π-Conjugated cyanostilbene derivatives: a unique self-assembly motif for molecular nanostructures with enhanced emission and transport.

π-Conjugated organic molecules represent an attractive platform for the design and fabrication of a wide range of nano- and microstructures for use in organic optoelectronics. The desirable optical and electrical properties of π-conjugated molecules for these applications depend on their primary molecular structure and their intermolecular interactions such as molecular packing or ordering in the condensed states. Because of the difficulty in satisfying these rigorous structural requirements for photoluminescence and charge transport, the development of novel high-performance π-conjugated systems for nano-optoelectronics has remained a challenge. This Account describes our recent discovery of a novel class of self-assembling π-conjugated organic molecules with a built-in molecular elastic twist. These molecules consist of a cyano-substituted stilbenic π-conjugated backbone and various terminal functional groups, and they offer excellent optical, electrical, and self-assembly properties for use in various nano-optoelectronic devices. The characteristic "twist elasticity" behavior of these molecules occurs in response to molecular interactions. These large torsional or conformational changes in the cyanostilbene backbone play an important role in achieving favorable intermolecular interactions that lead to both high photoluminescence and good charge carrier mobility in self-assembled nanostructures. Conventional π-conjugated molecules in the solid state typically show concentration (aggregation) fluorescence quenching. Initially, we describe the unique photoluminescence properties, aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE), of these new cyanostilbene derivatives that elegantly circumvent these problems. These elastic twist π-conjugated backbones serve as versatile scaffolds for the preparation of well-defined patterned nanosized architectures through facile self-assembly processes. We discuss in particular detail the preparation of 1D nanowire structures through programmed self-assembly. This Account describes the importance of utilizing AIEE effects to explore optical device applications, such as organic semiconducting lasers (OSLs), optical memory, and sensors. We demonstrate the rich electronic properties, including the electrical conductivity, field-effect carrier mobility, and electroluminescence of highly crystalline 1D nanowire and coaxial donor-acceptor nanocable structures composed of elastic twist π-conjugated molecules. The electronic properties were measured using various techniques, including current-voltage (I-V), conducting-probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM), and space-charge-limited-current (SCLC) measurements. We prepared and characterized several electronic device structures, including organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic light-emitting field-effect transistors (OLETs).