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Supramolecular ordering in oligothiophene-fullerene monolayers
Jennifer M MacLeod1, Oleksandr Ivasenko, Chaoying Fu
1INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, Canada J3X 1S2.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|November 19, 2009
Summary
Scanning tunneling microscopy revealed molecular ordering in organic semiconductors. This finding has implications for designing advanced bulk heterojunction solar cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Organic Electronics
Background:
- Organic semiconductors are crucial for next-generation electronic devices.
- Understanding molecular self-assembly is key to controlling material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular-scale phase separation and ordering of oligothiophene and fullerene monolayers.
- To explore the potential implications for bulk heterojunction solar cells.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) was used to analyze molecular monolayers on a graphite surface.
- Analysis focused on self-assembled structures of terthienobenzenetricarboxylic acid (TTBTA) and C60 fullerene.
Main Results:
- TTBTA self-assembled into two distinct networks: a porous chicken wire and a close-packed hexameric motif.
- The chicken wire phase was racemically mixed, while the close-packed phase was enantiomerically pure.
- C60 molecules were hosted within the chicken wire cavities, forming ordered domains with controlled fullerene loading.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates structure-property relationships in organic semiconductor monolayers.
- Ordered fullerene hosting within TTBTA networks suggests pathways for designing efficient organic electronic devices.
- Commensurability and electrostatic effects govern fullerene adsorption and ordering.
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