High-Mobility Naphthalene Diimide and Selenophene-Vinylene-Selenophene-Based Conjugated Polymer: n-Channel Organic Field-Effect Transistors and Structure-Property Relationship

Abstract

Interdependence of chemical structure, thin-film morphology, and transport properties is a key, yet often elusive aspect characterizing the design and development of high-mobility, solution-processed polymers for large-area and flexible electronics applications. There is a specific need to achieve >1 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) field-effect mobilities (mu) at low processing temperatures in combination with environmental stability, especially in the case of electron-transporting polymers, which are still lagging behind hole transporting materials. Here, the synthesis of a naphthalene-diimide based donor-acceptor copolymer characterized by a selenophene vinylene selenophene donor moiety is reported. Optimized field-effect transistors show maximum mu of 2.4 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and promising ambient stability. A very marked film structural evolution is revealed with increasing annealing temperature, with evidence of a remarkable 3D crystallinity above 180 degrees C. Conversely, transport properties are found to be substantially optimized at 150 degrees C, with limited gain at higher temperature. This discrepancy is rationalized by the presence of a surface-segregated prevalently edge-on packed polymer phase, dominating the device accumulated channel. This study therefore serves the purpose of presenting a promising, high-electron-mobility copolymer that is processable at relatively low temperatures, and of clearly highlighting the necessity of specifically investigating channel morphology in assessing the structure-property nexus in semiconducting polymer thin films.