Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1724-5770

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Haoran Sun

Abstract

The development of new fluorinated functional materials that are moisture and air-stable is crucial for the efficient production of n-type organic semiconductors. These semiconductors are integral components in electronic devices such as transistors, diodes, organic semiconductors, organic field-effect transistors, and organic light-emitting diodes. Organic materials have become increasingly popular for designing new semiconductors due to their flexibility compared to inorganic alternatives. By molecularly engineering the band gap and electron delocalization, we can improve the efficiency and performance of semiconductor devices. We design, synthesize, and characterize a new type of donor-acceptor molecule based on the structure-property relationship learned from the literature and our group's previous work. The new molecules incorporated thiophene-containing moieties as the donors and perfluoroalkylated moieties as the acceptors. Furthermore, through computational study, we investigated the influence of the structural design on tuning the optoelectronic properties of the molecule. Our results show that these factors significantly influence the band gap, electron affinities, and ionization potential, ultimately favoring n-type charge carrier behavior. Future research will focus on exploring the redox activities of these materials, as they show high potential for reductive defluorination, making them ideal for use as redox polymers for lithium-ion battery applications. These new fluorinated functional materials are expected to boost performance for next-generation n-type organic semiconductors and high-capacity batteries.

Subject Categories

Chemistry

Keywords

fluorinated thiophene, semiconductors, aromatics, energy storage

Number of Pages

126

Publisher

University of South Dakota

Available for download on Thursday, September 03, 2026

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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