Solution-Processable Indenofluorenes on Polymer Brush Interlayer: Remarkable N-Channel Field-Effect Transistor Characteristics under Ambient Conditions

[Image: see text] The development of solution-processable n-type molecular semiconductors that exhibit high electron mobility (μ(e) ≥ 0.5 cm(2)/(V·s)) under ambient conditions, along with high current modulation (I(on)/I(off) ≥ 10(6)–10(7)) and near-zero turn on voltage (V(on)) characteristics, has lagged behind that of other semiconductors in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Here, we report the design, synthesis, physicochemical and optoelectronic characterizations, and OFET performances of a library of solution-processable, low-LUMO (−4.20 eV) 2,2′-(2,8-bis(3-alkylthiophen-2-yl)indeno[1,2-b]fluorene-6,12-diylidene)dimalononitrile small molecules, β,β′-C(n)-TIFDMTs, having varied alkyl chain lengths (n = 8, 12, 16). An intriguing correlation is identified between the solid–isotropic liquid transition enthalpies and the solubilities, indicating that cohesive energetics, which are tuned by alkyl chains, play a pivotal role in determining solubility. The semiconductors were spin-coated under ambient conditions on densely packed (grafting densities of 0.19–0.45 chains/nm(2)) ultrathin (∼3.6–6.6 nm) polystyrene-brush surfaces. It is demonstrated that, on this polymer interlayer, thermally induced dispersive interactions occurring over a large number of methylene units between flexible alkyl chains (i.e., zipper effect) are critical to achieve a favorable thin-film crystallization with a proper microstructure and morphology for efficient charge transport. While C(8) and C(16) chains show a minimal zipper effect upon thermal annealing, C(12) chains undergo an extended interdigitation involving ∼6 methylene units. This results in the formation of large crystallites having lamellar stacking ((100) coherence length ∼30 nm) in the out-of-plane direction and highly favorable in-plane π-interactions in a slipped-stacked arrangement. Uninterrupted microstructural integrity (i.e., no face-on (010)-oriented crystallites) was found to be critical to achieving high mobilities. The excellent crystallinity of the C(12)-substituted semiconductor thin film was also evident in the observed crystal lattice vibrations (phonons) at 58 cm(–1) in low-frequency Raman scattering. Two-dimensional micrometer-sized (∼1–3 μm), sharp-edged plate-like grains lying parallel with the substrate plane were observed. OFETs fabricated by the current small molecules showed excellent n-channel behavior in ambient with μ(e) values reaching ∼0.9 cm(2)/(V·s), I(on)/I(off) ∼ 10(7)–10(8), and V(on) ≈ 0 V. Our study not only demonstrates one of the highest performing n-channel OFET devices reported under ambient conditions via solution processing but also elucidates significant relationships among chemical structures, molecular properties, self-assembly from solution into a thin film, and semiconducting thin-film properties. The design rationales presented herein may open up new avenues for the development of high-electron-mobility novel electron-deficient indenofluorene and short-axis substituted donor–acceptor π-architectures via alkyl chain engineering and interface engineering.