IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v7y2016i1d10.1038_ncomms10736.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reducing dynamic disorder in small-molecule organic semiconductors by suppressing large-amplitude thermal motions

Author

Listed:
  • Steffen Illig

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

  • Alexander S. Eggeman

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Alessandro Troisi

    (University of Warwick)

  • Lang Jiang

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

  • Chris Warwick

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

  • Mark Nikolka

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

  • Guillaume Schweicher

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

  • Stephen G. Yeates

    (School of Chemistry, University of Manchester)

  • Yves Henri Geerts

    (Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium)

  • John E. Anthony

    (University of Kentucky)

  • Henning Sirringhaus

    (Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

Abstract

Thermal vibrations and the dynamic disorder they create can detrimentally affect the transport properties of van der Waals bonded molecular semiconductors. The low-energy nature of these vibrations makes it difficult to access them experimentally, which is why we still lack clear molecular design rules to control and reduce dynamic disorder. In this study we discuss the promising organic semiconductors rubrene, 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothio-phene and 2,9-di-decyl-dinaphtho-[2,3-b:20,30-f]-thieno-[3,2-b]-thiophene in terms of an exceptionally low degree of dynamic disorder. In particular, we analyse diffuse scattering in transmission electron microscopy, to show that small molecules that have their side chains attached along the long axis of their conjugated core are better encapsulated in their crystal structure, which helps reduce large-amplitude thermal motions. Our work provides a general strategy for the design of new classes of very high mobility organic semiconductors with a low degree of dynamic disorder.

Suggested Citation

  • Steffen Illig & Alexander S. Eggeman & Alessandro Troisi & Lang Jiang & Chris Warwick & Mark Nikolka & Guillaume Schweicher & Stephen G. Yeates & Yves Henri Geerts & John E. Anthony & Henning Sirringh, 2016. "Reducing dynamic disorder in small-molecule organic semiconductors by suppressing large-amplitude thermal motions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10736
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10736
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10736
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms10736?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10736. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.