Issue 26, 2023

Shear-aligned large-area organic semiconductor crystals through extended π–π interaction

Abstract

Small molecule-based organic semiconductors are of broad interest in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) due to their potential for high crystallinity and electrical performance. The 2D molecule, TIPS-peri-pentacenopentacene (TIPS-PPP), which is the vertical extension of the 1D TIPS-pentacene (TIPS-PEN) molecule, offers a lower bandgap, higher aromaticity, and an enhanced π–π interaction with neighboring molecules in the solid state when compared to TIPS-PEN. However, an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the molecule structure, solid-state molecular packing, and the electronic properties has not been reported due to poor control over the TIPS-PPP crystallite size. In this work, we successfully engineered highly oriented large-area TIPS-PPP crystals through the solution shear coating technique. Compared with narrow ribbon-like TIPS-PEN crystals, TIPS-PPP crystals can grow centimeters long and over 500 μm wide. TIPS-PPP molecules are less susceptible to forming metastable polymorphs than TIPS-PEN molecules upon fast evaporation. The crystal structure of TIPS-PPP is also thermally stable at 250 °C. Notably, the anisotropic charge carrier mobility of TIPS-PPP crystals is resolved through fabricating bottom-gate top-contact devices, with a hole mobility of 3.1 cm2 V−1 s−1 along the preferred packing direction. Further device optimization using top-gate bottom-contact devices improved the mobility up to 6.5 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is among the highest for pentacene-derivative-based organic semiconductors.

Graphical abstract: Shear-aligned large-area organic semiconductor crystals through extended π–π interaction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 4 2023
Accepted
07 6 2023
First published
09 6 2023

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023,11, 8992-9001

Author version available

Shear-aligned large-area organic semiconductor crystals through extended π–π interaction

S. Zhang, F. Talnack, T. Jousselin-Oba, V. Bhat, Y. Wu, Y. Lei, Y. Tomo, H. Gong, L. Michalek, D. Zhong, C. Wu, A. Yassar, S. Mannsfeld, C. Risko, M. Frigoli and Z. Bao, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023, 11, 8992 DOI: 10.1039/D3TC01311A

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