A hidden blue version of a common semiconductor allows electricity to move in three dimensions instead of just two.
Scientists thought they understood exactly how the material DNTT worked after years of research. This study uncovered a previously unknown blue form of the crystal that completely changes its electrical properties. While the standard version only allows charges to move along flat planes, this new version enables 3D transport. This leap in performance could make organic electronics as fast and capable as traditional silicon chips. It opens up a new way to build high-performance flexible devices and 3D-printed circuits.
A hidden bulk polymorph governs charge transport dimensionality in an organic semiconductor
arXiv · 2605.01049
Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are widely explored for flexible optoelectronic technologies, with performance governed not only by molecular design, but also by solid-state packing, which can give rise to polymorphism. Dinaphthothienothiophene (DNTT) is a benchmark OSC that has long been considered monomorphic. Here, we discover, isolate, and resolve the crystal structure of a previously unrecognised bulk polymorph of DNTT, termed blue DNTT owing to its characteristic blue emission. Coexisting wi