Synthesis and Applications of Thiophene Derivatives as Organic Materials

Thiophene-based compounds have acquired increasing importance in materials science and technology, owing to their multiple functional properties, chemical robustness, and versatility. Research studies involving thiophene-based materials are highly interdisciplinary and range from organic electronics, in which the semiconducting properties of these materials are exploited in devices such as thin film field-effect transistors and solar cells, to bioimaging, in which their optical properties are exploited to monitor biological events involving proteins and DNA. Since all fields are concerned with the synthesis of new molecular structures, this chapter also deals with the most recent advances in the synthesis of oligo- and polythiophenes.