Various organic π-conjugated molecules have been reported for high-performance organic semiconductors. Among them, organic π-conjugated molecules with imide/amide-containing motifs such as perylene bisimides, naphthalene bisimides or diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives  as well as N-containing oligoacenes such as hexaazatriphenylene have caught the attention for use as charge-transporting semiconductors in organic field effect transistors (OFETs),  light-harvesting dyes in organic solar cells (OSCs), and photon-generating agents in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). In our group we have been active in the synthesis of perylene bisimides, naphthalene bisimides, diketopyrrolopyrrole and  hexaazatriphenylene as novel n-type materials. We have used the chemical functionalization in order to tune the HOMO/LUMO energies of these compounds, to increase and/or adjust their solubilities in organic solvents and to influence the intermolecular π–π interactions and thus their semiconducting behavior.

Publications 

• Naphthalimide-Based 3D Organic Semiconductors: Synthesis and Application as Photo-Electrocatalysts for Organic Dyes Degradation and Water Splitting, Adv. Sustainable Syst.  2200339 (2022).
• Comparing the effect on microstructure and photovoltaic performance of 3 perylene imide acceptors with similar energy levels but different packing tendencies, J. Mater. Chem. C, 10, 1698 (2022).
• Synthesis and electronic properties of nitrogen-doped π-extended polycyclic aromatic dicarboximides with multiple redox processes, J. Mater. Chem. C, 9, 7936 (2021).
• Synthesis of Perylene Imide Diones as Platforms for the Development of Pyrazine Based Organic Semiconductors, Org. Chem. 81, 11256 (2016).
• Hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) derivatives: from synthesis to molecular design, self-organization and device applications, Chemical Society Reviews  44, 6850 (2015)
• Electron Transport in a Water-Soluble Liquid-Crystalline Perylene Bisimide J. Phys. Chem. C 118, 26577 (2014)
• Linear and star-shaped naphthalimide-fused pyrazinacenes Chem. Commun. 49, 713   (2013)
• Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Ramified Hexaazatriphenylenes: Charge Transfer Contributions to the Octupolar Response J. Phys. Chem. C 117, 626 (2013)
• Influence of the peripheral alkyl chains length on the mesomorphicproperties of electron acceptor π-extended HAT derivatives Synth. Met.  195, 222   (2014)  
• Hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) versus tri-HAT: The Bigger the Better? Chem. Eur. J.  17, 10312 (2011)
• Synthesis and Electrochemical and Theoretical Studies of V-Shaped Donor-Acceptor Hexaazatriphenylene Derivatives for Second Harmonic Generation J. Org. Chem., 75, 7542 (2010)    
• Synthesis of Water-Soluble Perylenediimide-Functionalized Polymer Through Esterification With Poly(vinyl alcohol), J. Polym. Sci. A.Pol. Chem., 48, 3613 (2010)
• A β-Naphtalene-Imide Modified Terthiophene Exhibiting ChargeTransfer and Polarization Through the Short Molecular Axis. Joint Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study, J. Phys. Chem. A, 112, 6732 (2008).
• Synthesis of a [60]Fullerene-Functionalized Isotactic Polypropylene Derivative, J. Polym. Sci. A. Polym. Chem., 46, 6722 (2008)
• Synthesis of a [60]Fullerene-Functionalized Poly(vinyl chloride) Derivative by Stereoespecific Chemical Modification of PVC. J. Polym. Sci. A: Polymer Chemistry, 45, 5408 (2007)
• Synthesis of Non-centrosymmetric Donor-Acceptor-Donor Hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) Derivatives ,        Tetrahedron Lett. 48, 8829 (2007)
• The First Two Decades of a Versatile Building Block: 11,11,12,12-Tetracyano-9,10-anthraquinodimethane (TCAQ). Chem. Soc. Rev. 36, 1305(2007)
• Synthesis of an optically active electron-acceptor tetracyanoanthraquinodimethane (TCAQ) main-chain polyester. Tetrahedron Lett, 47, 6445 (2006)
• Highly efficient light harvesting organofullerenes. Org. Lett. 7, 717 (2005)
• Synthesis of 1,1'-Binaphthyl-Based Enantiopure C₆₀ Dimers. J.  Org. Chem., 67, 3529 (2002)