Quest for a Rational Molecular Design of Alkyl‐Distyrylbenzene Liquid by Substitution Pattern Modulation**

Abstract

AbstractAlkyl‐π functional molecular liquids (FMLs) are of interest for fabricating soft electronic devices due to their fluidic nature and innate optoelectronic functions from the π‐conjugated moiety. However, predictable development of alkyl‐π FMLs with the desired liquid and optoelectronic properties is challenging. A series of alkyl‐distyrylbenzene (DSB) liquids was studied in terms of the substituent position effect by attaching 2‐octyldodecyl chains at (2,4‐), (2,5‐), (2,6‐), and (3,5‐). The effect of the alkyl chain length was investigated by attaching 2‐hexyldecyl, 2‐decyltetradecyl (C10C14), and 2‐dodecylhexadecyl at the (2,5‐) substituent position. The 2,5‐C10C14substituent pattern constructed a superior alkyl‐DSB liquid with a lower viscosity, intrinsic optical properties, and high thermal‐ and photo‐stabilities. The discovered 2,5‐C10C14was applied to dicyanostyrylbenzene and comparable liquid physical and optical superiorities were confirmed. This molecular design is useful for creating alkyl‐π FMLs with the aforementioned advantages, which are applicable for deformable and flowable optoelectronic devices.