Issue 32, 2011
From the journal:

Journal of Materials Chemistry

The tuning of the energy levels of dibenzosilolecopolymers and applications in organic electronics†

Colin W. Keyworth,a   Khai Leok Chan,cd   John G. Labram,b   Thomas D. Anthopoulos,b   Scott E. Watkins,e   Mary McKiernan,f   Andrew J. P. White,a   Andrew B. Holmes*ag  and  Charlotte K. Williams*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UK
E-mail: c.k.williams@imperial.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0)20 7594 5804
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 5790

b Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UK

c Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore

d Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK

e CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

f Cambridge Display Technology Ltd, Greenwich House, Madingley Rise, Cambridge, UK

g Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

An understanding of the structure–function relationships of conjugated polymers is an invaluable resource for the successful design of new materials for use in organic electronics. To this end, we report the synthesis, characterisation and optoelectronic properties of a range of new alternating copolymers of dibenzosilole. Suzuki polycondensation reactions were used to afford a series of eight conjugated materials by the respective combination of either a 3,6- or 2,7-linked 9,9-dioctyldibenzosilole with 3,6-linked-N-octylcarbazole, triarylamine, oxadiazole and triazole monomers. The copolymers were fully characterised using 1H, 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The photophysical properties were determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) measurements, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and photoelectron emission spectroscopy in air (PESA). The spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements were used to determine the materials' HOMO and LUMO energies and the values were correlated with the copolymer composition and structure. A selection of the copolymers (P4, P5 and P8) were evaluated as the active layer within single-layer polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs), with the configuration: glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/emissive layer/Ba/Al, which gave low intensity electroluminescence. The selected copolymers were also evaluated as the organic semiconductor in bottom-gate, bottom-contact organic field effect transistors (OFETs). The best performing devices gave a maximum mobility of 3 × 10−4 cm2 V−1s−1 and on/off current ratios of 105.

Graphical abstract: The tuning of the energy levels of dibenzosilole copolymers and applications in organic electronics

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C1JM11242B
Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Mar 2011
Accepted
27 May 2011
First published
05 Jul 2011

J. Mater. Chem., 2011,21, 11800-11814

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The tuning of the energy levels of dibenzosilole copolymers and applications in organic electronics

C. W. Keyworth, K. L. Chan, J. G. Labram, T. D. Anthopoulos, S. E. Watkins, M. McKiernan, A. J. P. White, A. B. Holmes and C. K. Williams, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 11800 DOI: 10.1039/C1JM11242B

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