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arXiv · 2509.09998

Unveiling the Role of Solvents in DBTTF:HATCN Ternary Cocrystals

Ana M. Valencia·Lisa Schraut-May·Marie Siegert·Sebastian Hammer·Beatrice Cula·Alexandra Friedrich·Holger Helten·Jens Pflaum·Caterina Cocchi·Andreas Opitz
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Abstract

Donor-acceptor (D:A) cocrystals offer a promising platform for next-generation optoelectronic applications, but the impact of residual solvent molecules on their properties remains an open question. We investigate six novel D:A cocrystals of dibenzotetrathiafulvalene (DBTTF) and 1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbo-nitrile (HATCN), prepared via solvent evaporation, yielding 1:1 molar ratios, and horizontal vapor deposition, resulting in solvent-free 3:2 cocrystals. Combining spectroscopy and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we find that, while the electronic and optical properties of the cocrystals are largely unaffected by solvent inclusion, the charge transfer mechanism is surprisingly complex. Raman spectroscopy reveals a consistent charge transfer of 0.11 $e$ across all considered structures, corroborated by DFT calculations on solvent-free systems. Partial charge analysis reveals that in solvated cocrystals, solvent molecules actively participate in the charge transfer process as primary electron acceptors. This involvement can perturb the expected D:A behavior, revealing a faceted charge-transfer mechanism in HATCN even beyond the established involvement of its cyano group. Overall, our study demonstrates that while solution-based methods preserve the intrinsic D:A characteristics, solvents can be leveraged as active electronic components, opening new avenues for material design.

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Ana M. Valencia, Lisa Schraut-May, Marie Siegert, Sebastian Hammer, Beatrice Cula, Alexandra Friedrich, Holger Helten, Jens Pflaum, Caterina Cocchi, Andreas Opitz. 2025-09-12. Unveiling the Role of Solvents in DBTTF:HATCN Ternary Cocrystals. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09998

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