Effect of a furan π-bridge on polymer coplanarity and performance in organic field effect transistors

An existing donor–acceptor polymer was modified by introducing a furan π-bridge into its backbone, aiming to extend the π-conjugation and achieve higher performance in organic field effect transistors (OFETs). The effect of a furan-bridge on polymer thermal, optical and electrochemical properties was systematically investigated. OFETs demonstrated an unexpected reduced hole mobility for the furan-bridge containing polymer. Theoretical simulation indicated that the polymer coplanarity became worse after the incorporation of the furan-bridge due to the modified atomic interaction between adjacent building blocks in the backbone. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy results further confirmed that the furan containing polymer had a less ordered intermolecular packing in film due to the reduced coplanarity.