Solution-processable end-functionalized tetrathienoacene semiconductors: Synthesis, characterization and organic field effect transistors applications.

A series of dialkylated tetrathienoacene ( TTAR )-based solution-processable small molecular organic semiconductors have been synthesized and characterized for organic field effect transistor (OFET) applications. The central dialkylated TTAR moiety was end-capped with thiophenylvinylthiophene ( TVT ), bithiophene ( bT ), and thienothiophene ( TT ) to afford new π-conjugated p-type active materials, DTVT-TTAR ( 1 ), DbT-TTAR ( 2 ), and DTT-TTAR ( 3 ), respectively. The physical and electrochemical properties and theoretical calculations as well as OFETs performance and thin film morphologies and microstructures of these new soluble TTAR s are systematically studied. Using a solution-shearing method, DTVT-TTAR exhibits p-channel transport with the highest mobility of up to 0.18 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and current ON/OFF ratios of 10 4 -10 6 , which is one of the highest hole mobilities for the solution-processed TTAR -based small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]