Dayanni D Bhagwandin, Kirt A Page, Ly D Tran, Yao Yao, Alexander Reidell, Christopher Muratore, Qiyi Fang, Aleksey Ruditskiy, Cheri M Hampton, W Joshua Kennedy, Lawrence F Drummy, Yu Zhong, Tobin J Marks, Antonio Facchetti, Jun Lou, Hilmar Koerner, Luke A Baldwin, Nicholas R Glavin
As thin films of semiconducting covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are demonstrating utility for ambipolar electronics, channel materials in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), and broadband photodetectors, control and modulation of their thin film properties is paramount. In this work, an interfacial growth technique is utilized to synthesize imine TAPB-PDA COF films at both the liquid-liquid interface as well as at the liquid-solid interface on a Si/SiO2 substrate. The concentration of acetic acid catalyst in the aqueous phase is shown to significantly influence the thin film morphology of the liquid-solid growth, with concentrations below 1 M resulting in no film nucleation, concentrations of 1-4 M enabling smooth film formation, and concentrations greater than 4 M resulting in films with a higher density of particulates on the surface...
April 4, 2024: Nanoscale