Hole transport nature exploration of 4,4-Difluoro-8-(C4H3X)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (X = O, S, Se) (BODIPY) systems

Abstract

ABSTRACT Charge transport and electronic character of fluorophore chalcogenides 4,4-Difluoro-8-(-XC4H3)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (X = O, S, Se) (BODIPY) derivatives were examined at the molecular level. The effect of chalcogenides was investigated on the transfer integrals, electron affinity (EA), frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), ionisation energy (IE), intrinsic mobility along with reorganisation energies. The ring dissimilarities within 4,4-difluoro-8-(-XC4H3)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (X = O, 2-/3-furyl (Comp1/Comp4)); (X = S, 2-/3-thienyl (Comp2/Comp4)) and (X = Se, 2-/3-selenenyl (Comp3/Comp6)) were compared systematically. Among BODIPY chalcogenides derivatives, 2-furyl substitution is more beneficial compared with 2-thienyl, 2-selenenyl and 3-furyl as the prior moiety significantly increases intrinsic hole mobility. The –S or –Se substitution at 2- or 3- position in place of –O at equivalent position reduces the structural polarisation from neutral to cation resulting in reduced hole reorganisation energies. The doping of –S or –Se at 2-position decreases the hole transfer integral in comparison to 2-furyl-substituted derivative. The effect of chalcogen atoms on 2- or 3- position is not so significant on the HOMO/LUMO energy levels. It is expected that –O doping at 2-position in furyl is supporting p-type charge transport channel. These results demonstrated that the studied BODIPY derivatives would be efficient hole transfer materials to be used in organic semiconductor devices.