Benzotrithiophene--a planar, electron-rich building block for organic semiconductors.

Nielsen CB, Fraser JM, Schroeder BC, Du J, White AJP, Zhang W, McCulloch I

Several functionalized benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b':5,6-d'']trithiophenes have been synthesized and characterized. The fully planar and highly electron-rich material shows great promise as the donor constituent in donor-acceptor type copolymers for use in organic electronics. As a proof of concept, a copolymer with the electron acceptor, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, has been prepared. Side-chain modifications have been employed to adjust both the electron-rich character of the monomer and the solubility and processability of the polymer.