Intramolecular Noncovalent Interaction‐Driven <i>Syn</i> ‐/ <i>Anti</i> ‐Conformational Regulation in Nonfused‐Ring Electron Acceptors

Molecular conformation is a critical structural attribute of organic molecules and polymers in addition to their constitution and configuration, thereby forming the foundation for understanding macroscopic material properties and device functionality. For nonfused-ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) featuring multiple σ-bonds with high rotational degrees of freedom, significant challenges remain in precisely regulating molecular conformation, particularly in modulating the syn- and anti-conformation preferences. Here, we demonstrate precise engineering of NFREAs through conformation-directed molecular design, achieving a syn-to-anti-conformational transition via utilizing intramolecular noncovalent S···F interactions. This conformational regulation strategy enables a systematic investigation of how syn-/anti-conformational preferences influence molecular planarity and rigidity, self-assembly behavior, charge transport properties, and device performance. Our results reveal that the anti-conformation endows anti-TT-F with enhanced crystallinity, reduced reorganization energy, and improved charge carrier mobility compared to its syn-conformational counterpart. Consequently, binary and ternary devices based on anti-TT-F achieve remarkable power conversion efficiencies of 15.08% and 19.88%, respectively. This conformational engineering strategy unveils a previously overlooked dimension in molecular design, providing fundamental guidelines for developing high-performance organic solar cells through the rational manipulation of conformational landscapes.

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Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Published
2025-10-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202513603
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.19
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article

Intramolecular Noncovalent Interaction‐Driven Syn ‐/ Anti ‐Conformational Regulation in Nonfused‐Ring Electron Acceptors

Yunhao Cai, Qian Peng, Na Yu, Zheng Tang et al.
3 citations
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
2.19
article

Intramolecular Noncovalent Interaction‐Driven Syn ‐/ Anti ‐Conformational Regulation in Nonfused‐Ring Electron Acceptors

Yunhao Cai, Qian Peng, Na Yu, Zheng Tang, Jiawei Qiao, Sixuan Wang, Ziyang Han, Xiaotao Hao, Xin Zhang, Feng Liu, Hui Huang, Siying Wang, Xiaobin Gu, Yuqi Hou, Jikai Lv, Rui Zeng
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Molecular conformation is a critical structural attribute of organic molecules and polymers in addition to their constitution and configuration, thereby forming the foundation for understanding macroscopic material properties and device functionality. For nonfused-ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) featuring multiple σ-bonds with high rotational degrees of freedom, significant challenges remain in precisely regulating molecular conformation, particularly in modulating the syn- and anti-conformation preferences. Here, we demonstrate precise engineering of NFREAs through conformation-directed molecular design, achieving a syn-to-anti-conformational transition via utilizing intramolecular noncovalent S···F interactions. This conformational regulation strategy enables a systematic investigation of how syn-/anti-conformational preferences influence molecular planarity and rigidity, self-assembly behavior, charge transport properties, and device performance. Our results reveal that the anti-conformation endows anti-TT-F with enhanced crystallinity, reduced reorganization energy, and improved charge carrier mobility compared to its syn-conformational counterpart. Consequently, binary and ternary devices based on anti-TT-F achieve remarkable power conversion efficiencies of 15.08% and 19.88%, respectively. This conformational engineering strategy unveils a previously overlooked dimension in molecular design, providing fundamental guidelines for developing high-performance organic solar cells through the rational manipulation of conformational landscapes.

Angewandte Chemie International EditionVol. 64(48)
Tianjin University of Technology (CN), Shandong University (CN), Tianjin University (CN), Donghua University (CN), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN), Shandong Management University (CN), State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
2.19
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