Air-stable ambipolar organic transistors based on charge-transfer complexes containing dibenzopyrrolopyrrole

It has been known that organic charge-transfer complexes with a mix-stacked structure show transistor properties, and particularly complexes containing 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ) show air-stable n-channel transistor properties in thin-film transistors, though ambipolar properties have been reported in a few single-crystal transistors. Here we report, when TCNQ is replaced by 2,5-dimethyl-N, N'-dicyano-p-quinonediimine (DMDCNQI), the dibenzopyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole (DBPP) complex exhibits ambipolar properties even in the thin-film transistor. The ambipolar operation is stable in air after several weeks. In addition, the transistor shows a very small difference in the electron and hole threshold voltages.