Solution-Processable Quinoidal Dithioalkylterthiophene-Based Small Molecules Pseudo-Pentathienoacenes viaan Intramolecular S···S Lock for High-Performance n-Type Organic Field-Effect Transistors

A new organic small-molecule family comprising tetracyanoquinodimethane-substituted quinoidal dithioalky(SR)terthiophenes (DSTQs) (DSTQ-6(1); SR = SC6H13, DSTQ-10(2); SR = SC10H21, DSTQ-14(3); SR = SC10H21) was synthesized and contrasted with a nonthioalkylated analogue (DRTQ-14(4); R = C14H29). The physical, electrochemical, and electrical properties of these new compounds are thoroughly investigated. Optimized geometries obtained from density functional theory calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveal the planarity of the SR-containing DSTQcore. DSTQs pack in a slipped π–π stacked two-dimensional arrangement, with a short intermolecular stacking distance of 3.55 Å and short intermolecular S···N contacts of 3.56 Å. Thin-film morphological analysis by grazing incident X-ray diffraction reveals that all DSTQmolecules are packed in an edge-on fashion on the substrate. The favorable molecular packing, the high core planarity, and very low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level (−4.2 eV) suggest that DSTQs could be electron-transporting semiconductors. Organic field-effect transistors based on solution-sheared DSTQ-14exhibit the highest electron mobility of 0.77 cm2V–1s–1with good ambient stability, which is the highest value reported to date for such a solution process terthiophene-based small molecular semiconductor. These results demonstrate that the device performance of solution-sheared DSTQs can be improved by side chain engineering.