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  • Versatile helicene building blocks for organic electronics. Chemical science Mow, R. K., Schuster, N. J., Bao, Z. 2026

    Abstract

    Semiconducting organic molecules are used extensively in the fabrication of next-generation electronics, which have increased flexibility, processability, and versatility. The use of imide-based aromatic molecules in particular is widespread in n-type electronics, and modifications to naphthalene-diimide and rylene-diimide structures have advanced the properties and applications of these molecules. Here we report the use of the perylene-diimide-inspired helicene N[5]HDI as a new building block of electronic materials. The gram-scale accessibility and selective bromination at key core-extending positions make N[5]HDI an appealing monomeric unit for incorporation into larger molecules with electronically-coupled subcomponents. Specifically, we demonstrate that N[5]HDI undergoes several different palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions (Suzuki, Sonogashira, Stille, and Heck) in near-quantitative yields. The resultant π-extended derivatives of N[5]HDI electronically couple the helicene core to the terminal aryl, alkenyl, or alkynyl units despite the overall coiled shape of these molecules. Copolymers of N[5]HDI show continued extension of electronic communication and a further decreased HOMO-LUMO gap with increased chain length. N[5]HDI exhibits strong potential as a helical building block of electronically-coupled materials and for future explorations in organic electronic applications.

    View details for DOI 10.1039/d6sc03819k

    View details for PubMedID 42499575

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC13398414

  • Biofunctionalized polymer semiconductors toward soft and stretchable transistor-based biosensors. Science advances Zhao, C., Liu, Q., Chang, J. Y., Patil, A., Michalek, L., Wu, Y., Yuan, Y., Mow, R. K., Shi, Y., Yao, Y., Hsu, K. J., Zheng, Y., Bao, Z. 2026; 12 (23): eaec2641

    Abstract

    Organic materials with tunable chemical and mechanical properties are ideal for interfacing with skin and tissue in biomedical applications. While polymer semiconductors (PSCs) have advanced toward skin-like mechanical performance, the limited capacity for biofunctionalization has restricted their biosensing applications. In this study, we introduce a direct biofunctionalization strategy for PSCs based on thiol-ene chemistry. We selectively grafted thiolated biomolecules (e.g., aptamers) onto elastomeric domains within an interconnected semiconductor/elastomer network. This approach enables high-resolution patterning down to 10 micrometers while preserving the electronic performance of PSCs. Leveraging this platform, we designed and fabricated skin-like electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors with biofunctionalized channels. These soft and stretchable devices exhibit stable operation in physiological buffers for more than 50 days and maintain performance under up to 50% strain. When functionalized with cortisol-binding aptamers, the sensors achieved sensitive detection across physiologically relevant concentrations, down to the picomolar range. This work establishes a foundation for integrating stretchable and biofunctional PSCs into skin-like wearable devices.

    View details for DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aec2641

    View details for PubMedID 42247494

  • Stereoisomeric mixture of a multigram-synthesized helicene assembles swiftly into hierarchical ribbons <i>via</i> supramolecular sheets JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C Schuster, N. J., Mow, R. K., Lyu, H., Schrock, M., Wu, R., Wu, Y., Zhang, S., Jiang, X., Bao, Z. 2026

    View details for DOI 10.1039/d6tc01202g

    View details for Web of Science ID 001788740000001

  • Intrinsically stretchable complementary circuits based on direct photo-patternable polymer semiconductors NATURE ELECTRONICS Liu, Q., Zheng, Y., Wu, H., Michalek, L., Ronchini, M., Mow, R. K., Wang, W., Park, H., Ji, X., Yu, Z., Yao, Z., Nishio, Y., Zhao, C., Pei, J., Bao, Z. 2026

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41928-026-01599-z

    View details for Web of Science ID 001740770400001

  • Skin-like drift-free biosensors with stretchable diode-connected organic field-effect transistors NATURE ELECTRONICS Zhao, C., Park, J., Maula, D., Yuan, Y., Zhong, D., Wang, W., Liu, Q., Xu, C., Zheng, Y., Mow, R. K., Jiang, Y., Xu, C., Lyu, H., Michalek, L., Berman, A., Jiang, Y., Wei, S., Zhu, C., Wu, C., Abramson, A., Kim, E., Ji, X., Yu, Z., Shi, J., Khatib, M., Shi, B., Bao, Z. 2025

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41928-025-01465-4

    View details for Web of Science ID 001586240900001

  • Broad-band Chiral Absorbance of Visible Light. Journal of the American Chemical Society Han, S. Y., Mow, R. K., Bartholomew, A. K., Ng, F., Steigerwald, M. L., Roy, X., Nuckolls, C., Wiscons, R. A. 2022; 144 (12): 5263-5267

    Abstract

    The amplification of chiral absorbance and emission is a primary figure of merit for the design of chiral chromophores. However, for dyes to be practically relevant in chiroptical applications, they must also absorb and/or emit chiral light over broad wavelength ranges. We investigate the interplay between molecular symmetry and broad-band chiral absorbance in a series of [6]helicenes. We find that an asymmetric [6]helicene containing two distinct chromophores absorbs chiral light across a much wider wavelength range than the symmetric [6]helicenes investigated here. Chemically reducing the helicenes shifts the absorption edge of the ECD spectra into the near-infrared wavelength range while preserving broad chiral absorption, producing a [6]helicene that absorbs a single handedness of light across the entire visible wavelength range.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/jacs.2c01650

    View details for PubMedID 35302759