Pyrrolo[3,2-B]pyrrole semiconducting compounds and devices incorporating same

1. An oligomeric or polymeric compound comprising a repeating unit M 1 and a repeating unit M 2 having the formula:

wherein:

x is a real number representing the mole fraction of M 1 in the compound;

y is a real number representing the mole fraction of M 2 in the compound,

wherein 0<x≦1, 0≦y<1, and the sum of x and y is about 1;

M 1 comprises an optionally substituted pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-2,5(1H,4H)-dione-3,6-diyl moiety represented by the formula:

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 independently are selected from H a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, C 1-40 haloalkyl group, and an organic group comprising 1-4-cyclic moieties,

wherein:

each of the C 1-40 alkyl group, the C 2-40 alkenyl group, and the C 1-40 haloalkyl group can be optionally substituted with 1-10 substituents independently selected from a halogen, —CN, NO 2 , OH, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1-20 alkyl), —N(C 1-20 alkyl), —S(O) 2 OH, —CHO, —C(O)—C 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)OH, —C(O)—OC 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)NH 2 , —C(O)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , —OC 1-20 alkyl, —SiH 3 , —SiH(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , —SiH 2 (C 1-20 alkyl), and —Si(C 1-20 alkyl) 3 ;

each of the C 1-40 alkyl group, the C 2-40 alkenyl group, and the C 1-40 haloalkyl group can be covalently bonded to the imide nitrogen atom via an optional linker; and

each of the 1-4 cyclic moieties can be the same or different, can be covalently bonded to each other or the imide nitrogen via an optional linker, and can be optionally substituted with 1-5 substituents independently selected from a halo en oxo —CN, NO 2 , OH, ═C(CN) 2 , —NH 2 , —NH(C 1-20 alkyl), —N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , —S(O) 2 OH, —CHO, —C(O)OH, —C(O)—C 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)—OC 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)NH 2 , —C(O)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , —SiH(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , —SiH 2 (C 1-20 alkyl), —Si(C 1-20 alkyl) 3 , —O—C 1-20 alkyl, —O—C 1-20 alkenyl, —O—C 1-20 haloalkyl, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkenyl group, and a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; and

V, at each occurrence, independently is selected from

a covalent bond,

wherein:

Ar 1 , at each occurrence, independently, is a C 6-14 aryl group or a 5-14 membered heteroaryl group, each of which optionally is substituted with 1-2 groups independently selected from a halogen, CN, oxo, ═C(CN) 2 , a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 1-40 haloalkyl group, a C 1-40 alkoxy group, and a C 1-40 alkylthio group;

Z is a linear conjugated linker;

m″, at each occurrence, is 1, 2, 3, or 4; and

t is an integer in the range of 1 to 20; and

M 2 comprises an optionally substituted conjugated moiety not including an optionally substituted pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-2,5(1H,4H)-dione-3,6-diyl moiety.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein M 1 has the formula:

wherein:

Ar 1 , at each occurrence, independently is a C 6-14 aryl group or a 5-14 membered heteroaryl group, each of which optionally is substituted with 1-2 groups independently selected from a halogen, a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 1-40 haloalkyl group, a C 1-40 alkoxy group, and a C 1-40 alkylthio group;

R 1 and R 2 independently are selected from a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group; and

m and m′ independently are 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

3. The compound of claim 2 , wherein the compound has the formula:

wherein:

M 2 , at each occurrence, independently is selected from:

wherein:

Z, at each occurrence, independently is a linear conjugated linker;

π-2, at each occurrence, independently is a conjugated polycyclic moiety optionally substituted with 1-6 R d groups and is not an optionally substituted pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-2,5(1H,4H)-dione-3,6-diyl unit;

Ar, at each occurrence, independently is a conjugated monocyclic moiety optionally substituted with 1-6 R d groups; wherein:

R d , at each occurrence, independently is selected from a) halogen, b) —CN, c) —NO 2 , d) —N(R e ) 2 , e) oxo, f) —OH, g) ═C(R f ) 2 , h) —C(O)R e , i) —C(O)OR e , j) —C(O)N(R e ) 2 , k) —SH, l) —S(O) 2 —R e , m) —S(O) 2 OR e , n) —(OCH 2 CH 2 ) t OR e , o) a C 1-40 alkyl group, p) a C 2-40 alkenyl group, q) a C 2-40 alkynyl group, r) a C 1-40 alkoxy group, s) a C 1-40 alkylthio group, t) a C 1-40 haloalkyl group, u) a —Y—C 3-10 cycloalkyl group, v) a —Y—C 6-14 aryl group, w) a —Y—C 6-14 haloaryl group, x) a —Y-3-12 membered cycloheteroalkyl group, and y) a —Y-5-14 membered heteroaryl group, wherein each of the C 1-40 alkyl group, the C 2-40 alkenyl group, the C 2-40 alkynyl group, the C 1-40 alkoxy group, the C 1-40 alkylthio group, the C 1-40 haloalkyl group, the C 3-10 cycloalkyl group, the C 6-14 aryl group, the C 6-14 haloaryl group, the 3-12 membered cycloheteroalkyl group, and the 5-14 membered heteroaryl group is optionally substituted with 1-4 R f groups;

R e , at each occurrence, independently is selected from H, a C 1-40 alkyl group, and a —Y—C 6-14 aryl group;

R f , at each occurrence, independently is selected from a) halogen, b) —CN, c) —NO 2 , d) oxo, e) —OH, f) —NH 2 , g) —NH(C 1-20 alkyl), h) —N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , i) —N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, j) —N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , k) —S(O) w H, l) —S(O) w —C 1-20 alkyl, m) —S(O) 2 OH, n) —S(O) 2 —OC 1-20 alkyl, o) —S(O) 2 —OC 6-14 aryl, p) —CHO, q) —C(O)—C 1-20 alkyl, r) —C(O)—C 6-14 aryl, s) —C(O)OH, t) —C(O)—OC 1-20 alkyl, u) —C(O)—OC 6-14 aryl, v) —C(O)NH 2 , w) —C(O)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, x) —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , y) —C(O)NH—C 6-14 aryl, z) —C(O)N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, aa) —C(O)N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , ab) —C(S)NH 2 , ac) —C(S)NH—C 1-20 alkyl, ad) —C(S)N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , ae) —C(S)N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , af) —C(S)N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, ag) —C(S)NH—C 6-14 aryl, ah) —S(O) w NH 2 , ai) —S(O) w NH(C 1-20 alkyl), aj) —S(O) w N(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , ak) —S(O) w NH(C 6-14 aryl), al) —S(O) w N(C 1-20 alkyl)-C 6-14 aryl, am) —S(O) w N(C 6-14 aryl) 2 , an) —SiH 3 , ao) —SiH(C 1-20 alkyl) 2 , op) —SiH 2 (C 1-20 alkyl), aq) —Si(C 1-20 alkyl) 3 , ar) a C 1-20 alkyl group, as) a C 2-20 alkenyl group, at) a C 2-20 alkynyl group, au) a C 1-20 alkoxy group, av) a C 1-20 alkylthio group, ow) a C 1-20 haloalkyl group, ax) a C 3-10 cycloalkyl group, ay) a C 6-14 aryl group, az) a C 6-14 haloaryl group, ba) a 3-12 membered cycloheteroalkyl group, or bb) a 5-14 membered heteroaryl group;

Y, at each occurrence, independently is selected from a divalent C 1-10 alkyl group, a divalent C 1-10 haloalkyl group, and a covalent bond; and

t is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10;

w, at each occurrence, independently is 0, 1, or 2;

m and m′ independently are 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and

m″ is 1, 2, 3, or 4.

4. The compound of claim 3 , wherein the compound is a random copolymer, a regiorandom copolymer, a regioregular copolymer, or an alternating copolymer.

5. The compound of claim 3 , wherein the compound is an alternating copolymer and has the formula:

wherein R 4 , at each occurrence, independently is H, halogen, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, a C 1-20 alkylthio group, or a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; and n is an integer in the range of 3 to 10,000.

6. The compound of claim 3 , wherein M 2 , at each occurrence, independently comprises one to four 5- or 6-membered aryl or heteroaryl groups each optionally substituted with 1-4 R d groups.

7. The compound of claim 3 , wherein M 2 , at each occurrence, has the formula:

wherein:

L″, at each occurrence, independently is selected from —CH 2 —, —O—, —S—, and —Se—;

R, at each occurrence, independently is selected from a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 2-40 alkenyl group, a C 2-40 alkynyl group, and a C 1-40 haloalkyl group, wherein one or more non-adjacent CH 2 groups independently are optionally replaced by —O—, —S—, and —Se—, provided that O, S, and/or Se atoms are not linked directly to one another;

X 1 and X 2 , at each occurrence, independently are selected from S, O, and Se;

X 3 and X 4 , at each occurrence, independently are selected from N, CH, and CF; and

π-2 is a polycyclic C 8-24 aryl group or 8-24 membered heteroaryl group optionally substituted with 1-6 R d groups.

8. The compound of claim 3 , wherein M 2 , at each occurrence, has the formula:

wherein R 4 , at each occurrence, independently is H, halogen, CN, a C 1-20 alkyl group, a C 1-20 alkoxy group, a C 1-20 alkylthio group, or a C 1-20 haloalkyl group; and R 7 , at each occurrence, independently is H, halogen, CN, a C 1-40 alkyl group, a C 1-40 alkoxy group, a C 1-40 alkylthio group, or a C 1-40 haloalkyl group.

9. The compound of claim 3 , wherein M 2 , at each occurrence, is selected from:

wherein R 3 , at each occurrence, is a C 1-20 alkyl group.

10. The compound of claim 3 , wherein M 2 is selected from:

11. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 , at each occurrence, independently are selected from a branched C 5-40 alkyl group, a branched C 5-40 alkenyl group, and a branched C 5-40 haloalkyl group.

12. A thin film semiconductor comprising one or more oligomeric or polymeric compounds of claim 1 .

13. An electronic or optoelectronic device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode; and

a semiconducting component comprising a single layer or a laminate comprising multiple layers, wherein the semiconducting component is in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode, and the semiconducting component comprises the thin film semiconductor of claim 12 .

14. The device of claim 13 configured as a thin film transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode;

a gate dielectric component;

a source electrode;

a drain electrode; and

the semiconducting component comprising the thin film semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the semiconducting component is in contact with the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the gate dielectric component.

15. An optical or optoelectronic device comprising:

a first electrode,

a second electrode, and

a photoactive component comprising a single layer or a laminate comprising multiple layers, wherein the photoactive component is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the photoactive component comprises the thin film semiconductor of claim 12 .

16. The device of claim 15 configured as a photovoltaic cell comprising:

a substrate;

an anode;

a cathode; and

the photoactive component comprising the thin film semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the photoactive component is disposed between the anode and the cathode.

17. The device of claim 15 configured as a light emitting transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode;

a gate dielectric component;

a source electrode;

a drain electrode; and

the photoactive component comprising the thin film semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the photoactive component is in contact with the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the gate dielectric component.