High Performance Weak Donor–Acceptor Polymers in Thin Film Transistors: Effect of the Acceptor on Electronic Properties, Ambipolar Conductivity, Mobility, and Thermal Stability

We have studied the electronic, physical, and transistor properties of a family of donor–acceptor polymers consisting of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) coupled with different accepting companion units in order to determine the effects of donor–acceptor interaction. Using the electronically neutral benzene (B), the weakly accepting benzothiadiazole (BT), and the strongly accepting benzobisthiadiazole (BBT), the accepting strength of the companion unit was systematically modulated. All polymers exhibited excellent transistor performance, with mobilities above 0.1 cm2V–1s–1, even exceeding 1 cm2V–1s–1 for one of the BBT-containing polymers. We find that the BBT is the strongest acceptor, enabling the BBT-containing polymers to be strongly ambipolar. The BBT moiety also strengthens interchain interactions, which provides higher thermal stability and performance for transistors with BBT-containing polymers as the active layer.