The synthesis, crystal structure and charge-transport properties of hexacene

Abstract

Acenes can be thought of as one-dimensional strips of graphene and they have the potential to be used in the next generation of electronic devices. However, because acenes larger than pentacene have been found to be unstable, it was generally accepted that they would not be particularly useful materials under normal conditions. Here, we show that, by using a physical vapour-transport method, platelet-shaped crystals of hexacene can be prepared from a monoketone precursor. These crystals are stable in the dark for a long period of time under ambient conditions. In the crystal, the molecules are arranged in herringbone arrays, quite similar to that observed for pentacene. A field-effect transistor made using a single crystal of hexacene displayed a hole mobility significantly higher than that of pentacene. This result suggests that it might be instructive to further explore the potential of other higher acenes. Crystals of hexacene prepared from a monoketone precursor are found to be stable up to 300 °C in the dark, but readily decompose when exposed to light. An organic-field transistor made with a single crystal of hexacene was found to have superior properties to one made from pentacene under analogous conditions.

Cite this article

Watanabe, M., Chang, Y., Liu, SW. et al. The synthesis, crystal structure and charge-transport properties of hexacene. Nature Chem 4, 574–578 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1381

View full text

>> Full Text:   The synthesis, crystal structure and charge-transport properties of hexacene