Single component p-, ambipolar and n-type OTFTs based on fluorinated copper phthalocyanines

• The first F12CuPc-based transistor is presented.
• FxCuPc were tuned to function as single-component p-, ambipolar and n-type for OTFT.
• F12CuPc OTFT device were revealed to show an ambipolar performance in air.

In this paper, fluorinated copper phthalocyanines (FxCuPc, x = 4, 8, 12, 16) were synthesized and their energy levels were tuned to function as single-component p-, ambipolar and n-type semiconductors for single-component organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The influence of number of fluorine atoms on molecule geometries, frontier molecular orbitals, thin film morphology and microstructure as well as molecular aggregation patterns is systematically investigated by quantum calculation, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). OTFTs were fabricated to evaluate the semiconducting and charge transport properties of FxCuPc. Perfluorinated copper phthalocyanines (F16CuPc) exhibited an electron mobility of 0.27 cm2 V−1 s−1. In particular, F12CuPc OTFT device were revealed to show an ambipolar performance with carrier mobilities of 0.005 cm2 V−1 s−1 for holes and 0.006 cm2 V−1 s−1 for electrons in air.

The semiconducting property of fluorinated copper phthalocyanines (FxCuPc) has been tuned from p-to ambipolar and finally n-type for single-component OTFTs in air.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide