Nonpolar P-type Conjugated Small Molecules Enable High-Performance Organic Photodetectors for Potential Application in Optical Wireless Communication

Abstract

The high responsivity and broad spectral sensitivity of organic photodetectors (OPDs) present a bright future of commercialization. However, the relatively high dark current density still limits its development. Herein, two novel nonpolar p-type conjugated small molecules, NSN and NSSN, are synthesized as interface layers to enhance the performance of the OPDs, which not only can tune energy alignments and increase the reverse charge injection barrier but also can reduce the interfacial trap density. Moreover, benefiting from the smoother surface morphology and enhanced conductivity, the NSN exhibited superior charge transport and collection properties. Consequently, the OPD with NSN achieved a dark current density of 0.37 nA cm^–2 and a high specific detectivity of 2.77 × 10¹³ Jones at −2 V. More importantly, the optimized OPDs can be successfully integrated into optical communication systems, demonstrating precise digital signal communication without obvious distortion, showing promising application potential in the wireless transmission system.