Molecular origin of differences in hole and electron mobility in amorphous Alq3--a multiscale simulation study

In order to determine the molecular origin of the difference in electron and hole mobilities of amorphous thin films of Alq(3) (meridional Alq(3) (tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium)) we performed multiscale simulations covering quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics and lattice models. The study includes realistic disordered morphologies, polarized site energies to describe diagonal disorder, quantum chemically calculated transfer integrals for the off-diagonal disorder, inner sphere reorganization energies and an approximative scheme for outer sphere reorganization energies. Intermolecular transfer rates were calculated via Marcus-theory and mobilities were simulated via kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and by a Master Equation approach. The difference in electron and hole mobility originates from the different localization of charge density in the radical anion (more delocalized) compared to the radical cation (more confined). This results in higher diagonal disorder for holes and less favourable overlap properties for the hole transfer integrals leading to an overall higher electron mobility.     

Electron and hole mobilities in polymorphs of benzene and naphthalene: role of intermolecular interactions

The hole and electron mobilities of the polymorphs of benzene and naphthalene crystals are estimated through quantum chemical calculations. The reorganization energy (lambda) and the charge-transfer matrix elements (Hmn) calculated for the two molecules reveal that these crystals can be used for dual applications, for both hole and electron conductance. The electron mobilities are five to eight times more than the hole mobilities for benzene while for naphthalene, the hole mobilities are almost an order magnitude more than the electron mobilities. The transfer matrices for both hole and electron conductance decrease monotonically with increase in the intermolecular distances. Calculations for various unique stacked dimers as determined from the radial distribution functions in both the crystals for the two molecules show strong dependence on the orientations of the rings and for similar intermolecular separations; Hmnhole is larger than Hmnelectron. The crystal mobilities are calculated from the weighted average over all the unique pair of molecules. The overall preference in a crystal for hole or electron mobility depends on the mutual competition of lambdahole/lambdaelectron and Hmnhole/Hmnelectron. From our microscopic understanding of essential parameters, specific dimers are identified from the crystalline solids of the two polymorphs and experimental strategies are suggested to enrich such pairs in aggregates for enhancing mobilities for these organic solids.     

Molecular Designs and Properties of Highly Efficient Blue Emitters for OLEDs

Advances made in the molecular design of modern optoelectronic materials have made significant contributions toward the development of organic electronics. The organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) employing monodisperse or polymeric conjugated materials possess the most promising prospects. However, materials suitable for long-term use as blue light emitters are still far from optimization in terms of stability.In the past few years, interesting materials based on 9,9-diaryl-substituted fluorene as a core structure have been developed in our laboratory. We developed a series of efficient and morphologically stable pyrimidine-containing 9,9'-spirobifluorene-cored oligoaryls as pure blue emitters. The steric hindrance inherent with the molecular structure renders the material with a record-high thin-film PL quantum yield of ～95% and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of ～200 ℃.Blue OLEDs employing this thermally stable compound as the emitting host exhibit unusual endurance for high currents. Injection current over 5,000 mA/cm2 and maximal brightness of～80,000 cd/m2 had been demonstrated, representing the highest values reported for blue OLEDs under dc driving. In addition, a series of oligofluorene homologues have been synthesized. These oligofluorenes exhibit interesting reversible bipolar redox properties and excellent morphological and thermal stability. Furthermore, nondispersive ambipolar high hole and electron mobilities over 10-3 cm2/V.s can be achieved with these oligo(9,9-diarylfluorene)s. In particular, the electron mobility observed represents the highest ever reported for amorphous molecular solids. These intriguing properties together with the high quantum yields in thin films make these oligo(9,9-diarylfluorene)s are promising for OLEDs applications as efficient blue emitters. In this meeting, the synthesis and properties of these materials and their highly efficient OLEDs device characteristics will be discussed.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the charge transport property of 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl

The hole and electron mobilities of the amorphous films of the organic semiconductor 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) at different electric fields were measured through the time of flight (TOF) method. Based on its crystalline structure, the hole and electron mobilities of CBP were calculated. A detailed comparison between experimental and theoretical results is necessary for further understanding its charge transport properties. In order to do this, charge mobilities at zero electric field, μ(0), were deduced from experimental data as a link between experimental and theoretical data. It was found that the electron transport of CBP is less affected by traps compared with its hole transport. This unusual phenomenon can be understood through the distributions of frontier molecular orbitals. We showed that designing materials with frontier molecular orbitals localized at the center of the molecule has the potency to reduce the influence of traps on charge transport and provide new insights into designing high mobility charge transport materials.     

Ambipolar, high performance, acene-based organic thin film transistors

We present a high performance, ambipolar organic field-effect transistor composed of a single material. Ambipolar molecules are rare, and they can enable low-power complementary-like circuits. This low band gap, asymmetric linear acene contains electron-withdrawing fluorine atoms, which lower the molecular orbital energies, allowing the injection of electrons. While hole and electron mobilities of up to 0.071 and 0.37 cm2/V.s, respectively, are reported on devices measured in nitrogen, hole mobilities of up to 0.12 cm2/V.s were found in ambient, with electron transport quenched. These devices were fabricated on octadecyltrimethoxysilane-treated surfaces at a substrate temperature of 60 degrees C.     

Theoretical insights into the 1D‐charge transport properties in a series of hexaazatrinaphthylene‐based discotic molecules

Discotic liquid crystal (DLC) materials have attracted considerable attention mainly due to their high charge carrier mobilities in quasi‐one‐dimensional columns. In this article, five hexaazatrinaphthylene‐based DLC molecules were investigated theoretically, and their frontier molecular orbital energy levels, crystal structures, and electron/hole drift mobilities were calculated by combination of density functional theory (DFT) and semiclassical Marcus charge transfer theory. The systems studied in this work include three experimentally reported molecules ( 1 , 2 , and 3 ) and two theoretically designed molecules ( 4 and 5 ). Compared with the 1 – 3 compounds, 4 and 5 have three more extended benzene rings in the π‐conjugated core. The present results show that the orders of the frontier molecular orbital energy levels and electron drift mobilities agree very well with the experiment. For 4 and 5 , the electron/hole reorganization energies are lower than those of compounds 1 – 3 . Furthermore, the calculated electron/hole transfer integral of 5 is the largest among all the five systems, leading to the highest electron and hole mobilities. In addition, the hydrophobicity and solubility were also evaluated by DFT, indicating that compound 5 has good hydrophobicity and good solubility in trichloromethane. As a result, it is expected that compound 5 can be a potential charge transport material in electronic and optoelectronic devices. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Theoretical study on charge carrier mobilities of tetrathiafulvalene derivatives

We calculated the hole and electron mobilities of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivative crystals using first-principles calculations and the Marcus theory of electron transfer. The hole and electron reorganization energies were found to decrease with the extension of π-conjugated orbitals. The calculated hole mobilities of TTF, dibenzo-tetrathiafulvalene (DB-TTF), and dinaphtho-tetrathiafulvalene (DN-TTF) agree well with the experimental results. In addition, with the increase of the number of benzene rings attached to the TTF skeleton, the hole mobilities decrease and the electron mobilities increase. The calculated electron mobility of dianthro-tetrathiafulvalene (DA-TTF) based on a virtual crystal structure is much larger than the hole one due to the small electron reorganization energy and large electron coupling. This suggests that the charge transfer properties of the TTF derivatives can be modified when the number of aromatic rings on TTF skeleton increases.     

Generation and transport of charge carriers in the charge-transfer complex anthracene-pyromellitic-dianhydride

In single crystals of the zone-refined charge-transfer complex anthracene-pyromellitic-dianhydride the temperature dependences of the photocurrent quantum yield and of the electron and hole mobilities ⊥ [001] and ⊥ (010) have been studied. A hot transition in the action spectrum and microscopic electron mobilities are observed.     

Molecular packing of high-mobility diketo pyrrolo-pyrrole polymer semiconductors with branched alkyl side chains

We describe a series of highly soluble diketo pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP)-bithiophene copolymers exhibiting field effect hole mobilities up to 0.74 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), with a common synthetic motif of bulky 2-octyldodecyl side groups on the conjugated backbone. Spectroscopy, diffraction, and microscopy measurements reveal a transition in molecular packing behavior from a preferentially edge-on orientation of the conjugated plane to a preferentially face-on orientation as the attachment density of the side chains increases. Thermal annealing generally reduces both the face-on population and the misoriented edge-on domains. The highest hole mobilities of this series were obtained from edge-on molecular packing and in-plane liquid-crystalline texture, but films with a bimodal orientation distribution and no discernible in-plane texture exhibited surprisingly comparable mobilities. The high hole mobility may therefore arise from the molecular packing feature common to the entire polymer series: backbones that are strictly oriented parallel to the substrate plane and coplanar with other backbones in the same layer.     

Simulating charge transport in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq(3))

We present a model of charge transport in organic solids which explicitly considers the packing and electronic structure of individual molecules. We simulate the time-of-flight mobility measurement in crystalline and disordered films of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq(3)). The morphology of disordered Alq(3) is modelled on a molecular scale, and density functional theory is used to determine the electronic couplings between molecules. Without any fitting parameters we predict electron mobilities in the crystalline and disordered phases of approximately 1 and approximately 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively. In good agreement with experiment we find that electron mobilities are two orders of magnitude greater than those of holes. We explain this difference in terms of the spatial extent of the frontier orbitals. Our results suggest that charge transport in disordered Alq(3) is dominated by a few highly conducting pathways.     

In-depth quantum chemical investigation of electro-optical and charge-transport properties of trans-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-enenitrile

The structural, electro-optical and charge-transport properties of compound trans-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-enenitrile (DMNPN) were studied using quantum chemical methods. The neutral, cation and anion molecular geometries were optimized in the ground state using density functional theory (DFT) at the restricted and unrestricted B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory. The excited state geometries were optimized by applying time-dependent DFT at the TD-B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory. The absorption and fluorescence wavelengths were calculated at the TD-CAM-B3LYP/6-31G** and TD-LC-BLYP/6-31G** levels of theory. The distribution pattern of the charge densities on the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) are discussed. Intramolecular charge transfer was observed from the dimethoxyphenyl to (nitrophenyl)prop-2-enenitrile moieties. The detailed charge-transport behavior of the DMNPN molecule is investigated based on its ionization potential, electron affinity, hole and electron reorganization energies, hole and electron-transfer integrals, and hole and electron intrinsic mobilities. The total/partial densities of states and structure–property relationship are discussed in detail. The higher computed hole intrinsic mobility than electron intrinsic mobility reveals that DMNPN is an efficient hole-transport material.     

Borazine materials for organic optoelectronic applications

Borazine materials have been demonstrated to be a new class of multifunctional and thermally stable materials with high electron (10(-3) cm2 V(-1) s(-1)) and moderate hole (10(-4) cm2 V(-1) s(-1)) mobilities for applications in electroluminescent devices.     

An unprecedented ambipolar charge transport material exhibiting balanced electron and hole mobilities

2,7-Bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-9,9'-spirobifluorene exhibits balanced electron and hole mobilities of up to 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), as measured using time-of-flight techniques.     

A new thiophene substituted isoindigo based copolymer for high performance ambipolar transistors

A novel thiophene substituted isoindigo and its copolymer with benzothiadiazole have been synthesized. The polymer with low lying LUMO energy levels exhibits excellent ambipolar behavior in field effect transistors with both hole and electron mobilities recorded over 0.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).     

Ultrahigh mobility in polymer field-effect transistors by design

In this article, the design paradigm involving molecular weight, alkyl substituents, and donor-acceptor interaction for the poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-alkyl-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (cyclopentadithiophene-benzothiadiazole) donor-acceptor copolymer (CDT-BTZ) toward field-effect transistors (FETs) with ultrahigh mobilities is presented and discussed. It is shown that the molecular weight plays a key role in improving hole mobilities, reaching an exceptionally high value of up to 3.3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). Possible explanations for this observation is highlighted in conjunction with thin film morphology and crystallinity. Hereby, it is found that the former does not change, whereas, at the same time, crystallinity improved with ever growing molecular weight. Furthermore, other important structural design factors such as alkyl chain substituents and donor-acceptor interaction between the polymer backbones potentially govern intermolecular stacking distances crucial for charge transport and hence for device performance. In this aspect, for the first time we attempt to shed light onto donor-acceptor interactions between neighboring polymer chains with the help of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). On the basis of our results, polymer design principles are inferred that might be of relevance for prospective semiconductors exhibiting hole mobilities even exceeding 3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).     

Local free volume and structural relaxation studied with photoisomerization of azobenzene and persistent spectral hole burning in poly(alkyl methacrylate)s at low temperatures

The final extent of trans‐to‐cis photoisomerization of an azobenzene probe in various amorphous polymers has been used in previous studies for estimating local free volume and its fluctuation in polymer solids. However, there have been few studies on what kinds of molecular motion cause the fluctuation of local free volume at low temperatures. The onset of local structural relaxation (molecular motion) can be observed with temperature cycling experiments in persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB). Thus, in the present article, the fluctuation of local free volume observed in trans‐to‐cis photoisomerization of azobenzene is related to the local structural relaxation observed in PSHB for poly(alkyl methacrylate)s with various ester groups, i.e., methyl (PMMA), ethyl (PEMA), n‐propyl (PnPMA), isopropyl (PiPMA), and isobutyl (PiBMA) groups. In the final cis fraction, rapid decrease, from 20 to 4 K in PEMA, PnPMA, and PiPMA, and from 86 to 20 K in PiBMA, is observed. These temperature regions of the rapid decrease in final cis fraction in these polymers agree well with those where the hole width in PSHB temperature cycling experiments begins to increase for the same polymers. For example, PEMA begins its ester ethyl group rotation at 17 K, which was primarily observed with PSHB, causing the drastic decrease in final cis fraction of azobenzene from 20 to 4 K. The final cis fractions at 4 K for these poly(alkyl methacrylate)s reflect the intrinsic sizes of the local free volume, except in the case of PMMA, and are compared with the reported results of positron annihilation lifetime measurements. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3098–3105, 2000     

十字交叉型π共轭分子3,6-二苯-1,2,4,5-(2′,2″-二苯基)-苯并二噁唑的电子结构和电荷传输性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论的B3LYP方法, 在6-31G(d)基组水平下研究了以三联苯和二苯基苯并噁唑构成的十字交叉型共轭分子3,6-二苯基-1,2,4,5-(2′,2″-二苯基)-苯并二噁唑的电子结构和电荷传输性质. 通过对分子的重组能和晶体中分子间电荷传输积分的计算得到该分子的空穴迁移率为0.31 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, 电子迁移率为0.11 cm²/(V·s). 计算结果表明, 空穴的传输主要是通过三联苯方向上两端苯环的“边对面”的相互作用以及分子中心π体系的错位重叠相互作用来实现的. 而电子的传输路径主要是通过苯并噁唑方向的π-π重叠相互作用来实现. 通过分析分子正负离子态的Mulliken电荷发现, 正电荷较多分布在三联苯方向上, 而负电荷较多分布在苯并噁唑方向上. 计算结果表明, 电子和空穴的传输分别在分子相互交叉的不同方向上, 有利于电子和空穴的平衡传输.     

Theoretical study on charge transport of quinacridone polymorphs

The charge carrier transporting ability in the polymorphism of quinacridone (QA) has been studied using density‐functional theory and Marcus charge transport theory. The theoretical results indicated quinacridone has good electron transport ability and electron mobilities of all the polymorphism are at 10^?2 magnitude. But its hole mobility, which varied with the different molecular packing, is at range of 10^?1–10^?3 magnitude. The difference of charge carrier mobilities among the polymorphism is originated from the different packing mode. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

四氯化碳和吡啶对苯和环己烷中正子素生成的影响

研究了在含不同浓度电子清除剂CCL_4或正穴清除剂吡啶的苯溶液和环己烷溶液中o-Ps强度的变化。结果表明,环己烷中电子和正离子的迁移率是很高的,苯中的迁移率也较高,但比环己烷中的小些。由我们导出的有关正穴清除剂使o-Ps强度增加的关系式表明,o-Ps强度的增强或抑制是电子清除和正穴清除这两个过程竞争的结果。     

Structural effects on the hole mobilities of indenothiophene-embedded homologs

A systematic study of the relationship between the structures and the non-dispersive hole mobilities (up to 10⁻³ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) of a homologous series of amorphous indenothiophene-containing materials is described. The hole mobilities were dependent mainly on the length and rigidity of the π-conjugated backbone and the peripheral substituents.