Organic Field-Effect Transistors Utilizing Solution-Deposited Oligothiophene-Based Swivel Cruciforms

Two types of highly soluble oligothiophene-based swivel cruciforms are presented as semiconducting materials in OFETs. Incorporation of these penta-aryl oligomers into a swivel-cruciform type architecture greatly enhances the solubility of the oligomers, which lends itself to the fluidic preparation of thin films of the materials. XRD and AFM analysis of the resulting thin films reveals that they are highly crystalline. OFETs with pentathiophene-based swivel cruciforms exhibit a maximum field-effect mobility of 0.012 cm 2 /Vs, which is among the highest values reported to date for wet-processed OFETs utilizing oligothiophenes. In contrast, transistors made from bithiophene-phenyl-based cruciforms give overall lower mobilities, although the layers appear more crystalline in the AFM images. Pulse-radiolysis timeresolved microwave conductivity (PR-TRMC) experiments of the swivel cruciforms suggest that charge transport between crystalline domains may ultimately be the determining factor.