Issue 1, 2022

Organic single crystals of charge-transfer complexes: model systems for the study of donor/acceptor interactions

Abstract

The charge-transfer (CT) state arising as a hybrid electronic state at the interface between charge donor and charge acceptor molecular units is important to a wide variety of physical processes in organic semiconductor devices. The exact nature of this state depends heavily on the nature and co-facial overlap between the donor and acceptor; however, altering this overlap is usually accompanied by extensive confounding variations in properties due to extrinsic factors, such as microstructure. As a consequence, establishing reliable relationships between donor/acceptor molecular structures, their molecular overlap, degree of charge transfer and physical properties, is challenging. Herein, we examine the electronic structure of a polymorphic system based on the donor dibenzotetrathiafulvalene (DBTTF) and the acceptor 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) in the form of high-quality single crystals varying in the donor–acceptor overlap. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we resolve the highest occupied molecular orbital states of the CT crystals. Analysis based on field-effect transistors allows us to probe the sub-gap states impacting hole and electron transport. Our results expand the understanding on the impact of donor and acceptor interactions on electronic structure and charge transport.

Graphical abstract: Organic single crystals of charge-transfer complexes: model systems for the study of donor/acceptor interactions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
31 7 2021
Accepted
15 10 2021
First published
15 10 2021

Mater. Horiz., 2022,9, 271-280

Author version available

Organic single crystals of charge-transfer complexes: model systems for the study of donor/acceptor interactions

K. P. Goetz, H. F. Iqbal, E. G. Bittle, C. A. Hacker, S. Pookpanratana and O. D. Jurchescu, Mater. Horiz., 2022, 9, 271 DOI: 10.1039/D1MH01214B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements