Issue 4, 2019

A highly soluble, crystalline covalent organic framework compatible with device implementation

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a tailor-made platform for designing next-generation two-dimensional materials. However, COFs are produced as insoluble and unprocessable solids, which precludes the preparation of thin films for optoelectronic applications. Here, we report designed synthesis of a highly soluble yet crystalline COF material through the regulation of its inter-layer interactions. The resulting COF is remarkably soluble in a variety of organic solvents and forms stable true solutions with retention of its layered structure. These unique features endow the COF with solution processability; high-quality, large-area COF films can be produced on various substrates in a high-throughput and efficient manner, with good control over the film thickness, making this material compatible with a variety of device applications. The films are electrically anisotropic; the intra-layer carrier conduction is inhibited, while the inter-layer carrier migration is outstanding, showing the highest conductivity among all reported COF materials. Our highly soluble and processable COF may open new pathways for realising high-performance COF-based optoelectronic devices with diverse functions.

Graphical abstract: A highly soluble, crystalline covalent organic framework compatible with device implementation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
25 Sep 2018
Accepted
22 Oct 2018
First published
23 Oct 2018
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 1023-1028

A highly soluble, crystalline covalent organic framework compatible with device implementation

L. Wang, C. Zeng, H. Xu, P. Yin, D. Chen, J. Deng, M. Li, N. Zheng, C. Gu and Y. Ma, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 1023 DOI: 10.1039/C8SC04255A

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