical molecules that need not rely exclusively on the design of synthesis of new and complex πconjugated systems.
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