Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Conductivity and nanoscale morphology of thin films prepared from indolo[2,3-a]carbazole and 11,12-dioctylindolo[2,3-a]carbazole

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A systematic study on the thin film morphology of heteroacenic derivatives such as indolo[2,3-a]carbazole and 11,12-dioctylindolo[2,3-a]carbazole has been carried out using scanning force microscopy and optical microscopy techniques. The investigation has comprised the preparation of a series of thin films by combining different solvents (dimethylformamide and tetrahydrofurane), substrates (glass, gold, silicon and aluminium) and deposition techniques (spin coating and thermal evaporation) we found a wide variety of self-assembled structures. In addition, conductivity measurements have been performed, showing a very large spread in conductivity values. Some of the samples give quite high conductivity while others conduct very poorly, even in the case of samples prepared with essentially the same conditions. These results indicate that morphology is very critical for the final conductivity of the thin films. In addition we conclude that for some of the films prepared the homogeneous thin film approximation must be revised otherwise obtained conductivity measurements lead to significant error.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. C.K. Chiang, C.R. Fincher Jr, Y.W. Park, A.J. Heeger, H. Shirakawa, E.J. Louis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 39, 1098 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. H. Shirakawa, E.J. Louis, A.G. MacDiarmid, C.K. Chiang, A.J. Heeger, Chem. Commun. 16, 578 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. A.J. Heeger, Rev. Mod. Phys. 73, 681 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. H. Klauk, Organic Electronics II. More Materials and Applications (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2012)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. G. Meller, T. Grasser, Organic Electronics (Springer, New York, 2010)

    Google Scholar 

  6. T.A. Skotheim, R.L. Elsenbaumer, J.R. Reynolds, Handbook of Conducting Polymers 3rd Edition. Conjugated Polymers. Theory, Synthesis, Properties and Characterization (CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2007)

  7. H. Klauk, Organic Electronics: Materials, Manufacturing and Applications (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2006)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  8. P. Bujak, I. Kulszewicz-Bajer, M. Zagorska, V. Maurel, I. Wielgus, A. Pron, Chem. Soc. Rev. 42, 8895 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. X. Zhao, X. Zhan, Chem. Soc. Rev. 40, 3728 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. J. Li, A.C. Grimsdale, Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 2399 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. C. Li, M. Liu, N.G. Pschirer, M. Baumgarten, K. Müllen, Chem. Rev. 2010, 6817 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. O. Inganas, Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 2633 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. P.M. Beaujuge, J.R. Reynolds, Chem. Rev. 110, 268 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Y.-J. Cheng, S.-H. Yang, C.-S. Hsu, Chem. Rev. 109, 5868 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. S. Günes, H. Neugebauer, N.S. Sariciftci, Chem. Rev. 107, 1324 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. J. Roncali, Chem. Rev. 92, 711–738 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A.O. Patil, A.J. Heeger, F. Wudl, Chem. Rev. 88, 183 (1988)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. J. Casado, R. Ponce Ortiz, J.T. Lopez, Navarrete. Chem. Soc. Rev. 41, 5672 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. F. Zhang, D. Wu, Y. Xu, X. Feng, J. Mater. Chem. 21, 17590 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. A.L. Kanibolotsky, I.F. Perepichka, P.J. Skabara, Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 2695 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. W. Wu, Y. Liu, D. Zhu, Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 1489 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. A. Pron, P. Gawrys, M. Zagorska, D. Djurado, R. Demadrille, Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 2577 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. M. Mas-Torrent, C. Rovira, Chem. Soc. Rev. 37, 827 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. S. Sergeyev, W. Pisula, Y.H. Geerts, Chem. Soc. Rev. 36, 1902 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. T.M. Figueira-Duarte, K. Müllen, Chem. Rev. 111, 7260 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. J.E. Anthony, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 47, 452 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. M.M. Payne, S.R. Parkin, J.E. Anthony, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 8028 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. W. Jiang, Y. Li, Z. Wang, Chem. Soc. Rev. 42, 6113 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. J.E. Anthony, Chem. Rev. 106, 5028 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. K. Xiao, Y. Liu, T. Qi, W. Zhang, F. Wang, J. Gao, W. Qiu, Y. Ma, G. Cui, S. Chen, X. Zhan, G. Yu, J. Qin, W. Hu, D. Zhu, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 13281 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. K. Geramita, J. McBee, T.D. Tilley, J. Org. Chem. 74, 820 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. H. Ebata, E. Miyazaki, T. Yamamoto, K. Takimiya, Org. Lett. 9, 4499 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. N. Lv, M. Xie, W. Gu, H. Ruan, S. Qiu, C. Zhou, Z. Cui, Org. Lett. 15, 2382 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. K. Kawaguchi, K. Nakano, K. Nozaki, J. Org. Chem. 72, 5119 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. M. Sonntag, P. Strohriegl, Tetrahedron 62, 8103 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Y. Yuan, G. Giri, A.L. Ayzner, A.P. Zoombelt, S.C.B. Mannsfeld, J. Chen, D. Nordlund, M.F. Toney, J. Huang, Z. Bao, Nat. Commun. 5, 3005 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  37. K. Takimiya, S. Shinamura, I. Osaka, E. Miyazaki, Adv. Mater. 23, 4347 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. G. Horowitz, Adv. Mater. 10, 3 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Y. Li, Y. Wu, S. Gardner, B.S. Ong, Adv. Mater. 17, 849 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. K. Mackay, R.H. Friend, P.L. Burn, A.B. Holmes, Nature 347, 539 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. P. Peumans, A. Yakimov, S.R. Forrest, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 3693 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. D. Curiel, A. Cowley, P.D. Beer, Chem. Commun. 2, 236 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. P.M. Beaujuge, J.M.J. Fréchet, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 20009 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. J. Bisquert, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 3, 1515 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. V. Coropceanu, J. Cornil, D.A. da Silva Filho, Y. Olivier, R. Silbey, J.-L. Brédas, Chem. Rev. 107, 926 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. J.-L. Brédas, D. Beljonne, V. Coropceanu, J. Cornil, Chem. Rev. 104, 4971 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. D.W. Schubert, T. Dunkel, Mater. Res. Innov. 7, 314 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. T.R. Albrecht, P. Grütter, D. Horne, D. Rugar, J. Appl. Phys. 69, 668 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. U. Dürig, O. Züger, A. Stalder, J. Appl. Phys. 72, 1778 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. J.F. González-Martínez, I. Nieto-Carvajal, J. Colchero, Nanotechnology 24, 185701 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. S. San Paulo, R. García, Phys. Rev. B 66, 041406 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. E. Palacios-Lidón, C. Munuera, C. Ocal, J. Colchero, Ultramicroscopy 110, 789 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. E. Palacios-Lidón, B. Pérez-García, J. Colchero, Nanotechnology 20, 085707 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. G.L. Mack, J. Phys. Chem. 40, 159 (1936)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology through the projects MAT2010-21267-C02 and CONSOLIDER Programme “Force for Future” (CSD2010-00024) as well as by the “Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia” through the proyect “Células solares orgánicas: de la estructura molecular y nanométrica a dispositivos operativos macroscópicos”. M.M.M. acknowledges Ministry of Education for a FPU fellowship. I.N.C. also acknowledges support from the Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia through a scholarship from the Fundación Séneca.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Ines Nieto-Carvajal, Jose Abad & Jaime Colchero

  2. Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Miriam Más-Montoya & David Curiel

  3. Department of Applied Physics, Technical University of Cartagena, Campus Muralla del Mar, 30202, Cartagena, Spain

    Jose Abad

Authors
  1. Ines Nieto-Carvajal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Miriam Más-Montoya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jose Abad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Curiel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jaime Colchero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jose Abad.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nieto-Carvajal, I., Más-Montoya, M., Abad, J. et al. Conductivity and nanoscale morphology of thin films prepared from indolo[2,3-a]carbazole and 11,12-dioctylindolo[2,3-a]carbazole. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 25, 5452–5461 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-014-2328-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-014-2328-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation