Structural,optical, and charge transport properties of cyclopentadithiophene derivatives: a theoretical study

Density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the structural and opto-electronic properties of cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene (CPDT) derivatives. The ground state, cationic and anionic geometries of cyclopentadithiophene derivatives were optimized at B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Based on these geometries, ionic state properties such as ionization potentials, electron affinities, hole extraction potential, and electron extraction potential of cyclopentadithiophene derivatives have been calculated. The charge transfer integral, spatial overlap integral, and site energy were calculated from the matrix elements of Kohn–Sham Hamiltonian. Computed results show that the mobility of charge carriers in CPDT derivatives is strongly affected by the substitution of electron withdrawing group at bridge-head and α-positions. The excited state geometry of CPDT derivatives were optimized using configuration interaction singles method. On the basis of ground and excited states geometry, absorption and emission spectra of cyclopentadithiophene derivatives were calculated using the time-dependent density functional theory method. It has been observed that the substitution of EWG in cyclopentadithiophene core alters the absorption and emission spectra. The nonlinear optical property of CPDT derivatives have been studied through computed static polarizability and first hyperpolarizability.     

Fine-tuning the Electronic Structure of Organic Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A series of metal-free organic dyes exploiting different combinations of (hetero)cyclic linkers (benzene, thiophene, and thiazole) and bridges (4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene (CPDT) and benzodithiophene (BDT)) as the central π-spacers were synthesized and characterized. Among them, the sensitizer containing the thiophene and CPDT showed the most broad incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency spectra, resulting in a solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 6.6%.     

Organic dyes containing fused acenes as building blocks: Optical,electrochemical and photovoltaic properties

Fused-acenes are important building blocks for D-p-A sensitizers. The small change in substituted heteroatoms influence the behavior of the sensitizers dramatically.     

A theoretical study of conformational aspects and energy transfer between terthiophene and quinquethiophene in perhydrotriphenylene inclusion compounds

A theoretical study of models with supramolecular architecture of co-inclusion compounds based on the host perhydrotriphenylene and guests terthiophene and quinquethiophene (PHTP:T3,T5) is carried out to elucidate in detail the conformational aspects of the oligomeric guest species in the PHTP matrix host. The factors that direct the geometry, location and separation of terthiophene and quinquethiophene within the channels of the PHTP host have been studied using semi-empirical and ab initio calculations. The movement of the guests inside the channel is subject to constraints preventing free rotations or axial displacements along the nanochannel. Optimal arrangement and the general trend of the relative order between T3 and T5 in the (PHTP:T3,T5) co-inclusion compound is obtained. Furthermore, excited state calculations allow the explanation of the spectral shifts of the included species in terms of the planarization of their geometries. An analysis of the energy transfer processes between the T3-T5 donor-acceptor pair based on the configurational details of the co-inclusion compound conclude that efficient transfer proceeds only through two different and perpendicular windows for the T3 --> T5 transfer. The results emphasize the importance for better understanding of the directional details of the energy transfer mechanisms in this kind of one-dimensional systems.     

Synthesis and characterisation of thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based linear shaped liquid crystals

A series of thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based liquid crystalline molecules has been synthesised. To investigate the effects of alkyl substituent groups and structure of mesogenic cores, eight kinds of thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based molecules containing different alkyl substituent groups and mesogenic cores have been synthesised. These molecules were characterised by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and polarised fluorescence spectroscopy. The results indicated that the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) type molecules showed the presence of a smectic A phase. Changes in the length of alkyl substituents and mesogenic cores affected the phase transitions, optical and electrochemical properties of the molecules.     

Modeling the conformations and motions of isolated polymer chains in the narrow channels of their crystalline inclusion compounds with small-molecule,host clathrates

The narrow channels occupied by polymer chains in their crystalline inclusion compounds(IC) with small-molecule, host clathrates, such as urea and perhydrotriphenylene(PHTP), provide a unique, solid state environment. Single polymer chains are confined to occupy narrow cylindrical channels whose walls consist of a crystalline matrix of the small-molecule, host clathrate. Because the IC channels are well-separated, each included polymer chain is isolated from its neighbors, and is therefore free from cooperative, interpolymer interactions which often dominate and complicate the behavior of bulk polymers. We have modeled polymer chains included in their IC channels by restricting the conformations accessible to small chain fragments(9–20 backbone bonds) to those which fit into a cylinder whose diameter(5.5Å) mimics the observed channel cross-section. After establishing the population of channel conformers, a test is performed to determine the possibility of interconverting between them without any portion of the polymer chain fragment leaving the channel during any step in the interconversion process. The results of our modeling are compared to observations made on a variety of polymer-IC's formed with either or both of the host clathrates, urea and PHTP. General agreement is found between the modeled conformations and mobilities of cylindrical polymer chain fragments and those observed directly from the crystalline polymer-IC's, principally by solid state NMR, DSC, and X-ray diffraction.     

Photoexcited triplets of dyes in zeolitic nanostructured channels. A time resolved EPR study

Two dyes (4-nitrostilbene, NST and 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4'-nitrostilbene, DANS) included in zeolites with nanometric channels and different Si : Al ratios have been photoexcited and their triplet state studied by time resolved EPR (TR-EPR). This is the first time that a TR-EPR spectrum of photoexcited triplet states of dyes in zeolites has been observed. The zeolites used were ZSM-5 and mordenite, with either protons or lithium as charge compensating ions, and the aluminium-free porosil. The ZFS parameters and the polarized spin populations have been obtained, and compared with those obtained in glassy solutions and in the organic nanostructured matrix perhydrotriphenylene (PHTP). For (3)DANS in neutral solvents and in PHTP the dimethylamino group is pi conjugated, whereas only its acid form is detected in all the zeolites. In the latter the spectra of the radical cations formed by spontaneous oxidation have also been observed both by cw-EPR and TR-EPR, the last spectra being spin polarized in emission. The mobility of the triplets is discussed, taking into account the spin polarization of the radical cations indicating a strong radical-triplet interaction.     

Alternating copolymers incorporating cyclopenta[2,1‐b:3,4‐b′]dithiophene unit and organic dyes for photovoltaic applications

We have synthesized six p‐type copolymers, CPDT ‐ co ‐ TPADCN , CPDT ‐ co ‐ TPADTA , CPDT ‐ co ‐ TPATCN , CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFADCN , CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFADTA , and CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFATCN , consisting of a cyclopenta[2,1‐b:3,4‐b′]dithiophene (CPDT) unit and an organic dye in an alternating arrangement. Triphenylamine (TPA) or difluorenylphenyl amine (DFA) units serve as the electron donors, whereas dicyanovinyl (DCN), 1,3‐diethyl‐2‐thiobarbituric acid, or tricyanovinyl (TCN) units act as the electron acceptors in the dyes. The target polymers were prepared via Stille coupling, followed by postfunctionalization to introduce the electron acceptors to the side chains. Because of the strongest withdrawing ability of TCN acceptor to induce efficient intramolecular charge transfer, CPDT ‐ co ‐ TPATCN and CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFATCN exhibit the broader absorption spectra covering from 400 to 900 nm and the narrower optical band gaps of 1.34 eV. However, the CPDT ‐ co ‐ TPATCN :PC₇₁BM and CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFATCN :PC₇₁BM based solar cells showed the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 0.22 and 0.31%, respectively, due to the inefficient exciton dissociation. The DFA‐based polymers possess deeper‐lying HOMO energy levels than the TPA‐based polymer analogues, leading to the higher V_oc values and better efficiencies. The device based on CPDT ‐ co ‐ DFADTA :PC₇₁BM blend achieved the best PCE of 1.38% with a V_oc of 0.7 V, a J_sc of 4.57 mA/cm², and a fill factor of 0.43. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis and characterization of low‐bandgap cyclopentadithiophene‐biselenophene copolymer and its use in field‐effect transistor and polymer solar cells

Novel series of conjugated copolymers, incorporating cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) and the biselenophene ( R‐CPDT‐Se2 ), were synthesized by Pd‐catalyzed Stille coupling polymerization. The optical, electrochemical, field‐effect carrier mobilities, and photovoltaic properties of the R‐CPDT‐Se2 were investigated and compared with cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) and the bithiophene ( EHex‐CPDT‐T2 ). The highest hole mobility of thin film transistor devices fabricated with new p‐type polymer semiconductors, Oct‐CPDT‐Se2 , was 1.3 × 10^?3 cm²/Vs with an on/off ratio of about 10⁵. The maximum power conversion efficiency of polymer solar cell fabricated with the blend of EHex‐CPDT‐Se2 /C₇₁‐PCBM reached 1.86% with an open circuit voltage (V_OC) of 0.55 V, a short circuit current density (J_sc) of 7.27 mA/cm², and a fill factor (FF) of 0.47 under AM 1.5G irradiation (100 mW/cm²). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2009     

CL-20 photodecomposition: ab initio foundations for identification of products

1,5-Dihydrodiimidazo[4,5-b:4'5'e]pyrazine, 1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyrazine, and 1H-imidazole were considered as possible products of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) photodecomposition. Since we took as a reference the product obtained after CL-20 irradiation in methanol solution, the nature of intermolecular bonds between heterocycles under study and methanol molecules was analyzed in detail. Existing hydrogen bonds were found to be quite strong, so dependence of calculations results on an influence of solvent was taken into account using both the polarizable continuum model (PCM) and the supermolecular approach. Electronic spectra of 1,5-dihydrodiimidazo[4,5-b:4'5'e]pyrazine, 1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyrazine and 1H-imidazole were simulated using time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and single-excitation configuration interaction (CIS) method. We observed that TD-DFT excitation energies are lower if compared to corresponding values obtained by the CIS method. Results of calculations with PCM and the supermolecular approach are very close. It was found that differences between calculated gas phase excitation energies and those values obtained by applying solvent models increases when the number of conjugated bonds in a molecule increases. Oscillator strengths of UV bands of the considered molecules are higher in the gas phase than in modeled methanol solutions. We found that the predicted spectrum of 1H-imidazole is in close agreement with the experimental UV spectrum of the CL-20 photolysis product.     

Cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) dimer dication: bipolaron model for quaterthiophenes

[structure: see text] Cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) dimers in which both 3,3' and 4' ',3' " positions were bridged with 1,3-dioxalane, carbonyl, or dicyanovinylidene were prepared. These compounds have small HOMO-LUMO gaps (1.03-2.25 eV). The electrochemical oxidation of a dicyanovinylidene-bridged CPDT dimer gave a dication that had a quinoid-like structure.     

Directional exciton transport in supramolecular nanostructured assemblies

Supramolecular nanostructured host-guest compounds provide an intriguing strategy for improved materials in optoelectronic devices. Here, conjugated organic guest molecules are embedded in channel-forming organic or inorganic hosts, like perhydrotriphenylene (PHTP) and zeolites, leading to weakly coupled, highly ordered, and brightly emissive materials. In-depth material characterization allows for a full understanding of the exciton transport mechanism in the weak coupling regime through steady-state time-resolved fluorescence studies combined with quantum-chemical based Monte-Carlo simulations without adjustable parameters. Despite weak chromophore coupling and dilution by the host, the exciton diffusion length exceeds 50 nm similar to molecular crystals, and might be tuned to the μm range by the proper choice of host and guest materials.     

Crystalline Complex of Syndiotactic Polystyrene with Poly(ethylene Glycol) Dimethyl Ethers

It has been clarified that syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) forms co‐crystalline structures with polyethylene glycol dimethyl ethers (PEGDMEs) with molecular weights ranging from 178 to 1 000 g · mol⁻¹ through a guest exchange procedure assisted by a plasticizing agent. The PEGDME molecules are incorporated into the spaces between sPS polymer sheets consisting of (T₂G₂)₂ helices. The results of X‐ray diffraction and gravimetric measurements suggest that one or less molecules are included per unit cell for PEGDME with average molecular weight of 1 000 g · mol⁻¹, which indicates the possibility that longer polymeric molecules can be introduced into sPS lattices with multiple site occupation.

     

三联吡啶修饰的新型苯并二噻吩电子给-受体分子的合成及性能研究

以4,8-二酮苯并［1,2-b：4,5-b′］二噻吩为原料,合成了两种新型的2,2′ ∶6′,2″-三联吡啶修饰的苯并二噻吩电子给-受体结构分子(M1和M2),其结构经¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR和元素分析表征。用UV-Vis, FL, TGA和CV研究了M1和M2的性能。结果表明：M1和M2均具有良好的热稳定性,热分解温度(T₅)分别为335 ℃和430 ℃。由于电子给-受体结构的存在,M1和M2均表现出明显的分子内电荷转移跃迁(ICT),其最大吸收峰分别为446 nm和468 nm,荧光发射峰分别为517 nm和552 nm;起始还原电位分别为-0.57 eV和-0.62 eV,起始氧化电位分别为0.69 eV和0.87 eV。     

One-Pot Synthesis of 3-to 15-Mer π-Conjugated Discrete Oligomers with Widely Tunable Optical Properties

A series of all-donor type alternating (D1-D2) monodisperse oligomers based on cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) and 1,4-difluorobenzene (DFB) with gradually increas...     

(E)-(5-(4-(二苯基胺)苯乙烯基)二噻吩并[2,3-b∶3′,2′-d]噻吩基)-2-亚甲基丙二腈的聚集态发光现象的研究

本文报道了对一种电子给体-受体化合物(E)-(5-(4-(二苯基胺)苯乙烯基)二噻吩并[2,3-b∶3′,2′-d]噻吩基)-2-亚甲基丙二腈(TPA-DCST)的合成与光谱学行为的研究。化合物TPA-DCST的分子结构中含有强电子给体(三苯胺)与强电子受体(二氰基乙烯)两个部分,并由二噻吩并[2,3-b∶3′,2′-d]噻吩作为共轭桥将电子给体与受体相连接。在合成方面,采用Wittig反应将三苯胺通过双键与二噻吩并[2,3-b∶3′,2′-d]噻吩相连接、醛基化,并与并二腈经Knoevenagel缩合反应合成目标产物。产物通过了核磁氢谱、碳谱、红外以及高分辨率质谱的确认。光谱方面,主要考察了该化合物的吸收与荧光行为。其最大吸收峰位在412nm左右,归属于π-π*跃迁。在非极性溶剂正己烷中表现出来自分子间聚集而形成的聚集态荧光(550nm),并通过了单分子在CTAB胶束([c]=1.02×10-2 mol/L)的发光(460nm)试验得到验证。溶剂效应表明,该化合物没有出现典型的ICT态的发光现象,其原因在于电子给体与受体相连的共轭桥单元,即二噻吩并[2,3-b∶3′,2′-d]噻吩不具有有效的共轭效应。浓度效应与温度效应进一步表明TPA-DCST分子易于产生分子间聚集态的发光。在THF-H_2O二元溶剂体系中呈现典型的聚集诱导(AIE)发光现象,发光峰位为692nm。随着TPA-DCST分子间的聚集程度的增加,聚集态的荧光出现大范围的红移,直至固体发光红移到710nm。TPA-DCST分子的聚集因素可能来自于疏脂作用、偶极-偶极相互作用等。     

Linear- and angular-shaped naphthodithiophenes: selective synthesis, properties, and application to organic field-effect transistors

A straightforward synthetic approach that exploits linear- and angular-shaped naphthodithiophenes (NDTs) being potential as new core structures for organic semiconductors is described. The newly established synthetic procedure involves two important steps; one is the chemoselective Sonogashira coupling reaction on the trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy site over the bromine site enabling selective formation of o-bromoethynylbenzene substructures on the naphthalene core, and the other is a facile ring closing reaction of fused-thiophene rings from the o-bromoethynylbenzene substructures. As a result, three isomeric NDTs, naphtho[2,3-b:6,7-b']dithiophene, naphtho[2,3-b:7,6-b']dithiophenes, and naphtho[2,1-b:6,5-b']dithiophene, are selectively synthesized. Electrochemical and optical measurements of the parent NDTs indicated that the shape of the molecules plays an important role in determining the electronic structure of the compounds; the linear-shaped NDTs formally isoelectronic with naphthacene have lower oxidation potentials and more red-shifted absorption bands than those of the angular-shaped NDTs isoelectronic with chrysene. On the contrary, the performance of the thin-film-based field-effect transistors (FETs) using the dioctyl or diphenyl derivatives were much influenced by the symmetry of the molecules; centrosymmetric derivatives tend to give higher mobility (up to 1.5 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) than axisymmetric ones (～0.06 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)), implying that the intermolecular orbital overlap in the solid state is influenced by the symmetry of the molecules. These results indicate that the present NDT cores, in particular the linear-shaped, centrosymmetric naphtho[2,3-b:6,7-b']dithiophene, are promising building blocks for the development of organic semiconducting materials.     

A theoretical study of the hydrogen bond donor capability and co-operative effects in the hydrogen bond complexes of the diaza-aromatic betacarbolines

In this work, we present a quantum mechanical investigation on the hydrogen bond interactions of N(9)-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, MBC, and N(2)-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, BCA, with different hydrogen bond donors. Thus, it has been analysed the influence that the hydrogen bond donor strength and the co-operative effect of the increasing number of donor molecules have on the shape of the potential energy surfaces versus the N···H distances, r(N–H). To rationalize the nature of the interactions, the Bader theory has been applied and the characteristics of the bond critical points analysed. The results show that two different hydrogen bond complexes can be formed depending on the donor capabilities or the number of donor molecules included in the calculations. The topological parameters from the Bader theory are used to justify the statement that the analysed interactions can be classified as weak or partially covalent hydrogen bond interactions, respectively. As experimentally observed, weak hydrogen bond donors form weak hydrogen bond complexes, called HBC. Upon the increase of the donor strength the N···H proton is shifted nearest to the nitrogen atom giving rise to the observation of a stronger hydrogen bond complex, the proton transfer complex, PTC. The most outstanding result of these studies is the fact that the formation of the PTC can also be managed just by changing the number of donor molecules, that is, by a co-operative effect of the hydrogen bonds.     

Near-Infrared Nonfullerene Acceptors Based on 4H-Cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b′]dithiophene for Organic Solar Cells and Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The development of nonfullerene small molecular acceptors (NF-SMAs) has dominated the improvement of efficiencies for organic solar cells and the near-infrared (NIR) absorption is the primary feature of NF-SMAs compared with fullerene derivatives. In this article, a series of acceptor-donor-acceptor-structured NF-SMAs (named CPICs ) containing 4H-cyclopenta[1,2-b : 5,4-b′]dithiophene (CPDT) electron donor and F-substituted 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (2FIC) as electron acceptor were designed and synthesized. With the increase of CPDT units, the elongated conjugations broadened the absorption range of the acceptors and tuned their energy levels sequentially. Therefore, their charge-transporting polarities switched from electron-only type to bipolar mode in organic field-effect transistors. Moreover, these changes also influenced the voltages, current densities, and eventual PCEs of their corresponding cells. When blending with PBDB-T, a champion efficiency of 10.01% was achieved in CPIC-2 based cells. This work demonstrated the importance of absorptions, suitable energy levels and charge transports in improving the efficiencies of organic solar cells.     

Planar beta-linked oligothiophenes based on thieno[3,2-b]thiophene and dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene fused units

A series of planar beta-linked oligothiophenes based on thieno[3,2-b]thiophene and dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene fused units were synthesized. The optical data indicate a blue shift of the absorption maximum in comparison to the alpha-linked analogues due to cross-conjugation between fused rings. The crystal structures of 3,3'-bi(thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) and 3,3';6',3"-ter(thieno-[3,2-b]thiophene) reveal edge-to-face pi-stacked dimer motifs, whereas the crystal structure of 3,3'-bis(dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene) consists of face-to-face pi-stacked molecules. [structure: see text]