Synthesis and Properties of Hexyl End-Capped Thiophene Oligomers Containing Anthracene Moiety in the Center

Abstract

A series of new organic semiconductors hexyl end-capped thiophene-anthracene oligomers containing the anthracene moiety in the center of the oligomers are synthesized. The target oligomers have been obtained by Stille coupling reactions as key step reactions. The synthesized thiophene-anthracene oligomers were characterized by 'H-NMR, 13 C-NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy, respectively. All of the oligomers are soluble in chlorinated solvents. Their optical, thermal and electrochemical properties were measured. The hexyl end-capped oligomers and their unsubstituted oligomers exhibit the same absorption behavior in dilute toluene solution. Hexyl end-capped bis-terthienylanthracene oligomer is observed to show liquid crystalline mesophase at 166 °C in heating process. The thermal analyses as well as the electrochemical measurement data indicate that the designed materials show better thermal and oxidation stability than the corresponding oligothiophenes without anthracene core. Fluorescence lifetimes and fluorescence quantum yields of the thiophene-anthracene oligomers are measured to be 10-14 ps and 3.4-9.9 x 10 -3 which are much shorter and lower than those of oligothiophenes respectively.