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

Author
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.

Year of Publication
:
2016
Journal
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Nature communications
Volume
:
7
Number of Pages
:
10736
Date Published
:
2016
URL
:
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10736
DOI
:
10.1038/ncomms10736
Short Title
:
Nat Commun
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