Polythiophene and oligothiophene systems modified by TTF electroactive units for organic electronics

The aim of this review is to give an update on current progress in the synthesis, properties and applications of thiophene-based conjugated systems bearing tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) units. We focus mostly on the synthesis of poly- and oligothiophenes with TTF moieties fused to the thiophene units of the conjugated backbone either directly or via a dithiin ring. The electrochemical behaviour of these materials and structure–property relationships are discussed. The study is directed towards the development of a new type of organic semiconductors based on these hybrid materials for application in organic field effect transistors and solar cells

Chirality induction using circularly polarized light into a branched oligofluorene derivative in the presence of an achiral aid molecule

Chirality induction into a uniform, star-shaped fluorene oligomer with a central truxene moiety (T3) was achieved using circularly polarized light in the presence of achiral fluorene or phenanthrene. Induction into T3 alone was difficult, suggesting that close chain packing realized through interactions of T3 with small molecules plays a role in chirality induction

Electrochromic properties of a poly(dithienylfuran) derivative featuring a redox-active dithiin unit

A teraryl monomer containing a 1,4-dithiin-furan central unit has been synthesised and characterised by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The di(thienyl)furan monomer 11 was successfully polymerised electrochemically and shown to possess a lower electrochemical band gap than its terthiophene analogue (1.97 eV cf. 2.11 eV). The electrochromic properties of this polymer proved to be superior to PEDOT, with fast switching and reversible colour transformation at high colour contrast (CE = 212 cm(2) C-1 cf. 183 cm(2) C-1 for PEDOT at 95% optical switch)

Star-shaped oligofluorene truxene macromolecules – synthesis and properties as a function of alkyl chain length (PH-11611YP)

Star-shaped oligofluorene truxenes are very promising materials and have demonstrated excellent properties as the gain medium in organic semiconductor lasers (OSLs).1-10 Alkyl chains in oligofluorene truxenes act as solubilizing groups as well as spacers to prevent intermolecular π-π stacking that leads to quenching of the light emission. A new series of star-shaped systems analogous to hexyl oligofluorene truxenes11 with alkyl chains of different lengths (butyl chains and octyl chains) was synthesized. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of alkyl chain length on the film-forming properties of oligofluorene-truxene materials and, as a result, on their optoelectronic properties for applications as the gain medium in OSLs

An oligofluorene truxene based distributed feedback laser for biosensing applications

The first example of an all-organic oligofluorene truxene based distributed feedback laser for the detection of a specific protein–small molecule interaction is reported. The protein avidin was detected down to View the MathML source1μgmL−1 using our biotin-labelled biosensor platform. This interaction was both selective and reversible when biotin was replaced with desthiobiotin. Avidin detection was not perturbed by Bovine Serum Albumin up to View the MathML source50,000μgmL−1. Our biosensor offers a new detection platform that is both highly sensitive, modular and potentially re-usable

Electrically driven organic laser using integrated OLED pumping

Funding: Authors thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK for the financial support from grants EP/R035164/1, EP/R03480X/1 and EP/L017008/1. J.G. thanks the China Scholarship Council (grant no. 201806100005) for financial support.Organic semiconductors are carbon-based materials that combine optoelectronic properties with simple fabrication and the scope for tuning by changing their chemical structure1,2,3. They have been successfully used to make organic light-emitting diodes2,4,5 (OLEDs, now widely found in mobile phone displays and televisions), solar cells1, transistors6 and sensors7. However, making electrically driven organic semiconductor lasers is very challenging8,9. It is difficult because organic semiconductors typically support only low current densities, suffer substantial absorption from injected charges and triplets, and have additional losses due to contacts10,11. In short, injecting charges into the gain medium leads to intolerable losses. Here we take an alternative approach in which charge injection and lasing are spatially separated, thereby greatly reducing losses. We achieve this by developing an integrated device structure that efficiently couples an OLED, with exceptionally high internal-light generation, with a polymer distributed feedback laser. Under the electrical driving of the integrated structure, we observe a threshold in light output versus drive current, with a narrow emission spectrum and the formation of a beam above the threshold. These observations confirm lasing. Our results provide an organic electronic device that has not been previously demonstrated, and show that indirect electrical pumping by an OLED is a very effective way of realizing an electrically driven organic semiconductor laser. This provides an approach to visible lasers that could see applications in spectroscopy, metrology and sensing.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Oligofluorene truxene laser sensor : towards bacteria growth detection

Work toward the utilisation of an organic laser as a bacterial growth detector is presented here. The sensor used is an optically excited 2nd order DFB (distributed feedback laser) made of oligofluorene truxene. In the drive towards a practical bacterial growth detector, temperature stability and the optimum growth conditions of bacteria are challenges to be overcome. The resultant DFB laser exhibits a sensitivity of 9 nm/RIU

Star-shaped π-conjugated oligomers and their applications in organic electronics and photonics

Abstract: Strategies for the design and construction of non-linear, 2D and 3D conjugated macromolecules are presented in this critical review. The materials, termed here as star-shaped structures, feature a core unit which may or may not provide conjugated links between arms that radiate like spokes from a central axle. The arms of the macromolecules consist of linear oligomers or irregular conjugated chains lacking a formal repeat unit. The cores range from simple atoms to single or fused aromatic units and can provide a high level of symmetry to the overall structure. The physical properties of the star-shaped materials can be markedly different to their simple, linear conjugated analogues. These differences are highlighted and we report on anomalies in absorption/emission characteristics, electronic energy levels, thermal properties and morphology of thin films. We provide numerous examples for the application of star-shaped conjugated macromolecules in organic semiconductor devices; a comparison of their device performance with those comprising analogous linear systems provides clear evidence that the star-shaped compounds are an important class of material in organic electronics. Moreover, these structures are monodisperse, well-defined, discrete molecules with 100% synthetic reproducibility, and possess high purity and excellent solubility in common organic solvents. They feature many of the attributes of plastic materials (good film-forming properties, thermal stability, flexibility) and are therefore extremely attractive alternatives to conjugated polymers

To bend or not to bend – are heteroatom interactions within conjugated molecules effective in dictating conformation and planarity?

We consider the roles of heteroatoms (mainly nitrogen, the halogens and the chalcogens) in dictating the conformation of linear conjugated molecules and polymers through non-covalent intramolecular interactions. Whilst hydrogen bonding is a competitive and sometimes more influential interaction, we provide unambiguous evidence that heteroatoms are able to determine the conformation of such materials with reasonable predictability