Topology-Mediated Molecule Nucleation Anchoring Enables Inkjet Printing of Organic Semiconducting Single Crystals for High-Performance Printed Electronics.

Abstract

Printable organic semiconducting single crystals (OSSCs) offer tantalizing opportunities for next-generation wearable electronics, but their development has been plagued by a long-standing yet inherent problem─spatially uncontrolled and stochastic nucleation events─which usually causes the formation of polycrystalline films and hence limited performance. Here, we report a convenient approach to precisely manipulate the elusive molecule nucleation process for high-throughput inkjet printing of OSSCs with record-high mobility. By engineering curvature of the contact line with a teardrop-shaped micropattern, molecule nucleation is elegantly anchored at the vertex of the topological structure, enabling formation of a single nucleus for the subsequent growth of OSSCs. Using this approach, we achieve patterned growth of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-<i>b</i>][1]benzothiophene single crystals, yielding a breakthrough for an organic field-effect transistor array with a high average mobility of 12.5 cm² V^-1 s^-1. These findings not only provide keen insights into controlling molecule nucleation kinetics but also offer opportunities for high-performance printed electronics.