3D Steric Bulky Semiconductor Molecules toward Organic Optoelectronic Nanocrystals

With minimal defects, few grain boundaries, and high-performance optoelectronic characteristics, organic semiconductor nanocrystals (OSNCs) have emerged as promising solutions for miniaturized organic devices and related optoelectronic circuits. To realize this, it is crucial that the OSNCs should possess desired morphologies and unique optoelectronic attributions. After the planar π-conjugated building blocks, the steric bulky molecules with a three-dimensional (3D) framework enable the multiscale self-assembly architectures and superior charge storage properties, as well as high-performance optoelectronic applications, such as organic transistor memory, organic light-emitting diodes, organic lasers and organic photovoltaic cells. However, this type of 3D steric bulky molecule-based OSNCs are not easily to get, and molecular design principles must be developed. In this Review, recent advances in the efficient theories that have arose in building varied nanoarchitectures of 3D steric bulky molecule-based OSNCs, especially the 2D and 3D in morphology, are highlighted. The obtained steric OSNCs exhibited rich optoelectronic properties, including the charge storage, ion transmission, crystallization-enhanced emission, and so on. Further architectural optimization of the steric OSNCs to cater for optoelectronic device based on them is necessary to strive to develop this research direction.