Two asymmetric 5-octadecanyl benzotrithiophene
(BTT) and benzotriselenophene
(BTS) were designed and synthesized through a key step of palladium-catalyzed
intramolecular C–H arylation. The two-dimensional stannylated
BTT and BTS monomers were then polymerized with a DPP comonomer by
Stille coupling to afford two new donor–acceptor polymers,
PBTTDPP and PBTSDPP. With the chalcogen effect of selenium, PBTSDPP
exhibited a higher-lying HOMO level and a more red-shifted absorption
than the corresponding PBTTDPP. The crystalline domains of both PBTTDPP
and PBTSDPP were analyzed via GIWAXS measurements, revealing perpendicular
π–π stacking of the main-chain backbone and lamellar
stacking of side-chain interdigitation. The dimensions of the π–π
stacking and lamellar stacking of the crystalline domains were estimated
by calculating their corresponding correlation lengths (L
c). We discovered that the ratio between the correlation
lengths of lamellar stacking (L
l) and
π–π stacking (L
π), denoted as (R
L), plays a crucial role
in determining the edge-on/face-on polymer orientations of substrates.
PBTTDPP, with a larger R
L of 2.56, predominantly
exhibits a face-on orientation, while PBTSDPP, which has a stronger
π–π interaction due to Se inclusion, leads to a
smaller R
L of 1.36, preferring an edge-on
orientation. After thermal annealing at 210 °C for 10 min, PBTSDPP
forms higher-order crystalline domains, increasing its mobility from
0.04 to 0.17 cm2 V–1 s–1. Despite its face-on orientation, the pristine PBTTDPP, with a higher
molecular weight, exhibits the best mobility of 0.61 cm2 V–1 s–1 due to efficient intrachain
charge transport and good connectivity between different nanodomains.
However, thermal annealing of PBTTDPP leads to a decrease in π–π
stacking distance from 3.67 to 3.41 Å, facilitating charge transport
via face-on π-stacking hopping perpendicular to the source-to-drain
direction. Consequently, the mobility of annealed PBTTDPP is reduced
to 0.18 cm2 V–1 s–1. This work demonstrates that the use of benzotrichalcogenophenes
in the polymer backbone can fine-tune intermolecular interactions,
controlling the orientations in crystalline nanodomains that ultimately
determine the charge transport properties.