Rational In Silico Design of an Organic Semiconductor with Improved Electron Mobility

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 29; no. 43
• Main Authors: Friederich, Pascal, Gómez, Verónica, Sprau, Christian, Meded, Velimir, Strunk, Timo, Jenne, Michael, Magri, Andrea, Symalla, Franz, Colsmann, Alexander, Ruben, Mario, Wenzel, Wolfgang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2017
• Subjects: Carrier mobility; charge mobility; computational material design; Current carriers; Electron mobility; Electronic properties; Electronic structure; Electrons; Field effect transistors; Light emitting diodes; Materials science; Molecular structure; multiscale modeling; organic electronics; Organic light emitting diodes; Organic semiconductors; Photovoltaic cells; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductors; Solar cells; Viability; organic semiconductors; multiscale modeling; organic electronics; charge mobility; computational material design
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703505

Organic semiconductors find a wide range of applications, such as in organic light emitting diodes, organic solar cells, and organic field effect transistors. One of their most striking disadvantages in comparison to crystalline inorganic semiconductors is their low charge‐carrier mobility, which manifests itself in major device constraints such as limited photoactive layer thicknesses. Trial‐and‐error attempts to increase charge‐carrier mobility are impeded by the complex interplay of the molecular and electronic structure of the material with its morphology. Here, the viability of a multiscale simulation approach to rationally design materials with improved electron mobility is demonstrated. Starting from one of the most widely used electron conducting materials (Alq3), novel organic semiconductors with tailored electronic properties are designed for which an improvement of the electron mobility by three orders of magnitude is predicted and experimentally confirmed. The viability of a multiscale simulation approach to rationally design organic semiconductors with improved electron mobility is demonstrated. Novel materials with tailored electronic properties are designed for which an improvement of the electron mobility by three orders of magnitude is predicted and experimentally confirmed.