Approaching the Integer-Charge Transfer Regime in Molecularly Doped Oligothiophenes by Efficient Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling

A library of symmetrical linear oligothiophene was prepared employing decarboxylative cross-coupling reaction as the key transformation. Thiophene potassium carboxylate salts were used as cross-coupling partners without the need of co-catalyst, base, or additives. This method demonstrates complete chemoselectivity and is a comprehensive greener approach compared to the existing methods. The modularity of this approach is demonstrated with the preparation of discreet oligothiophenes with up to 10 thiophene repeat units. Symmetrical oligothiophenes are prototypical organic semiconductors where their molecular electrical doping as a function of the chain length can be assessed spectroscopically. An oligothiophene critical length for integer charge transfer was observed to be 10 thiophene units, highlighting the potential use of discrete oligothiophenes as doped conduction or injection layers in organic electronics applications.     

New Conjugated Oligothiophenes Containing the Unique Arrangement of Internal Adjacent [All]‐S,S‐Oxygenated Thiophene Fragments

The quest for obtaining conjugated oligothiophene‐containing molecules with narrower HOMO–LUMO gaps and higher oxidation and reduction potentials is the subject of this study. Molecules containing the bithiophene tetraoxide ( 2 ) and the terthiophene hexaoxide ( 3 ) moieties were prepared and studied. They were obtained by transferring oxygen atoms to the corresponding dibromo oligothiophenes with the HOF ? CH₃CN complex and then cross‐coupling them with either thiophene‐ or acetylene tin derivatives. The photophysical and electrochemical studies of the products revealed that this particular class of mixed thiophenes is characterized by significantly smaller frontier orbital gaps and higher oxidation and reduction potentials compared with any other arrangement of oligothiophenes including various [all]‐S,S‐oxygenated thiophene derivatives.     

Concise Synthesis of Well‐Defined Linear and Branched Oligothiophenes with Nickel‐Catalyzed Regiocontrolled Cross‐Coupling of 3‐Substituted Thiophenes by Catalytically Generated Magnesium Amide

The synthesis of linear and branched oligothiophenes of well‐defined structures is performed with regioselective deprotonation of 3‐substituted thiophenes and nickel‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of the thus formed metalated species with a bromothiophene. The reaction of 3‐hexylthiophene with EtMgCl and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine (TMP‐H, 10 mol %) induces the metalation selectively at the 5‐position by use of the catalytically generated hindered magnesium amide (TMPMgCl) and the subsequent reaction of a 2‐halo‐3‐hexylthiophene (bromide or chloride) in the presence of a nickel catalyst affords a head‐to‐tail (HT)‐type dimer. By repeating the same sequence, the linear oligothiophene up to a 4‐mer is synthesized in good yield. The reaction of 3‐hexylthiophene with 2,3‐dibromothiophene also takes place to afford a branched oligothiophene 3‐mer in quantitative yield. The obtained 3‐mer is also metalated at the sterically less‐hindered position in a regioselective manner furnishing a 7‐mer in >99 % yield after a further coupling reaction with 2,3‐dibromothiophene. These dendrimers react with several multifunctionalized organic electrophiles, leading to a variety of branched oligothiophenes.     

α‐Oligofurans: A Computational Study

Recently, α‐oligofurans have emerged as interesting and promising organic electronic materials that have certain advantages over α‐oligothiophenes. In this work, α‐oligofurans were studied computationally, and their properties were compared systematically with those of the corresponding oligothiophenes. Although the two materials share similar electronic structures, overall, this study revealed important differences between α‐oligofurans and α‐oligothiophenes. Twisting studies on oligofurans revealed them to be significantly more rigid than oligothiophenes in the ground state and first excited state. Neutral α‐oligofurans have more quinoid character, higher frontier orbital energies, and higher HOMO–LUMO gaps than their α‐oligothiophene counterparts. The theoretical results suggest that oligofurans (and subsequently polyfuran) have lower ionization potentials than the corresponding oligothiophenes (and polythiophene), which in turn predicts that oligofurans can be lightly doped more easily than oligothiophenes. Oligofuran dications (8 F²⁺–14 F²⁺) of medium‐sized and longer chain lengths show a polaron‐pair character, and the polycations of α‐oligofurans cannot accommodate high positive charges as easily as their thiophene analogues.     

Thiophene–phenylene/naphthalene‐based step‐ladder copolymers

A series of step‐ladder copolymers based on thiophene–phenylene–thiophene SL1 ‐ SL3 and thiophene–naphthylene–thiophene SL4 repeat units with varying lengths of the oligothiophene segment has been designed and synthesized via a microwave‐assisted Stille‐type cross‐coupling reaction followed by a polymer‐analogous cyclization reaction. The optical properties of the step‐ladder copolymers have been investigated in detail, in particular at low temperature and in the solid‐state. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7342–7353, 2008     

Synthesis of electroactive polystyrene derivatives para‐substituted with π‐conjugated oligothiophene via postgrafting functionalization

Two electroactive polystyrene derivatives para‐ substituted with π‐conjugated oligothiophene, poly(5‐hexyl‐5″‐(4‐vinylphenyl)‐2,2′:5′,2″‐terthiophene) ( PH3TS ), and poly(5‐hexyl‐5″″‐(4‐vinylphenyl)‐2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2″′:5″′,2″″‐quinquethiophene) ( PH5TS ) have been successfully synthesized via the Stille coupling reaction between tributyltin postfunctionalized poly(4‐(2‐thiophenyl)styrene) ( PTS ) and bromo‐oligothiophene. The effect of the chain length of the pendant oligothiophenes on properties of the resulting polymers including solubility, thermal stability, optical absorption, and electroactivation energy levels has been studied by using a variety of techniques such as thermogravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry, UV–Vis, Fluorescence, and cyclic voltammetry. With shielding of the hexyl terminal groups attached to the pendant oligothiophene units, no obvious chain aggregation was observed for both PH3TS and PH5TS even in a poor solvent environment. When compared with conventional linear conjugated polymer systems, the concept of grafting electroactive units as pendant side chains via postfunctionalizing aliphatic polymers might offer a strategy to precisely synthesize new electroactive polymer materials for a number of organic electronic applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Coordination‐Based Molecular Assemblies of Oligofurans and Oligothiophenes

Molecular assemblies (MAs) of oligofurans and oligothiophenes were formed from solutions on various substrates. These films were obtained by alternating deposition of organic chromophores (oligofurans or oligothiophenes) and a palladium salt. These coordination‐based MAs were characterized by UV/Vis spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray reflectivity (XRR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemistry. The MAs exhibit similar electrochemical behavior and their growth and structure are apparently not affected when different organic template layers are used. The density of the MAs is a function of the structure of the molecular component. The oligothiophene density is approximately 50 % higher than that observed for the oligofuran‐based assemblies. The optical and electrochemical properties of the MAs scale linearly with their thickness. The UV/Vis data indicate that upon increasing the film thickness, there is no significant conjugation between the metal‐separated organic chromophores. DFT calculations confirmed that the HOMO–LUMO gap of the surface‐bound oligofuran and oligothiophene metal oligomers do not change significantly upon increasing their chain length. However, electrochemical measurements indicate that the susceptibility of the MAs towards oxidation is dependent on the number of chromophore units.     

Synthesis,Properties, and π‐Dimer Formation of Oligothiophenes Partially Bearing Orthogonally Fused Fluorene Units

A series of oligothiophenes that incorporate cyclopenta[c]thiophene‐based units bearing spiro‐substituted dialkylfluorene was synthesized. Photophysical measurements indicated that there was no interruption in the conjugation along the oligothiophene backbones, irrespective of the number or position of this unit. Electrochemical measurements showed that the thiophene 7‐mers and 11‐mer exhibit reversible multi‐oxidation waves. The formation of cationic species was clearly observed from UV/Vis/NIR measurements. Furthermore, the UV/Vis/NIR spectra at 223 K under one‐electron oxidation conditions revealed that the unsubstituted thiophene or bithiophene units remained in the absence of intermolecular π–π interactions, whereas the formation of π‐dimeric species was observed for the thiophene 7‐mer containing an unsubstituted terthiophene ( U₃ ) unit. Theoretical calculations indicated that the combination of the U₃ unit and the all‐trans conformation decreased the intermolecular steric repulsion between the fused cyclopentene ring and its facing thiophene, which may contribute to the formation of the dimeric structure.     

High Charge Delocalization and Conjugation in Oligofuran Molecular Wires

The extent of charge delocalization and of conjugation in oligofurans and oligothiophenes was studied by using mixed valence systems comprising oligofurans and oligothiophenes capped at both ends by ferrocenyl redox units. Using electrochemical, spectral, and computational tools, we find strong charge delocalization in ferrocene‐capped oligofurans which was stronger than in the corresponding oligothiophene systems. Spectroscopic studies suggest that the electronic coupling integral (H_ab) is roughly 30–50 % greater for oligofuran‐bridged systems, indicating better energy matching between ferrocene units and oligofurans. The distance decay constant (damping factor), β, is similar for oligofurans (0.066 A^?1) and oligothiophenes (0.070 A^?1), which suggests a similar extent of delocalization in the bridge, despite the higher HOMO–LUMO gap in oligofurans. Computational studies indicate a slightly larger extent of delocalization in furan‐bridged systems compared with thiophene‐bridged systems, which is consistent with oligofurans being significantly more rigid and less aromatic than oligothiophenes. High charge delocalization in oligofurans, combined with the previously reported strong fluorescence, high mobility, and high rigidity of oligofuran‐based materials makes them attractive candidates for organic electronic applications.     

Radical ions of alpha,alpha'-bis(diphenylamino)-capped oligothiophenes: a combined spectroelectrochemical and theoretical study

A new homologous series of alpha,alpha'-bis(diphenylamino)-capped oligothiophenes, prepared by a palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of stannylated 2-diphenylaminothiophenes with 2-mono- or 2,5-dibromothiophenes and their homologues, was studied by in situ ESR/UV-vis/NIR spectroelectrochemistry. In general, the oxidation potentials of these oligothiophenes were found to be proportional to the inverse number of thiophene units. However, the potential slope of the first oxidation is completely different from that of higher oxidation steps. Trication radicals were identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) for higher thiophene homologues in addition to monocation radicals (polarons). According to the ESR hyperfine structures, the unpaired electron is delocalized in the conjugated system. In contrast to the parent alpha,alpha'-bis(diphenylamino)-capped oligothiophenes, the UV-vis/NIR absorption maxima of the oxidized species strongly depend on the number of thiophene units. Spin-restricted and spin-unrestricted Kohn-Sham density functional calculations were used to explain and to understand these properties. Absorption wavelength and intensities were calculated by the time-dependent density functional response theory. Unrestricted density functional calculations of oligothiophene dications (bipolarons) with five or more thiophene rings result in spin-broken structures which may be considered as two-polaron biradicals (polaron pairs).     

Synthesis and properties of self organising semiconducting and luminescent polymers and model compounds

Oligothiophene‐PEO‐block‐co‐polymers and related model compounds have been synthesised and characterised. In the polymers well‐defined oligothiophene blocks (with from two to six α,α‐linked thiophene sequences) were alternated with poly(ethylene oxide) blocks of narrow polydispersity. Model α,α‐linked sexithiophenes were prepared carrying chiral, achiral, mono and narrow polydispersity monomethyl PEO substituents at their terminal alpha positions. All the products were soluble in common organic solvents and organic/aqueous solvent mixtures. UV/vis and fluorescence studies in solution indicated that the oligothiophene segments were molecularly dissolved in good solvents like chloroform. Aggregation of the oligothiophenes occurred in dioxane/water mixtures, consistent with observed shifts of the UV absorption maxima towards the blue and quenching of the fluorescence. An oligothiophene length of three thiophenes (terthiophene) was necessary for aggregation to be observed. The materials formed well‐organised transferable monolayers at the air water interface.     

Dendritic oligothiophenes terminated with tris(alkyloxy)phenylethynyl tails: synthesis, physical properties, and self-assembly

Three-dimensional (3D) π-conjugated dendritic oligothiophenes up to a third generation have been functionalized with tris(decyloxy)phenylethynyl tails at the periphery. The first-generation compounds (3 T-p-Ph-C10 and 6 T-p-Ph-C10) were synthesized by palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reactions, whereas the higher generation products were synthesized by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions in a divergent approach. The optical and electrochemical properties were investigated by UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The results revealed that the terminal tris(alkyloxy)phenylethynyl groups are conjugated to the branched oligothiophene core, yielding redshifted absorption and fluorescence spectra and reduced optical band gaps relative to the dendritic oligothiophene core. A structural study revealed a close relationship between the type of supramolecular organization and the size of the oligothiophene core. The first-generation compounds 3 T-p-Ph-C10 and 6 T-p-Ph-C10 displayed columnar phases in the bulk state, which was confirmed by two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering (2D WAXS) measurements. The self-assembly into columnar stacks has mainly been attributed to phase separation between the rigid thiophene cores and the flexible side-chains assisted by minor π-stacking interactions between the conjugated dendritic oligothiophene units. The high-generation compounds, however, showed less ordered structures in the solid state.     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Quadrupolar Oligothiophene‐Cored Chromophores Containing Dimesitylboryl Moieties as π‐Accepting End‐Groups: Syntheses,Structures, Fluorescence,and One‐ and Two‐Photon Absorption

Quadrupolar oligothiophene chromophores composed of four to five thiophene rings with two terminal (E)‐dimesitylborylvinyl groups ( 4 V – 5 V ), and five thiophene rings with two terminal aryldimesitylboryl groups ( 5 B ), as well as an analogue of 5 V with a central EDOT ring ( 5 VE ), have been synthesized via Pd‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions in high yields (66–89 %). Crystal structures of 4 V , 5 B , bithiophene 2 V , and five thiophene‐derived intermediates are reported. Chromophores 4 V , 5 V , 5 B and 5 VE have photoluminescence quantum yields of 0.26–0.29, which are higher than those of the shorter analogues 1 V – 3 V (0.01–0.20), and short fluorescence lifetimes (0.50–1.05 ns). Two‐photon absorption (TPA) spectra have been measured for 2 V – 5 V , 5 B and 5 VE in the range 750–920 nm. The measured TPA cross‐sections for the series 2 V – 5 V increase steadily with length up to a maximum of 1930 GM. We compare the TPA properties of 2 V – 5 V with the related compounds 5 B and 5 VE , giving insight into the structure–property relationship for this class of chromophore. DFT and TD‐DFT results, including calculated TPA spectra, complement the experimental findings and contribute to their interpretation. A comparison to other related thiophene and dimesitylboryl compounds indicates that our design strategy is promising for the synthesis of efficient dyes for two‐photon‐excited fluorescence applications.     

Synthesis and properties of monodisperse multi‐triarylamine‐substituted oligothiophenes and 4,7‐bis(2′‐oligothienyl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazoles for organic solar cell applications

Two novel series of monodisperse multi‐triarylamine‐substituted oligothiophenes, G ₂ ‐ OT ( n )‐ G ₂ with thiophene unit (n) varying from 6 to 8, and 4,7‐bis(2′‐oligothienyl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazoles G ₂ ‐ OT ( n ) BTD ‐ G ₂ (n = 2, 4, 6) have been synthesized by the Suzuki coupling reactions. With an elongation of alkyl‐substituted oligothiophene core or an incorporation of benzothiadiazole into the central core, the absorption and emission spectra of G ₂ ‐ OT ( n )‐ G ₂ and G ₂ ‐ OT ( n ) BTD ‐ G ₂ series red‐shift substantially with the optical gap reducing to 1.95 eV for G ₂ ‐ OT ( 6 ) BTD ‐ G ₂ . Alkyl‐substitution onto oligothiophene backbone not only improves the solubility of the highly extended dendrimers but also renders coplanarity of the dendritic oligothiophene backbone at the excited state, which results in the enhancement of fluorescence quantum efficiency. The bulk heterojunction solar cells using these newly synthesized dendritic oligothiophenes as a donor material and [6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an acceptor material were fabricated and investigated which showed an increase in device performance as compared with those of the lower homologues. On increasing the loading of PCBM from 1.5 to 3 times in the active layer, there was also an enhancement in device performance with power conversion efficiencies of as‐fabricated solar cells increasing from 0.18% to 0.32%. In addition, proper annealing procedure could significantly improve the device performance of the dendrimer‐based photovoltaic cell. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 137–148, 2009     

Towards Molecular Design Rationalization in Branched Multi‐Thiophene Semiconductors: The 2‐Thienyl‐Persubstituted α‐Oligothiophenes

The introduction of branching in multi‐thiophene semiconductors, although granting the required solubility for processing, results in an increased molecular fluxionality and a higher level of distortion, thus hampering π conjugation. Accordingly, branched oligothiophenes require rationalization of their structure–reactivity relationships for target‐oriented design and optimization of the synthetic effort. Our current research on spiderlike oligothiophenes affords deep insight into the subject, and introduces new, easily accessible molecules with attractive functional properties. In particular, a regular series, T′X _Y , of five new multi‐thiophene systems, T′5₃ , T′8₄ , T′11₅ , T′14₆ , and T′17₇ , constituted by five, eight, 11, 14, and 17 thiophene units, respectively, their longest α‐conjugated chain consisting of tri‐, tetra‐, penta‐, hexa‐, and heptathiophene moieties, respectively, has been synthesized and fully characterized from the structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical point of view. The electronic properties of the monomers and their electropolymerization ability are discussed and rationalized as a function of their molecular structure, particularly in comparison with the series of 5‐(2,2′‐dithiophene)yl‐persubstituted α‐oligothiophenes ( TX _Y ) previously reported by us. These oligothiophenes are easily accessible materials, with promising properties for applications as active layers in multifunctional organic devices including solar cells.     

Theoretical investigation of the tunable behavior of p-n copolymers based on oligothiophenes and 1,4-bis(oxadiazolyl)-benzene

Semiempirical calculations were carried out on several model oligomers to investigate the tunable behavior of p-n copolymers with the repeating units constructed by oligothiophenes as the pi-excessive type blocks and 1,4-bis(oxadiazolyl) benzene as the pi-deficient type block. The calculated evolutions of the HOMO and LUMO of the model oligomers were in good agreement with the experimental oxidation and reduction potentials of the corresponding polymers. The effect of the length of the oligothiophene on the electronic structures and optical properties was elucidated by analyzing the HOMO and LUMO spatial distribution patterns of the model oligomers. When the number of thiophene rings increases, the HOMO and LUMO are contributed mostly from the oligothiophene segments and either the introduced single positive or negative charge focuses on the oligothiophene segments. The absorption spectra of polymers were also simulated by performing calculations on the corresponding oligomers. Good matches were observed between the calculated absorption spectra and the experimental UV-vis spectra of the corresponding polymers. The study shows that the backbone modification of the p-n copolymer, that is, changing the number of thiophene unit in the p-n diblock copolymer, greatly modifies the optical properties of the polymer.     

2,2′:3′,2′′‐Terthiophene‐Based all‐Thiophene Dendrons and Dendrimers: Synthesis,Structural Characterization,and Properties

The synthesis of generational dendritic oligothiophenes (DOTs) has been successfully achieved by a divergent/convergent approach that involves halogenation, boronation, and palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions. The key point in the presented synthetic approach is the use of trimethylsilyl (TMS) protecting groups, which allow for the core‐lithiation and subsequent boronation of the dendrons and for the peripheral ipso‐substitution with iodine monochloride or N‐bromosuccimide. In addition, the TMS protecting groups can be completely removed by using tetrabutylammonium fluoride, thus yielding only‐thiophene‐based dendrons and dendrimers. Due to their highly branched structure, all these synthesized DOTs are soluble in organic solvents. Chemical structures were confirmed by NMR spectroscopic, mass spectrometric, and elemental analysis. Concentration‐dependent ¹H NMR spectroscopic investigations revealed that the higher generation compounds tend to aggregate in solution. Such an aggregation behavior was further confirmed by measuring with MALDI‐TOF MS. Both MALDI‐TOF MS and gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses confirmed the monodispersity of the DOTs. Furthermore, GPC results revealed that these DOT molecules adopt a condensed globular molecular shape. Their optical and electronic properties were also investigated. The results indicated that these DOTs comprise various conjugated α‐oligothiophenes with different chain lengths, which results in the higher generation compounds showing broad and featureless UV/Vis absorption spectra and ill‐defined redox waves.     

Pd(0)‐Catalyzed Cu(I)‐Thiophene‐2‐carboxylate‐mediated Cross‐Coupling of Heteroaromatic Thioethers and Boronic Acids—First Liebeskind–Srogl Reaction in Water

The first example of a Liebeskind–Srogl cross‐coupling reaction in water as sole reaction solvent is reported. 2‐(Methylthio)pyridine and 2‐(methylthio)benzothiazole were reacted in the presence of a Pd(0) catalyst and copper(I) thiophene‐2‐carboxylate with a series of arylboronic acids. These cross coupling reactions in water proceeded well with electron‐rich boronic acids and gave comparable yields to literature examples using organic solvents. Electron‐poor boronic acids gave somewhat lower yields in aqueous medium.     

Tyrosine Side-Chain Functionalities at Distinct Positions Determine the Chirooptical Properties and Supramolecular Structures of Pentameric Oligothiophenes

Control over the photophysical properties and molecular organization of π-conjugated oligothiophenes is essential to their use in organic electronics. Herein we synthesized and characterized a variety of anionic pentameric oligothiophenes with different substitution patterns of L- or D-tyrosine at distinct positions along the thiophene backbone. Spectroscopic, microscopic, and theoretical studies of L- or D-tyrosine substituted pentameric oligothiophene conjugates revealed the formation of optically active π-stacked self-assembled aggregates under acid conditions. The distinct photophysical characteristics, as well as the supramolecular structures of the assemblies, were highly influenced by the positioning of the L- or D-tyrosine moieties along the thiophene backbone. Overall, the obtained results clearly demonstrate how fundamental changes in the position of the enantiomeric side-chain functionalities greatly affect the optical properties as well as the architecture of the self-assembled supramolecular structures.     

Tuning the Self‐Assembly of Oligothiophenes on Chemical Vapor Deposition Graphene: Effect of Functional Group,Solvent, and Substrate

Tuning and characterizing the interfacial structure of organic semiconductors on graphene is essential for graphene‐based devices. Regulation of the supramolecular assembling structure of oligothiophenes on graphene by changing functional groups attached to the backbone of oligothiophenes is described and the assembling behavior is compared with that on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. It reveals that terminal functional groups attached to the conjugated backbone of oligothiophene can entirely change the assembling structures. Significant solvent and substrate effects have also been confirmed by comparing the assembling structures of oligothiophenes deposited from tetrahydrofuran, 1,2,4‐trichlorobenzene, and octanoic acid onto graphene and graphite.