A case study of tuning the crystal polymorphs of organic semiconductors towards simultaneously improved light emission and field-effect properties

Simultaneously modulating the optical and electrical properties of organic semiconductors is crucial for advancing their desired applications in integrated optoelectronic devices. Here, we realize a goal of optimizing the light emission and field-effect properties of an anthracene derivative, 1,4-di(anthracen-9-yl)buta-1,3-diyne (DABD) by tuning its crystal polymorphs. Two phase crystals, that is α-phase rhombic-sheet crystals and β-phase ribbon-shape crystals of DABD are controllably obtained. Compared with the α-phase crystals, the β-phase DABD crystals exhibit better integrated optoelectronic performances with charge carrier mobility of 0.25 cm2 V−1 s−1 and strong fluorescent emission. This work suggests that polymorph engineering would be a promising avenue to realize simultaneous modulation of the multifunctional properties of organic semiconductors towards appropriate applications in organic optoelectronics.