Open AccessSpatially Confined Face‐Selective Growth of Large‐Area 2D Organic Molecular Crystals in a Supramolecular Gel for Highly Efficient Flexible Photodetection
Author(s) -
Shen Chaowen,
Han Pan,
Zheng Zhi,
Jiang Wenhe,
Gao Sheng,
Hua Chunxia,
Chen Cheng Lung,
Xia Fan,
Zhai Tianyou,
Liu Kaiqiang,
Fang Yu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202203662
Subject(s) - crystallization , nucleation , materials science , supramolecular chemistry , crystal (programming language) , crystal growth , molecule , substrate (aquarium) , photodetection , nanotechnology , fullerene , fabrication , chemical physics , optoelectronics , chemical engineering , crystallography , chemistry , photodetector , organic chemistry , computer science , medicine , oceanography , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering , programming language , geology
2D organic molecular crystals (2DOMCs) are promising materials for the fabrication of high‐performance optoelectronic devices. However, the growth of organic molecules into 2DOMCs remains a challenge because of the difficulties in controlling their self‐assembly with a preferential orientation in solution‐process crystallization. Herein, fullerene is chosen as a model molecule to develop a supramolecular gel crystallization approach to grow large‐area 2DOMCs by controlling the perfect arrangement on the {220} crystal plane with the assistance of a gelated solvent. In this case, the gel networks provide tuneable confined spaces to control the crystallization kinetics toward the growth of dominant crystal faces by their inhibiting motions of solvent or solute molecules to enable the growth of perfect crystals at appropriate nucleation rates. As a result, a large‐area fullerene 2DOMC is produced successfully and its corresponding device on a flexible substrate exhibits excellent bendable properties and ultra‐high weak light detection ability (2.9 × 10 11 Jones) at a 10 V bias upon irradiation with 450 nm incident light. Moreover, its photoelectric properties remain unchanged after 200 cycles of bending at angles of 45, 90, and 180°. These results can be extended to the growth of other 2DOMCs for potentially fabricating advanced organic (opto)electronics.