title: Exploring Redox States, Doping and Ordering of Electroactive Star-Shaped Oligo(aniline)s.
abstract: We have prepared a simple star-shaped oligo(aniline) (TDPB) and characterised it in detail by MALDI-TOF MS, UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, time-dependent DFT, cyclic voltammetry and EPR spectroscopy. TDPB is part of an underdeveloped class of π-conjugated molecules with great potential for organic electronics, display and sensor applications. It is redox active and reacts with acids to form radical cations. Acid-doped TDPB shows behaviour similar to discotic liquid crystals, with X-ray scattering investigations revealing columnar self-assembled arrays. The combination of unpaired electrons and supramolecular stacking suggests that star-shaped oligo(aniline)s like TDPB have the potential to form conducting nanowires and organic magnetic materials.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8026-3369
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0609-475X
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fey
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marszalek
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.|Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pisula
authors.affiliation: Université Grenoble Alpes, INAC-SPrAM, 38000, Grenoble, France.|CNRS, INAC-SPrAM, 38000, Grenoble, France.|CEA, INAC-SPrAM, 38000, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9376-7136
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rannou
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Charl F J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6224-3073
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Faul
keywords: density functional calculations; oligo(aniline)s; pi-conjugated materials; star-shaped molecules; structure-property relationships