An Air-Stable Semiconducting Polymer Containing Dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]arsole

Abstract

Arsole-containing conjugated polymers are a practically unexplored class of materials despite the high interest in their phosphole analogues. Herein we report the synthesis of the first dithieno[3,2-b;2',3'-d]arsole derivative, and demonstrate that it is stable to ambient oxidation in its +3 oxidation state. A soluble copolymer is obtained by a palladium-catalyzed Stille polymerization and demonstrated to be a p-type semiconductor with promising hole mobility, which was evaluated by field-effect transistor measurements.

Keywords: arsenic; conjugated polymers; field-effect transistors; molecular electronics; semiconductors.