Synthetic polymer chemistry endeavors to imitate the spatial and temporal control exhibited within biological systems to obtain well-defined polymeric materials with unique structures, properties, and applications. This is often approached through the development of dynamic catalyst (or initiator) systems that use external stimuli to elicit discrete, site-specific transformations that impact the polymerization. Herein we highlight developments in polymerizations that are modulated by external stimuli, with particular focus on those systems that enable notable changes in kinetics, monomer selectivity, polymer architecture, or tacticity. Examples of external stimuli include chemical oxidants or reductants, light, applied voltage, and mechanical force.

This study presents a new class of conjugated polycyclic molecules that contain seven-membered rings, detailing their synthesis, crystal structures and semiconductor properties. These molecules have a nearly flat C6-C7-C6-C7-C6 polycyclic framework with a p-quinodimethane core. With field-effect mobilities of up to 0.76 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) as measured from solution-processed thin-film transistors, these molecules are alternatives to the well-studied pentacene analogues for applications in organic electronic devices.

A new class of conjugated polycyclic molecules containing a C6–C5–C6–C7–C6 polycylic framework was synthesized. Both experiments and calculations show different electron structures in comparison to their pentacene isomers.

Here, we report solid solution of p- and n-type organic semiconductors as a new type of p-n blend for solution-processed ambipolar organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). This study compares the solid-solution films of silylethynylated tetraazapentacene 1 (acceptor) and silylethynylated pentacene 2 (donor) with the microphase-separated films of 1 and 3, a heptagon-embedded analogue of 2. It is found that the solid solutions of (1)x(2)1-x function as ambipolar semiconductors, whose hole and electron mobilities are tunable by varying the ratio of 1 and 2 in the solid solution. The OTFTs of (1)0.5(2)0.5 exhibit relatively balanced hole and electron mobilities comparable to the highest values as reported for ambipolar OTFTs of stoichiometric donor-acceptor cocrystals and microphase-separated p-n bulk heterojunctions. The solid solution of (1)0.5(2)0.5 and the microphase-separated blend of 1:3 (0.5:0.5) in OTFTs exhibit different responses to light in terms of absorption and photoeffect of OTFTs because the donor and acceptor are mixed at molecular level with π-π stacking in the solid solution.