Homoleptic copper(I) arylthiolates as a new class of p-type charge carriers: structures and charge mobility studies

Polymeric homoleptic copper(I) arylthiolates Cu(p-SC(6)H(4)-X)](infinity) (X=CH(3) (1), H (2), CH(3)O (3), tBu (4), CF(3) (5), NO(2) (6), and COOH (7)) have been prepared as insoluble crystalline solids in good yields (75-95 %). Structure determinations by powder X-ray diffraction analysis have revealed that 1-3 and 6 form polymers of infinite chain length, with the copper atoms bridged by arylthiolate ligands. Weak intra-chain pi***pi stacking interactions are present in 1-3, as evidenced by the distances (3.210 A in 1, 3.016 A in 2, 3.401 A in 3) between the mean planes of neighboring phenyl rings. In the structure of 6, the intra-chain pi***pi interactions (d=3.711 A) are insignificant and the chain polymers are associated through weak, non-covalent C-H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions (d=2.586 A). Samples of 1-7 in their polycrystalline forms proved to be thermally stable at 200-300 degrees C; their respective decomposition temperatures are around 100 degrees C higher than that of the aliphatic analogue Cu(SCH(3))](infinity). Data from in situ variable-temperature X-ray diffractometry measurements indicated that the structures of both 1 and 7 are thermally more robust than that of Cu(SCH(3))](infinity). TEM analysis revealed that the solid samples of 1-5 and Cu(SCH(3))](infinity) contained homogeneously dispersed crystalline nanorods with widths of 20-250 nm, whereas smaller plate-like nanocrystals were found for 6 and 7. SAED data showed that the chain polymers of 1-3 and Cu(SCH(3))](infinity) similarly extend along the long axes of their nanorods. The nanorods of 1-5 and Cu(SCH(3))](infinity) have been found to exhibit p-type field-effect transistor behavior, with charge mobility (micro) values of 10(-2)-10(-5) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). Polycrystalline solid samples of 6 and 7 each showed a low charge mobility (<10(-6) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)). The charge mobility values of field-effect transistors made from crystalline nanorods of 1-3 and Cu(SCH(3))](infinity) could be correlated with their unique chain-like copper-sulfur networks, with the para-substituent of the arylthiolate ligand influencing the charge-transport properties.