Polymorphism in Opto-Electronic Materials with a Benzothiazole-fluorene Core: A Consequence of High Conformational Flexibility of π-Conjugated Backbone and Alkyl Side Chains

Fluorene and its derivatives are well-known organic semiconducting materials in the field of opto-electronic devices because of their charge transport properties. Three new organic semiconducting materials, namely, 2,2′-((9,9-butyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzo[d]thiazole, C4; 2,2′-((octyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzo[d]thiazole, C8; and 2,2′-((9,9-dodecayl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzo[d]thiazole, C12 with a benzothiazole-fluorene backbone, were synthesized and characterized for their photophysical properties. A phenomenon of concomitant polymorphism has been investigated in the first two derivatives (C4 and C8) and has been analyzed systematically in terms of the packing characteristics involving π···π interactions. The conformational flexibility of the π-conjugated 2,2′-(fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene)bisbenzo[d]thiazole backbone coupled with orientational freedom of the terminal alkyl chains were found to be the key factors responsible for these polymorphic modifications. Attempts to grow suitable crystals for single crystal X-ray diffraction of compound C12 were unsuccessful.