Making Benzotrithiophene a Stronger Electron Donor

A new member of the benzotrithiophene family, benzo[2,1-b:-3,4-b′:5,6-c″]trithiophene (3a), and its alkyl substituted derivatives (3b–e) were synthesized and characterized. Their photophyscial, electrochemical, crystallographic, and self-assembly properties were described. Thin film structures varied widely with the exact nature of the alkyl substitution pattern, with decreasing self-assembly propensity with increasing alkyl chain length. The high HOMO levels and the coplanarity of these molecules show their potential as organic semiconductors and as donor components in donor–acceptor copolymers.

苯并三噻吩（benzotrithiophene）家族的新成员——苯并[2,1-b:3,4-b′:5,6-c″]三噻吩（3a）及其烷基取代衍生物（3b~e）已被成功合成并完成结构表征。研究人员对该类化合物的光物理、电化学、晶体学及自组装性能进行了全面阐述。其薄膜结构随烷基取代模式的具体差异呈现出显著差异，且自组装倾向随烷基链长度的增加而逐渐降低。该类分子具备较高的最高占据分子轨道（Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital, HOMO）能级与良好的共平面性，展现出作为有机半导体以及给体-受体共聚物给体组分的应用潜力。