Lukasz Skorka

(Photo)physical Properties of New Molecular Glasses End-Capped with Thiophene Rings Composed of Diimide and Imine Units

New symmetrical arylene bisimide derivatives formed by using electron-donating–electron-accepting systems were synthesized. They consist of a phthalic diimide or naphthalenediimide core and imine linkages and are end-capped with thiophene, bithiophene, and (ethylenedioxy)thiophene units. Moreover, polymers were obtained from a new diamine, N,N′-bis(5-aminonaphthalenyl)naphthalene-1,4,5,8-dicarboximide and 2,5-thiophenedicarboxaldehyde or 2,2′-bithiophene-5,5′-dicarboxaldehyde. The prepared azomethine diimides exhibited glass-forming properties. The obtained compounds emitted blue light with the emission maximum at 470 nm. The value of the absorption coefficient was determined as a function of the photon energy using spectroscopic ellipsometry. All compounds are electrochemically active and undergo reversible electrochemical reduction and irreversible oxidation processes as was found in cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) studies. They exhibited a low electrochemically (DPV) calculated energy band gap (Eg) from 1.14 to 1.70 eV. The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels and Eg were additionally calculated theoretically by density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The photovoltaic properties of two model compounds as the active layer in organic solar cells in the configuration indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-(ethylenedioxy)thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/active layer/Al under an illumination of 1.3 mW/cm2 were studied. The device comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene) with the compound end-capped with bithiophene rings showed the highest value of Voc (above 1 V). The conversion efficiency of the fabricated solar cell was in the range of 0.69–0.90%.

Vibrational dynamics in dendridic oligoarylamines by Raman spectroscopy and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering.

Vibrational dynamics in triarylamine dendrimers was studied in a complementary way by Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopies and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering (IINS). Three molecules were investigated, namely, unsubstituted triarylamine dendrimer of the first generation and two dendrimers of the first and second generation, substituted in the crown with butyl groups. To facilitate the assignment of the observed IR and Raman modes as well as the IINS peaks, vibrational models, based on the general valence force field method (GVFF), were calculated for all three compounds studied. A perfect consistency between the calculated and experimental results was found. Moreover, an important complementarity of the vibrational spectroscopies and IINS was established for the investigated dendrimers. The IINS peaks originating mainly from the C-H motions were not restricted by particular selection rules and only dependent on the IINS cross section. To the contrary, Raman and IR bands were imposed by the selection rules and the local geometry of the dendrimers yielding mainly C-C and C-N deformation modes with those of C-H nature of much lower intensity. Raman spectroscopy was also applied to the studies of the oxidation of dendrimers to their cationic forms. A strong Raman resonance effect was observed, since the spectra of the studied compounds, registered at different levels of their oxidation, strongly depended on the position of the excitation line with respect to their electronic spectrum. In particular, the blue (458 nm) excitation line turned out to be insensitive toward the cationic forms yielding very limited spectral information. To the contrary, the use of the red (647 nm) and infrared (1064 nm) excitation lines allowed for an unambiguous monitoring of the spectral changes in dendrimers oxidized to nominally monocationic and tricationic states. The analysis of oxidation-induced spectral changes in the tricationic state indicated that the charge storage configuration predominantly involved one spinless dication of the quinoid bond sequence and one radical cation. However, small numbers of dications were also found in a nominally monocationic state, where only radical cations should have been present. This finding was indicative of some inhomogeneity of the oxidation.

Star-shaped conjugated molecules with oxa- or thiadiazole bithiophene side arms.

Star-shaped conjugated molecules, consisting of a benzene central unit symmetrically trisubstituted with either oxa- or thiadiazole bithiophene groups, were synthesized as promising molecules and building blocks for application in (opto)electronics and electrochromic devices. Their optical (Eg (opt)) as well as electrochemical (Eg (electro)) band gaps depended on the type of the side arm and the number of solubilizing alkyl substituents. Oxadiazole derivatives showed Eg (opt) slightly below 3 eV and by 0.2 eV larger than those determined for thiadiazole-based compounds. The presence of alkyl substituents in the arms additionally lowered the band gap. The obtained compounds were efficient electroluminophores in guest/host-type light-emitting diodes. They also showed a strong tendency to self-organize in monolayers deposited on graphite, as evidenced by scanning tunneling microscopy. The structural studies by X-ray scattering revealed the formation of supramolecular columnar stacks in which the molecules were organized. Differences in macroscopic alignment in the specimen indicated variations in the self-assembly mechanism between the molecules. The compounds as trifunctional monomers were electrochemically polymerized to yield the corresponding polymer network. As shown by UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical studies, these networks exhibited reversible electrochromic behavior both in the oxidation and in the reduction modes.

New semiconducting naphthalene bisimides N-substituted with alkoxyphenyl groups: spectroscopic, electrochemical, structural and electrical properties

Three new naphthalene bisimides with alkoxyphenyl N-substituents (abbreviated as NBI-4-n-ORPhs, where R = butyl, hexyl or octyl group) were synthesized as well as spectroscopically, electrochemically and structurally characterized. DFT calculations predicted a high value of the electron affinity (EA) and a low lying LUMO level for these compounds. These findings were corroborated by cyclic voltammetry which yielded the experimental |EA| values of ca. of 4.11–4.12 eV and the ionization potential (IP) values in the range of 6.33–6.37 eV. When solution processed, the investigated semiconductors formed highly ordered and oriented layers, whose supramolecular organizations were derived from the structures determined for the corresponding single crystals. In particular π-stacked molecules formed molecular rows with stacking direction parallel to the substrate on which the films were deposited. As determined by X-ray diffraction studies, zone-casting technique turned out to be especially suitable for depositing layers of very good structural homogeneity, desired orientation of the molecules and high coherence length. High |EA| values of NBI-4-n-ORPhs together with their ordered supramolecular organization in zone-cast layers made these new semiconductors very good candidates for fabrication of n-channel field effect transistors (FETs). The devices with the Parylene C dielectric reached an electron mobility up to 0.05 cm2 V−1 s−1 in air operating conditions.

Optical properties of unsymmetrical azomethines with one imine bonds

We have explored the photoluminescence (PL) and electronic properties, that is, orbital energies and resulting energy gap calculated theoretically by density functional theory (DFT) of four unsymmetrical (UAz1-UAz4) azomethines. All of the investigated compounds exhibited mesomorphic behavior. The photoluminescence studies have shown that molecular structure of the imines influenced both the PL properties and HOMO-LUMO levels of azomethines. Azomethines emitted violet, blue or green light. The effect of excitation wavelength and concentration on the PL properties has been detected as well. Unsymmetrical imine UAz3 posses carbazole unit exhibited lower both HOMO and LUMO energies compare to others investigated azomethines. Additionally, azomethines were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Two unsymmetrical imines (UAz2 and UAz3) exhibited irreversible oxidation behavior. The HOMO level of the compound with ethylcarbazole (UAz2) moiety was observed at -5.22 eV, while for the UAz3 with phenoxybiphenyl unit was found at -5.64 eV. The data obtained by theoretical calculation using DFT method was very similar to the results obtained by electrochemical measurements.

High-Spin Polymers: Ferromagnetic Coupling of S = 1 Hexaazacyclophane Units up to a Pure S = 2 Polycyclophane

Triarylamines oxidized to radical cations can be used as stable spins sources for the design of high-spin compounds. Here, we present the synthesis of the polyarylamine-containing hexaazacyclophanes linked via meta-terphenyl bridges. Spins, created after oxidation of the polymer, can be coupled magnetically in cyclophane moieties via meta-phenyl and along the polymer chain via meta-terphenyl units. The formation of a quintet spin state was evidenced by pulsed-EPR nutation spectroscopy. Two exchange coupling constants via both couplers were determined experimentally and corresponded to J/k = 89 K in the cyclophane moiety and j/k = 17 K via meta-terphenyl. Most importantly, in this polymer, four spins can be ferromagnetically ordered via both couplers, which leads to the high spin state.

Low and high molecular mass dithienopyrrole‐naphthalene bisimide donor‐acceptor compounds: synthesis, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical behaviour

Two low molecular weight electroactive donor-acceptor-donor (DAD)-type molecules are reported, namely naphthalene bisimide (NBI) symmetrically core-functionalized with dithienopyrrole (NBI-(DTP)2 ) and an asymmetric core-functionalized naphthalene bisimide with dithienopyrrole (DTP) substituent on one side and 2-ethylhexylamine on the other side (NBI-DTP-NHEtHex). Both compounds are characterized by low optical bandgaps (1.52 and 1.65 eV, respectively). NBI-(DTP)2 undergoes oxidative electropolymerization giving the electroactive polymer of ambipolar character. Its two-step reversible reduction and oxidation is corroborated by complementary EPR and UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical investigations. The polymer turned out to be electrochemically active not only in aprotic solvents but also in aqueous electrolytes, showing a distinct photocathodic current attributed to proton reduction. Additionally, poly(NBI-(DTP)2 ) was successfully tested as a photodiode material.