Organic Semiconductor Design and Transport Properties

Organic semiconductors are engineered through precise molecular design to achieve optimal charge transport, mechanical flexibility and compatibility with large-area fabrication. Central to this endeavour is the control of π-conjugation and quinoidal character, which govern the bandgap and frontier orbital energies. Donor–acceptor architectures permit fine-tuning of electronic levels by alternating electron-rich and electron-poor units along the backbone, while backbone planarity and side-chain engineering influence film morphology and intermolecular packing. Charge-carrier mobility, whether for holes or electrons, depends critically on coherent π-orbital overlap, minimisation of reorganisation energy and the suppression of trap states. Advances in green-solvent processing and solution-based deposition have further accelerated the translation of high-performance materials into flexible field-effect transistors, organic photovoltaics and photodetectors. Understanding the interplay between molecular structure, thin-film microstructure and transport phenomena remains a focal point, with the ultimate aim of delivering sustainable, high-efficiency organic electronic devices.

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Organic Semiconductor Design and Transport Properties publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in organic semiconductor design and transport properties across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

π-conjugation: Overlapping p-orbitals allowing electron delocalisation along a molecular backbone.

Quinoidal character: Bonding pattern with alternating single and double bonds that narrows the energy gap by stabilising the quinoidal form.

Donor–acceptor architecture: Molecular design combining electron-rich donor and electron-poor acceptor units to tune optical and electronic properties.

Charge-carrier mobility: Measure of the speed at which electrons or holes move through a semiconductor under an applied electric field.

Bandgap: Energy difference between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, determining optical absorption and conductivity.

References

1. A Three‐in‐One Hybrid Strategy for High‐Performance Semiconducting Polymers Processed from Anisole. Advanced Science (2024).
2. Ultra‐Narrowband Near‐Infrared Responsive J‐Aggregates of Fused Quinoidal Tetracyanoindacenodithiophene. Advanced Materials (2023).
3. para -Azaquinodimethane based quinoidal polymers for opto-electronic applications: impact of donor units on the opto-electronic properties. Materials Advances (2022).