Single-crystalline organic nanowires with large mobility and strong fluorescence emission: a conductive-AFM and space-charge-limited-current study

We have designed and synthesized self-assembled one-dimensional nanowires (1D NWs) from the fused thiophene derivative 2,3-bis(5-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl) thiophen-2-yl) acrylonitrile (SS-TFMBE). This new material is characterized by a strong self-assembling capability that leads to the formation of 1D NWs exhibiting a dramatic increase in fluorescence emission upon formation of NW aggregates. In addition, the semiconducting properties of the 1D NWs were evidenced by means of conducting-probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) and space-charge-limited-current (SCLC) measurements, which show that SS-TFMBE NWs composed of ordered percolated crystals have an effective carrier mobility of up to 3.1 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).