Regio(ir)regular naphthalenediimide- and perylenediimide-bithiophene copolymers: how MO localization controls the bandgap

Abstract

Absorption spectra of regio(ir)regular naphthalenediimide (NDI)- and perylenediimide (PDI)-bithiophene (2T) donor/acceptor (D/A) copolymers are surprisingly similar despite cross-conjugation in the regioirregular structures. This result is traced back to largely localized frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) as revealed by (time-dependent) DFT calculations. Interestingly, while the FMOs of the P(PDI-2T) copolymer are localized solely in the PDI units, they are predominantly localized in the respective D/A units of the P(NDI-2T) copolymer. The pronounced CT character of the lowest singlet state in P(NDI-2T) should give rise to a close lying CT triplet state, generating small singlet–triplet gaps; this property might be of significant importance for the future design of polymers for organic solar cells with reduced charge recombination rates.