Recent progress of electronic materials based on 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole and its derivatives: synthesis and their application in organic light-emitting diodes

2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole (BT) and its derivatives are very important acceptor units used in the development of photoluminescent compounds and are applicable for the molecular construction of organic light-emitting diodes, organic solar cells and organic field-effect transistors. Due to their strong electron-withdrawing ability, construction of molecules with the unit core of BT and its derivatives can usually improve the electronic properties of the resulting organic materials. In this contribution, we review the synthesis of various polymers, small molecules and metal complexes with BT and its derivatives and their applications in organic light-emitting diodes. Furthermore, the molecular design rules based on these cores are discussed.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]