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 Apr. 2023
Accepted
07 Jūn. 2023
First published
09 Jūn. 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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