Nucleation Control-Triggering Cocrystal Polymorphism of Charge-Transfer Complexes Differing in Physical and Electronic Properties

Binary charge-transfer complex polymorphs composed of perylene and 4,8-bis(dicyanomethylene)-4,8-dihydrobenzo-[1,2-b:4,5-b′]-dithiophene (DTTCNQ) were synthesized separately via a simple artificial nucleation-tailoring method, in both macroscopic and microscopic cocrystal engineering manners. The two polymorphs were testified to be independently thermosalient in the solid state, and the specific self-assembly derived from homogeneous or heterogeneous nucleation by assistance of governable thermodynamic/kinetic drive, leading to a change in the ordered p-n stacking structure. The as-prepared polymorphic microcrystals afforded a significantly varied (opto)electronic property: high n-type transporting and good photoresponsivity for β-complex, and ambipolar transporting with ignorable photoresponsivity for α-complex, attributing to the different charge-transfer and supramolecular alignment. This work provides us a new route to the exploitation of donor-acceptor complex family, making it possible to develop functional materials and devices based on variable supramolecular binary structures.