Preparing two-dimensional conjugated polymers (2DCPs) with desirable structures and semiconducting properties is promising but remains a great challenge. Presented here is a new 2DCP, named 2D polytriethyltriindole (2DPTTI), which is efficiently synthesized by a modified interfacial Suzuki reaction from 2,7,12-tribromo-5,10,15-triethyltriindole (2-BrTTI) and 1,4-benzenediboronic acid dipinacol ester (BADE) precursors at room temperature. Wafer-scale free-standing 2DPTTI films with controllable thicknesses between 2.5 and 46.0 nm were obtained by adjusting the experimental conditions. The resulting 2DPTTI films, used as an active layer in organic field effect transistors (OFETs), exhibited typical p-type semiconducting properties and superior UV optoelectronic performance with a photosensitivity of 3.7×103 and responsivity of 1.4×103 A W-1 , as well as a light-blue fluorescence character. This report provides a general approach for constructing various semiconducting 2DCPs, by an interfacial Suzuki reaction, towards multifunctional organic electronics.
Keywords: Suzuki reaction; polymers; semiconductors; surface chemistry; thin films.
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