Synthesis, characterization, and computational modeling of benzodithiophene donor–acceptor semiconducting polymers

Abstract

Donor-acceptor semiconducting polymers containing benzodithiophene with decyl phenylethynyl substituents have been synthesized. Density functional calculations on the polymers' band gaps and frontier orbitals energies provide reasonable agreement with cyclic voltammetry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis absorption measurements. V C 2011

Benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene Building Block for the Synthesis of Semiconducting Polymers

“…[ 25 ] Benzobisthiadiazole is a strong acceptor and generated donor-acceptor polymers with low bandgap. [ 25 ] …”

Donor–acceptor semiconducting polymers for organic solar cells

“…However, the HOMO was relatively unchanged and the change in the bandgap was due to the change in the LUMO of the synthesized D-A copolymers. 115 Among these polymers the lowest bandgap of 1eV was measured for 55d with benzobisthiadiazole as the acceptor unit. 115 Cho et al reported BDT D-A copolymers 56a-56b…”

“…115 Among these polymers the lowest bandgap of 1eV was measured for 55d with benzobisthiadiazole as the acceptor unit. 115 Cho et al reported BDT D-A copolymers 56a-56b…”

“…However, the HOMO of the DTP 0 ]dithiophene (BDT) is the most used donor building block for the synthesis of semiconducting polymers used in OFETs and BHJ solar cells. 45,[114][115][116] The BDT building block offers two advantages: the fused BDT allows the incorporation of substituents on the central benzene core while maintaining the planarity of the two thiophene units, and the symmetric nature of the BDT monomer eliminates the need of controlling regioregularity during the polymerization. 114 Moreover, due to the large planar conjugated structure of the BDT unit, the polymer can easily forms pÀp stacks, which renders high charge carrier mobility.…”

“…Phenylethynyl, triisopropylsilylethnyl, alkylthienyl, and alkylbithienyl substituents were Table 8). 115 The bandgaps of the copolymers varied from 2.3 eV (55a) to 1 eV (55d) depending on the strength of the acceptor unit. However, the HOMO was relatively unchanged and the change in the bandgap was due to the change in the LUMO of the synthesized D-A copolymers.…”