Regioselective Fluorination of Thiophene-Based Heterocycles for Modulation of Multiple Physical Properties in Organic Semiconductors

Thiophene-based derivatives are cost-effective and promising electron-donating units in high-performance π-conjugated materials for organic electronics. Fluorination is crucial for modulating their electronic and structural properties; however, few studies have been conducted due to synthetic challenges. We developed a fluorination method that enables regioselective fluorination of thiophene-based heterocycles. Our comparative study revealed that the position and number of fluorine atoms fine-tune molecular orbital energies and interactions, providing valuable insights for organic semiconductor applications.