The power of branched chains: optimising functional molecular materials

The power of branched alkyl substituents to alter material properties is known to soft matter chemistry, with examples found in both surfactants and ionic liquids. Here, we highlight their potency in organic molecular/polymeric materials with optoelectronic applications. Attaching branched alkyl chains to the active p-conjugated core modulates core-core interactions and thus softens the material. This can lead to optimised assemblies with improved optoelectronic properties. By increasing the number and volume of the flexible chains, individual cores can be isolated, yielding functional organic liquids with bulk optical properties the same as the intrinsic molecular characteristics obtained for their dilute solutions. These liquid materials can accommodate dopants to offer diverse and tuneable emission colours, and provide an easily applicable flexible and foldable continuous layer for future optoelectronic media.