Trends in Conjugated Chalcogenophenes: A Theoretical Study

Heavy atom substitution in chalcogenophenes is a versatile strategy for tailoring and ultimately improving conjugated polymer properties. While thiophene monomers are commonly implemented in polymer designs, relatively little is known regarding the molecular properties of the heavier chalcogenophenes. Herein, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine how group 16 heteroatoms, including the radioactive polonium, affect polychalcogenophene properties including bond length, chain twisting, aromaticity, and optical properties. Heavier chalcogenophenes are more quinoidal in character and consequently have reduced band gaps and larger degrees of planarity. We consider both the neutral and radical cationic species. Upon p-type doping, bond length rearrangement is indicative of a more delocalized electronic structure, which combined with optical calculations is consistent with the polaron-model of charge storage on conjugated polymer chains. A better understanding of the properties of these materials at their molecular levels will inevitably be useful in material design as the polymer community continues to explore more main group containing polymers to tackle issues in electronic devices.     

Comparison of Thiophene–Pyrrole Oligomers with Oligothiophenes: A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Their Structural and Spectroscopic Properties

We have prepared a new series of mixed thiophene–pyrrole oligomers to investigate the electronic benefits arising from the combination of these two heterocycles. The oligomers are functionalized with several hexyl and aryl groups to improve both processability and chemical robustness. An analysis of their spectroscopic (absorption and emission), photophysical, electrochemical, solid state, and vibrational properties is performed in combination with quantum‐chemical calculations. This analysis provides relevant information regarding the use of these materials as organic semiconductors. The balance between the high aromatic character of pyrrole and the moderate aromaticity of thiophene allows us to address the impact of the coupling of these heterocycles in conjugated systems. The data are interpreted on the basis of the aromaticity, molecular conformations, ground and excited electronic state structures, frontier orbital topologies and energies, oxidative states, and quinoidal versus aromatic competition.     

Origin of the Electron Transport Properties of Aromatic and Antiaromatic Single Molecule Circuits

Antiaromatic molecules have been predicted to exhibit increased electron transport properties when placed between two nanoelectrodes compared to their aromatic analogues. While some studies have demonstrated this relationship, others have found no substantial increase. We use atomistic simulations to establish a general relationship between the electronic spectra of aromatic, antiaromatic, and quinoidal molecules and illustrate its implications for electron transport. We compare the electronic properties of a series of aromatic-antiaromatic counterparts and show that antiaromaticity effectively p-dopes the aromatic electronic spectra. As a consequence, the conducting properties of aromatic-antiaromatic analogues are closely related. For similar attachment points to the electrodes, an interference feature is expected in the HOMO-LUMO gap of one whenever it is absent in the other one. We demonstrate how the relative conductance of aromatic-antiaromatic pairs can be tuned and even reversed through the choice of chemical linker groups. Our work provides a general picture relating connectivity, (anti)aromaticity, and quantum interference and establishes new design rules for single molecule circuits.     

Quinoidal Oligo(9,10‐anthryl)s with Chain‐Length‐Dependent Ground States: A Balance between Aromatic Stabilization and Steric Strain Release

Quinoidal π‐conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons have attracted intensive research interest due to their unique optical/electronic properties and possible magnetic activity, which arises from a thermally excited triplet state. However, there is still lack of fundamental understanding on the factors that determine the electronic ground states. Herein, by using quinoidal oligo(9,10‐anthryl)s, it is demonstrated that both aromatic stabilisation and steric strain release play balanced roles in determining the ground states. Oligomers with up to four anthryl units were synthesised and their ground states were investigated by electronic absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, assisted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The quinoidal 9,10‐anthryl dimer 1 has a closed‐shell ground state, whereas the tri‐ ( 2 ) and tetramers ( 3 ) both have an open‐shell diradical ground state with a small singlet–triplet gap. Such a difference results from competition between two driving forces: the large steric repulsion between the anthryl/phenyl units in the closed‐shell quinoidal form that drives the molecule to a flexible open‐shell diradical structure, and aromatic stabilisation due to the gain of more aromatic sextet rings in the closed‐shell form, which drives the molecule towards a contorted quinoidal structure. The ground states of these oligomers thus depend on the overall balance between these two driving forces and show chain‐length dependence.     

Oxidation potential of thiophene oligomers: Theoretical and experimental approach

Intrinsic properties of conducting polymers, such as oxidation potential and band gap, are very important for designing new materials with improved properties. Computational chemistry offers suitable tools capable of predicting these quantities. This work presents electrochemical information about accurate oxidation potentials of oligothiophenes and polymer band gap. These are compared to theoretical predictions based on electronic structure calculations at Density Functional Theory levels, coupled with self‐consistent reaction field. All computational protocols gave a qualitative prediction of the experimental trend. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Giant Stark effect in double-stranded porphyrin ladder polymers

Using the first-principles calculations, we have investigated the stability and the electronic structure of two types of recently synthesized one-dimensional nanoribbons, i.e., double-stranded zinc(II) porphyrin ladder polymer (LADDER) arrays. First, electronic structure calculations were used to show that the LADDER is a semiconductor. Most importantly, the application of a transverse electric field significantly reduces the band gap of the LADDER, ultimately converting the LADDER to a metal at a field strength of 0.1 V∕A?. The giant Stark effect in this case is almost as strong as that in boron nitride nanotubes and nanoribbons. In the presence of an electric field, hole conduction and electronic conduction will occur entirely through spatially separated strands, rendering these materials useful for nanoelectronic devices. Second, the substitution of hydrogen atoms in the porphyrin units or that of zinc ions with other kinds of chemical species is found to increase the binding strength of the LADDER and reduce the band gap.     

DFT study of “all-metal” aromatic compounds

An overview of recent quantum chemical studies on all-metal aromatic compounds is presented. Novel classes of inorganic molecules containing bonds that are characterized by a common ring-shaped electron density are reviewed. The mechanistic insight gained for the aromatic character of all-metal aromatic molecules is discussed and the predictive nature of the electronic structure calculation methods particularly those based on density functional theory (DFT) is highlighted. The indicators of aromaticity (aromaticity criteria) - structural, magnetic, energetic and reactivity-based measures - many of which are accessible through quantum chemical calculations are also outlined herein.     

Trends in geometric and electronic properties of thiophene- and cyclopentadiene-based polymers

In this work, we present theoretical evidence illustrating that cyano derivatives of conducting polymers such as polythiophene, polycyclopentadiene, and polyfulvene have smaller intrinsic band gaps than those of their parent polymers. The geometric and electronic properties of the parent and the derivative polymers were studied with the use of two methodologies: (1) the pseudo-one-dimensional band-structure calculations performed using the semi-empirical molecular orbital theory (MNDO, AM1) and (2) oligomer calculations performed using the ab initio molecular orbital theory both at the Hartree–Fock and configuration interaction levels. In particular, we found that an organic polymer, poly(dicyanomethylene cyclopentadifulvene) (PCNFv), has a comparable (possibly lower) band gap to the one observed in poly(dicyanomethylene cyclopentadithiophene) (PCNTH) (which has a band gap of 0.8 eV). The precursor of PCNFv is poly(dicyanomethylene cyclopentadicyclopentadiene) (PCNCY) in which two cyclopentadiene rings are connected by a dicyanomethylene group. The additional bond conjugation (in contrast to PCNCY) perpendicular to the chain axis makes PCNFv very rigid and fully planar. Trends in structural properties indicate that the lower band gaps in the cyano-substituted polymers, in comparison to their parent polymers, are accompanied by a decrease in bond alternations in the aromatic or trans–cisoid forms and by an increase in bond alternations in the quinoid or cis–transoid forms. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 66 : 229–240, 1998     

An Unusually Small Singlet–Triplet Gap in a Quinoidal 1,6‐Methano[10]annulene Resulting from Baird’s 4n π‐Electron Triplet Stabilization

Within the continuum of π‐extended quinoidal electronic structures exist molecules that by design can support open‐shell diradical structures. The prevailing molecular design criteria for such structures involve proaromatic nature that evolves aromaticity in open‐shell diradical resonance structures. A new diradical species built upon a quinoidal methano[10]annulene unit is synthesized and spectroscopically evaluated. The requisite intersystem crossing in the open‐shell structure is accompanied by structural reorganization from a contorted Möbius aromatic‐like shape in S₀ to a more planar shape in the Hückel aromatic‐like T₁. This stability was attributed to Baird’s Rule which dictates the aromaticity of 4n π‐electron triplet excited states.     

Ab initio band structure calculations on polymers (C5H3X)n (X=CH,N,P,As)

The ab initio crystal orbital calculations on conjugated aromatic six-membered rings polymers,namely,poly(p-phenylene) (PPP),poly(2,5-pyridinediyl) (PPD),poly(2,5-phosphabenzene) (PPB) and ploy(2,5-arsabenzene) (PAB) are reported.The comparison of the important electronic properties of these polymers,such as band gap,bandwidth,ionization potential and electron affinity,indicates that PPP is the best intrinsic semiconductor,and PPD has the best prospects for forming n-doped conducting materials.     

Excited state aromatization assisted push-pull abilities of two unsaturated oxazolone derivatives

Molecular structures of two unsaturated oxazolone derivatives involving furan rings, which are decorated with p-tolyl (FurM) and 4-nitro phenyl (FurN), were investigated by X-ray crystallography and quantum chemical calculations. Their ground and excited states were examined by DFT and TD-DFT computations with the aid of topological electron density studies, NBO and Charge Decomposition Analysis. Both compounds have push-pull (D–π–A) framework using oxazolone ring as π-linker. Depending on the transitions from the ground to excited states, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in both compounds results in aromatization of oxazolones. Push-pull ability of FurN has more pronounced than that of FurM. The use of furan instead of almost fully aromatic benzenoid ring reduces HOMO?LUMO band gap due to relatively low aromaticity level of furan. Introduction of nitro substituent leads to a further reduction in HOMO?LUMO gap. In addition, electronic redistribution in the excited state results in aromatization of oxazolone moieties without elongation of carbonyl bonds.     

Electronic Tuning of Mixed Quinoidal‐Aromatic Conjugated Polyelectrolytes: Direct Ionic Substitution on Polymer Main‐Chains

The synthesis of conjugated polymers with ionic substituents directly bound to their main chain repeat units is a strategy for generating strongly electron‐accepting conjugated polyelectrolytes, as demonstrated through the synthesis of a series of ionic azaquinodimethane (iAQM) compounds. The introduction of cationic substituents onto the quinoidal para‐azaquinodimethane (AQM) core gives rise to a strongly electron‐accepting building block, which can be employed in the synthesis of ionic small molecules and conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs). Electrochemical measurements alongside theoretical calculations indicate notably low‐lying LUMO values for the iAQMs. The optical band gaps measured for these compounds are highly tunable based on structure, ranging from 2.30 eV in small molecules down to 1.22 eV in polymers. The iAQM small molecules and CPEs showcase the band gap reduction effects of combining the donor‐acceptor strategy with the bond‐length alternation reduction strategy. As a demonstration of their utility, the iAQM CPEs so generated were used as active agents in photothermal therapy.     

Fluorine substituted conjugated polymer of medium band gap yields 7% efficiency in polymer-fullerene solar cells

Recent research advances on conjugated polymers for photovoltaic devices have focused on creating low band gap materials, but a suitable band gap is only one of many performance criteria required for a successful conjugated polymer. This work focuses on the design of two medium band gap (~2.0 eV) copolymers for use in photovoltaic cells which are designed to possess a high hole mobility and low highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels. The resulting fluorinated polymer PBnDT-FTAZ exhibits efficiencies above 7% when blended with [6,6]-phenyl C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester in a typical bulk heterojunction, and efficiencies above 6% are still maintained at an active layer thicknesses of 1 μm. PBnDT-FTAZ outperforms poly(3-hexylthiophene), the current medium band gap polymer of choice, and thus is a viable candidate for use in highly efficient tandem cells. PBnDT-FTAZ also highlights other performance criteria which contribute to high photovoltaic efficiency, besides a low band gap.     

Influence of symmetry of the unit cell on electronic properties of conjugated heteropolyarylenes

Model calculations of the band structures of polyparaphenylene (PPP) and polypyridine (PP) have been carried out with different symmetries for the unit cell. It has been shown that the inclusion of a heteroatom in PPP partially reduces the band gap and the dispersion of the valence band formed by the levels of the pyridine rings (in the case of angularly coordinated 2,2-PP, the valence band is populated by the lone pairs of the nitrogen atoms). The steric influence of substituents on the electronic properties of polymers has been evaluated. Drastic narrowing of the forbidden gap has been discovered upon the transition of PP to its quinoidal structure, and it may attest to the possibility of the realization of a bipolar mechanism of conduction at high degrees of doping of such polymers.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 471–474, July–August, 1988.     

Achieving high short-circuit current and fill-factor via increasing quinoidal character on nonfullerene small molecule acceptor

Enhancement of the quinoidal character on fused-ring small molecule acceptor by introducing polarizable thiophene effectively reduces the optical band gap and enhances the near IR absorptivity, giving rise to improved short-circuit current and fill-factor.     

para‐Quinodimethane‐Bridged Perylene Dimers and Pericondensed Quaterrylenes: The Effect of the Fusion Mode on the Ground States and Physical Properties

Polycyclic hydrocarbon compounds with a singlet biradical ground state show unique physical properties and promising material applications; therefore, it is important to understand the fundamental structure/biradical character/physical properties relationships. In this study, para‐quinodimethane (p‐QDM)‐bridged quinoidal perylene dimers 4 and 5 with different fusion modes and their corresponding aromatic counterparts, the pericondensed quaterrylenes 6 and 7 , were synthesized. Their ground‐state electronic structures and physical properties were studied by using various experiments assisted with DFT calculations. The proaromatic p‐QDM‐bridged perylene monoimide dimer 4 has a singlet biradical ground state with a small singlet/triplet energy gap (?2.97 kcal mol^?1), whereas the antiaromatic s‐indacene‐bridged N‐annulated perylene dimer 5 exists as a closed‐shell quinoid with an obvious intramolecular charge‐transfer character. Both of these dimers showed shorter singlet excited‐state lifetimes, larger two‐photon‐absorption cross sections, and smaller energy gaps than the corresponding aromatic quaterrylene derivatives 6 and 7 , respectively. Our studies revealed how the fusion mode and aromaticity affect the ground state and, consequently, the photophysical properties and electronic properties of a series of extended polycyclic hydrocarbon compounds.     

A constrained variational approach to the designing of low transport band gap materials: A multiobjective random mutation hill climbing method

Neutral polythiophene (PT) and polyselenophene (PSe) are semiconductors with band gaps of about 2 eV. We have proposed and implemented a constrained variational method in which total energy of neutral PT or PSe oligomers is minimized under the constraint that the band gap measured by HOMO–LUMO energy difference is also a minimum in each case. The constrained (bimodal) minimization has been carried out by an adaptive random mutation hill climbing method within the basic framework of Su‐Schrieffer‐Heeger type of model. We show that the “band‐gap constrained minimization” automatically creates electron deficient quinoid regions (QR) in the PT or PSe chains, embedded in aromatic regions (ARs), on both sides. We have investigated how the number and distribution of such QRs can reduce the band gap. Band gap constrained electronic structure calculations thus provide designing clues for low transport band gap materials based on molecular chromophores. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012     

N-Type Quinoidal Polymers Based on Dipyrrolopyrazinedione for Application in All-Polymer Solar Cells

Conjugated molecules and polymers with intrinsic quinoidal structure are promising n-type organic semiconductors, which have been reported for application in field-effect transistors and thermoelectric devices. In principle, the molecular and electronic characteristics of quinoidal polymers can also enable their application in organic solar cells. Herein, two quinoidal polymers, named PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT, based on dipyrrolopyrazinedione were synthesized and used as electron acceptors in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Both PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT showed suitable energy levels and wide light absorption range that extended to the near-infrared region. When combined with the polymer donor PBDB-T, the resulting all-PSCs based on PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.33 and 2.37 %, respectively. This is the first report on the application of intrinsic quinoidal conjugated polymers in all-PSCs. The photovoltaic performance of the all-PSCs was revealed to be mainly limited by the relatively poor and imbalanced charge transport, considerable charge recombination. Detailed investigations on the structure-performance relationship suggested that synergistic optimization of light absorption, energy levels, and charge transport properties is needed to achieve more successful application of intrinsic quinoidal conjugated polymers in all-PSCs.