Electronegative oligothiophenes for n-type semiconductors: difluoromethylene-bridged bithiophene and its oligomers

The synthesis of difluoromethylene-bridged bithiophene and its oligothiophenes are reported. The spectroscopic and electrochemical measurement as well as X-ray analyses unambiguously revealed that the difluoromethylene bridge largely contributes to keeping planarity between the thiophene rings and lowering the LUMO level. The perfluorohexyl-substituted quaterthiophene derivatives showed n-type semiconducting behavior with field-effect electron mobilities up to 0.018 cm2 V-1 s-1.