Synthesis, Assembly, and Thin Film Transistors of Dihydrodiazapentacene: An Isostructural Motif for Pentacene

The study below details the synthesis, assembly, and thin film transistors from dihydrodiazapentacenes. These molecules have the same molecular shape as pentacene but are much easier to prepare and have much greater environmental stability. Thin films made from the dihydrodiazapentacene behave as field effect transistors with mobilities and on/off ratios high enough to be useful in certain applications. X-ray diffraction and AFM experiments on these films show that the molecules stack in layers with their long axis upright from the surface. Some of the derivatives synthesized for this study have unexpectedly high solubility in polar solvents such as DMF and DMSO. The crystal structure from DMF reveals self-assembled channels with each of the aniline functionalities forming a hydrogen bond with solvent. In more nonpolar solvents, the solid-state assembly switches to a herringbone motif characteristic of the linear acenes.