Solution-grown aligned crystals of diketopyrrolopyrroles (DPP)-based small molecules: Rough surfaces and relatively low charge mobility

Field-effect transistors (FETs) of three diketopyrrolopyrroles (DPP)-based small molecules, 3,6-bis(5-phenylthiophene-2-yl)-2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (PDPPP), 3,6-bis(5-(4-fluorophenyl)thiophene-2-yl)-2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (FPDPPPF) and 3,6-bis(5-(4-n-butylphenyl)thiophene-2-yl)-2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (BuPDPPPBu), have been studied in this work. Well aligned crystals of the three molecules were grown from para-xylene by droplet-pinned crystallization method. FETs based on these aligned crystals exhibit a hole mobility up to 0.19 cm2 V−1 s−1 and electron mobility up to 0.008 cm2 V−1 s−1. The achieved hole mobility is of the same order of magnitude as reported highest hole mobility for DPP-based small molecules, but it is much lower than that of the high-performance DPP-based polymers. The relative low mobility is mainly attributed to the rough crystal surfaces with steps and, thus, non-smooth charge transport channels at the interfaces between the crystals and the dielectrics. This work has implications for understanding the low charge mobility of DPP-based small molecules.

Graphical abstractAligned crystals of three DPP-based small molecules grown from para-xylene by droplet-pinned crystallization (DPC) method.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide