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Abstract Organic semiconductors (OSCs) have garnered significant attention due to their potential use in flexible, lightweight, and cost‐effective electronic devices. Despite their promise, the assembly of organic molecules into the condensed phase promotes a diverse set of lattice dynamics that introduce a detrimental modulation in the intermolecular electronic structure—termed dynamic disorder—that results in charge carrier mobilities that are orders of magnitude lower than inorganic semiconductors. This dynamic disorder is generally associated with low‐frequency phonons, yet whether a small subset of modes or a broad range of phonons  drives dynamic disorder remains contested. Resolving this debate is critical for defining how targeted phonon engineering could practically improve OSC performance. In this review, we explore progress toward uncovering the interplay between lattice dynamics and charge transport in OSCs, focusing on the critical role of thermally activated phonons. We describe the powerful insight that mode‐resolved analyses of electron–phonon interactions lends toward the rational design of new materials. We highlight recent efforts to achieve this, showcasing proposed strategies to mitigate dynamic disorder through molecular and crystal design. This work offers an overview of the insight gained toward understanding the fundamental mechanisms governing charge transport in OSCs and outlines pathways for enhancing performance via targeted manipulation of interatomic/intermolecular interactions and resulting phonon modes. 

Abstract Organic semiconductors with distinct molecular properties and large carrier mobilities are constantly developed in attempt to produce highly‐efficient electronic materials. Recently, designer molecules with unique structural modifications have been expressly developed to suppress molecular motions in the solid state that arise from low‐energy phonon modes, which uniquely limit carrier mobilities through electron–phonon coupling. However, such low‐frequency vibrational dynamics often involve complex molecular dynamics, making comprehension of the underlying electronic origins of electron–phonon coupling difficult. In this study, first a mode‐resolved picture of electron–phonon coupling in a series of materials that are specifically designed to suppress detrimental vibrational effects, is generated. From this foundation, a method is developed based on the crystalline orbital Hamiltonian population (COHP) analyses to resolve the origins—down to the single atomic‐orbital scale—of surprisingly large electron–phonon coupling constants of particular vibrations, explicitly detailing the manner in which the intermolecular wavefunction overlap is perturbed. Overall, this approach provides a comprehensive explanation into the unexpected effects of less‐commonly studied molecular vibrations, revealing new aspects of molecular design that should be considered for creating improved organic semiconducting materials. 

Abstract Many molecular crystals (approximately one third) grow as twisted, helicoidal ribbons from the melt, and this preponderance is even higher in restricted classes of materials, for instance, charge‐transfer complexes. Previously, twisted crystallites of such complexes present an increase in carrier mobilities. Here, the effect of twisting on charge mobility is better analyzed for a monocomponent organic semiconductor, 2,5‐bis(3‐dodecyl‐2‐thienyl)‐thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole (BDT), that forms twisted crystals with varied helicoidal pitches and makes possible a correlation of twist strength with carrier mobility. Films are analyzed by X‐ray scattering and Mueller matrix polarimetry to characterize the microscale organization of the polycrystalline ensembles. Carrier mobilities of organic field‐effect transistors are five times higher when the crystals are grown with the smallest pitches (most twisted), compared to those with the largest pitches, along the fiber elongation direction. A tenfold increase is observed along the perpendicular direction. Simulation of electrical potential based on scanning electron microscopy images and density functional theory suggests that the twisting‐enhanced mobility is mainly controlled by the fiber organization in the film. A greater number of tightly packed twisted fibers separated by numerous smaller gaps permit better charge transport over the film surface compared to fewer big crystallites separated by larger gaps.