Cross-linked liquid-crystalline materials - A possible strategy to ordered organic semiconductors

Ideal materials used in organic electronics should possess both a high order to exhibit high charge carrier mobility and easy processability to achieve low cost production. While single crystals only meet the first property, polymers usually only meet the second. To combine both, it would be desirable to conserve the order of liquid-crystalline phases over a wide temperature range as needed for practical use. In this paper, a synthesis of different liquid-crystalline materials is reported that incorporate both an aromatic heterocyclic core responsible for the semiconductor character and a cross-linkable group to freeze in the liquid-crystal order at a suitable temperature. The liquid-crystalline phases are investigated, and cross-linking experiments are performed. The structure of the prepared films is investigated by X-ray diffraction.