Themed collection Editor’s Choice collection: Organic Electronics

Scientific Editor for Materials Horizons Professor Jean-Luc Brédas (The University of Arizona, USA), introduces this Editor’s Choice collection on organic electronics.

An effective framework for the band engineering in 2D covalent organic frameworks is revealed by describing the fundamental relationships among the electronic structures, the lattice symmetries, and the frontier molecular orbitals of building units.

In this work, an asymmetric electrode structure of the light-stimulated synaptic transistor (As-LSST) is present. The As-LSST has excellent electrical characteristics, photosensitivity, low power and multiple biosynaptic functions.

Rigid ladder-type conjugated polymers enable the development of stable and high-performance organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and complementary OECT-based amplifiers for brain-inspired artificial neurons.

Temperature dependent luminescence of multi-molecular excited states like excimers and charge-transfer states is described by a Frank–Condon model based on an inter-molecular vibrational mode and different potentials for the ground and excited state.

An improved composite dielectric with an excellent high-temperature energy storage performance has been obtained by modulating the trap parameters.

The molecular aspect ratio of organic small molecules is shown to impact the roughness evolution during crystal growth through complementary experimental and computational studies.

A pair of 3D hybrid rare-earth double perovskites with large piezoelectric responses and CPL was constructed by introducing chirality. This study provides a strategy to prepare high-performance molecule-based piezoelectric and CPL materials.

Enforcing balanced electron–hole injection into the emitter layer of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes through a double-type-I heterostructure using polymer semiconductors maximizes the quantum efficiency over a wide current density range.

This work modifies the charge-transporting layer in organic photodiodes to a heterojunction bilayer. The bilayer design facilitates photomultiplication and suppresses the dark current to enhance detectivity and contrast in upconversion imagers.

Ambipolar transistors, i.e. transistors with symmetrical n- and p-type performances, open new avenues for the design and integration of high-density, efficient and versatile circuits for advanced technologies.

Polymer–dopant intermolecular interactions characterized by solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopy techniques offer clues about the different doping mechanisms and efficiencies.

Molecular doping is the key to enabling organic electronic devices, however, the design strategies to maximize doping efficiency demands further clarity and comprehension.

In situ terahertz spectroscopy on electrochemically doped P3HT reveals the impact of polarons and bipolarons on the short-range conductivity.

Marcus theory explains photoinduced electron transfer from donor molecules to a fullerene host when all microstates are included, and formation of free charge competes with charge-transfer states.

Starting from a chiral resolution of 2-ethylhexanoic acid followed by conversions of functional groups without interfering with the enantiopurity, we have successfully introduced an enantiopure 2-ethylhexyl group on to dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) via a Negishi-coupling reaction to synthesize 2-(R)-(2-ethylhexyl)- and 2-(S)-(2-ethylhexyl)-DNTT (R- and S-EH-DNTT, respectively).

By tuning donor strength, we produce an organic electro-optic chromophore with high hyperpolarizability, low absorption, and excellent electro-optic activity, which is demonstrated in a plasmonic–organic hybrid modulator with near record low V_πL.

Custom-built flow cells for absorption and fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry provide details on optical transitions, transition dipole moments and fluorescence quantum yields of five perylene bisimides as well as their radical anions and dianions.

We present a transient ODMR technique to detect and distinguish triplet states in opto-electronic and photovoltaic materials and devices.

The new concept of fabricating high-performance visible-blind narrowband UV photomultiplication-type organic photodetectors provides a necessary prerequisite for flexible wearable UV monitoring and other promising applications.

Taking advantage of an innovative design concept, we present the synthesis of two novel two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskites incorporating for the first time 100% of a photoactive tetrazine derivative as the organic component.

FDD-IR spectra combined with soft plasma etching is introduced to study organic film property along film-depth. It provides insights into different kinds of organic films, all equipment and methodology are easily accessible in laboratories worldwide.

Curved organic small molecule and single-walled carbon nanotube composites with enhanced interactions for thermoelectric materials.

Hybrid layered metal chalcogenide crystalline polymer hosts strongly anisotropic two-dimensional excitons with large binding energies.

The alcohol and water-based processing of a perylene diimide (PDI) organic semiconductor into large area and solvent resistant films is reported.

Access to the dynamics of trap annihilation/generation resulting from isomer rearrangement identifies the performance-limiting processes in organic thin-film transistors.

An n-type, accumulation mode, microscale organic electrochemical transistor monitors the activity of a pore-forming protein integrated into a lipid bilayer.

The origin of line-widths of electro-luminescent charge-transfer states in photovoltaic blends is evaluated and discussed in terms of vibrational theory.

Poly(4-fluorostyrene) with strong charge storage capability is introduced as an electret in a field-effect transistor to improve device performance and memory stability.