Pyrroloindacenodithiophene containing polymers for organic field effect transistors and organic photovoltaicsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c1jm13428k.

The synthesis of the novel electron-rich pyrroloindacenodithiophene (NIDT) unit is reported. Stille copolymerization of the distannylated NIDT unit, with the electron-deficient dibrominated benzothiadiazole (BT), difluorobenzothiadiazole (ffBT), thienopyrrolodione (TPD) and 1,1′-bithienopyrrolodione (biTPD) units afforded a series of low band gap semiconducting polymers. Initial testing shows promise for the use of these materials as p-type semiconductors in organic field effect transistors (OFETs) with mobilities as high as 0.07 cm2V−1s−1being measured. These materials have also been tested as the donor polymer in polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) giving maximum efficiencies of 2.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]