Functionalization of organic semiconductors through the attachment of bulky side groups to the conjugated core has imparted solution processability to this class of otherwise insoluble materials. A consequence of this functionalization is that the bulky side groups impact the solid-state packing of these materials. To examine the importance of side-group electronic character on accessing the structural phase space of functionalized materials, germanium was substituted for silicon in triisopropyl­silylethynyl­pentacene (TIPS-Pn) to produce triisopropyl­germanyl­ethynyl­pentacene (TIPGe-Pn), with the TIPGe side group comparable in size to TIPS, but higher in electron density. We find TIPGe-Pn single crystals exhibit slip-stack, herringbone, and brickwork packing motifs depending on growth conditions, a stark contrast to TIPS-Pn, which accesses only the brickwork packing motif in both single crystals and thin films. Polycrystalline thin films of TIPGe-Pn exhibit two new, unidentified polymorphs from spin-coating and postdeposition annealing. Our experiments suggest that access to the structural phase space is not guided solely by the size of the side group; the electronic character of the side group in functionalized compounds also plays a significant role. As such, simple atomistic substitutions can cause significant differences in the accessible solid structures.

While typical perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with doped Spiro-OMeTAD as hole transport material (HTM) have shown rapid increase in their power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs), their poor stability remains a big concern...

Intercrystallite molecular connections are widely recognized to tremendously impact the macroscopic properties of semicrystalline polymers. Because it is challenging to directly probe such connections, theoretical frameworks have been developed to quantify their concentrations and predict the mechanical properties that result from these connections. Tie-chain connectivity similarly impacts the electrical properties in semicrystalline conjugated polymers. Yet, its quantitative impact has eluded the community. Here, we assess the Huang–Brown model, a framework commonly used to describe the structural origins of mechanical properties in polyolefins, to quantitatively elucidate the effect of tie chains on the electrical properties of a model conjugated polymer. We found that a critical tie-chain fraction of 10–3 is needed to support macroscopic charge transport, below which intercrystallite connectivity limits charge transport, and above which intracrystallite disorder is the bottleneck. Extending the Huang–Brown framework to conjugated polymers enables the prediction of macroscopic electrical properties based on experimentally accessible morphological parameters. Our study implicates the importance of long and rigid polymer chains for efficient charge transport over device length scales.

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a suite of molecules based on a benzodithiophene "universal crystal engineering core". After computationally screening derivatives, a trialkylsilylethynebased crystal engineering strategy was employed to tailor the crystal packing for use as the active material in an organic field-effect transistor. Electronic structure calculations were undertaken to reveal derivatives that exhibit exceptional potential for high-efficiency hole transport. The promising theoretical properties are reflected in the preliminary device results, with the computationally optimized material showing simple solution processing, enhanced stability, and a maximum hole mobility of 1.6 cm 2 V À1 s À1 .

Conjugated polymers are promising candidates for next‐generation low‐cost flexible electronics. Field‐effect transistors comprising conjugated polymers have witnessed significant improvements in device performance, notably the field‐effect mobility, in the last three decades. However, to truly make these materials commercially competitive, a better understanding of charge‐transport mechanisms in these structurally heterogeneous systems is needed for providing systematic guides for further improvements. This review assesses the key microstructural features of conjugated polymers across multiple length scales that can influence charge transport, with special attention given to the underlying polymer physics. The mechanistic understanding from collective experimental and theoretical studies point to the importance of interconnected ordered domains given the macromolecular nature of the polymeric semiconductors. Based on the criterion, optimization to improve charge transport can be broadly characterized by efforts to (a) promote intrachain transport, (b) establish intercrystallite connectivity, and (c) enhance interchain coupling. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 1559–1571

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Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is not well suited for characterizing the molecular weight (MW) and MW distribution of conjugated polymers, especially those that absorb strongly at the detection wavelengths, or those that interact with and adsorb on the walls of SEC columns. We demonstrate diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) as a complementary method for characterizing the size and size distribution of conjugated polymers. Starting with four batches of poly(3-hexylthiophene), whose distinct and narrow MW distributions had been fully characterized, as a model system, we establish a power-law relationship between the weight-average MW and the diffusion coefficient measured through DOSY. We extend this approach to characterizing poly[4-( 4,4-dihexadecyl-4H-cyclopenta-[1,2-b:5,4-b′]dithiophen-2-yl)-alt-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo-[3,4-c]pyridine], whose absorption properties preclude its characterization with light scattering based techniques, including SEC. By applying the same power law on the diffusion coefficients obtained by DOSY measurements, we extracted P3HT-equivalent MWs and MW distributions for six different batches of PCDTPT. By circumventing the practical issues in SEC measurements, DOSY shows promise as a versatile complement for determining polymer size.

Most contemporary X‐ray detectors adopt device structures with non/low‐gain energy conversion, such that a fairly thick X‐ray photoconductor or scintillator is required to generate sufficient X‐ray‐induced charges, and thus numerous merits for thin devices, such as mechanical flexibility and high spatial resolution, have to be compromised. This dilemma is overcome by adopting a new high‐gain device concept of a heterojunction X‐ray phototransistor. In contrast to conventional detectors, X‐ray phototransistors allow both electrical gating and photodoping for effective carrier‐density modulation, leading to high photoconductive gain and low noise. As a result, ultrahigh sensitivities of over 105 μC Gyair−1 cm−2 with low detection limit are achieved by just using an ≈50 nm thin photoconductor. The employment of ultrathin photoconductors also endows the detectors with superior flexibility and high imaging resolution. This concept offers great promise in realizing well‐balanced detection performance, mechanical flexibility, integration, and cost for next‐generation X‐ray detectors.