α,ω-Distyryl Oligothiophenes: High Mobility Semiconductors for Environmentally Stable Organic Thin Film Transistors

Abstract

Critical to the development of organic electronics is the design and synthesis of new organic semiconductors with improved electrical performance and enhanced environmental stability. We present in this communication the synthesis of a series of simple oligothiophene derivatives that bear the styryl unit as terminal substituent. Thin film field-effect transistors incorporating these compounds show high electrical performance, such as mobilities as high as 0.1 cm2/Vs, along with exceptional stability under ambient conditions. Especially, the longer oligomer, DS-4T, containing the quaterthiophene core gives rise to devices that show no decrease in performance after more than 17 months of storage and under continuous operation. Such stability features are unprecedented in the oligothiophene series.