Technology

Since 2001, John Anthony (Gill Professor of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky) has focused on the application of modern synthetic organic methods to further the commercialization potential of organic semiconductors. His lab pursues a mixture of oligomer and small molecule synthetic chemistry primarily using acenes to create new materials for electronics, optical applications and polymer composites. Anthony’s work led to the first published patent in 2004. This patent is significant in several regards:

Classified as a substituted pentacenes technology that covers an expansive array of oligomers.
Pentacenes are the materials of choice for organic semiconductors.
This class of substituted pentacene has already demonstrated applications in thin-film transistors, integrated circuits, photovoltaics and organic light-emitting diodes, with potential to permeate virtually all segments of the organic electronics industry.
Technological claim of solubility satisfies a major impediment to commercialization of pentacenes, and solution-cast films of several of these materials exhibit electronic properties comparable to those seen in vapor-deposited pentacene films. Hole motilities are as high as 1.0 cm2 / Vs and on/off current ratios as high as 107
Improved stability, up to 50 x more stable than unsubstituted pentacene
Synthetic approach highly amenable to scale-up, large-scale manufacture and purification with costs significantly lower than unsubstituted pentacene.