Layer-by-Layer Assembled Oxide Nanoparticle Electrodes with High Transparency, Electrical Conductivity, and Electrochemical Activity by Reducing Organic Linker-Induced Oxygen Vacancies

Electronic effects of nano-confinement in functional organic and inorganic materials for optoelectronics

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the electronic effects of nano-confinement (from 1D to 3D geometries) on optoelectronic materials and their applications.

Nanoparticle-Based Electrodes with High Charge Transfer Efficiency through Ligand Exchange Layer-by-Layer Assembly

Organic-ligand-based solution processes of metal and transition metal oxide (TMO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely studied for the preparation of electrode materials with desired electrical and electrochemical properties for various energy devices. However, the ligands adsorbed on NPs have a significant effect on the intrinsic properties of materials, thus influencing the performance of bulk electrodes assembled by NPs for energy devices. To resolve these critical drawbacks, numerous approaches have focused on developing unique surface chemistry that can exchange bulky ligands with small ligands or remove bulky ligands from NPs after NP deposition. In particular, recent studies have reported that the ligand-exchange-induced layer-by-layer (LE-LbL) assembly of NPs enables controlled assembly of NPs with the desired interparticle distance, and interfaces, dramatically improving the electrical/electrochemical performance of electrodes. This emerging approach also demonstrates that efficient surface ligand engineering can exploit the unique electrochemical properties of individual NPs and maximize the electrochemical performance of the resultant NP-assembled electrodes through improved charge transfer efficiency. This report focuses on how LE-LbL assembly can be effectively applied to NP-based energy storage/conversion electrodes. First, the basic principles of the LE-LbL approach are introduced and then recent progress on NP-based energy electrodes prepared via the LE-LbL approach is reviewed.

Interfacial control and design of conductive nanomaterials for transparent nanocomposite electrodes

A few critical issues in preparing transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) based on solution-processable conductive nanomaterials are their low electrical conductivity and the unfavorable trade-off between electrical conductivity and optical transparency, which are closely related to the organic ligands bound to the nanomaterial surface. In particular, bulky/insulating organic ligands bound to the surface of conductive nanomaterials unavoidably act as high contact resistance sites at the interfaces between neighboring nanomaterials, which adversely affects the charge transfer kinetics of the resultant TCEs. This article reviews the latest research status of various interfacial control approaches for solution-processable TCEs. We describe how these approaches can be effectively applied to conductive nanomaterials and how interface-controlled conductive nanomaterials can be employed to improve the electrical and/or electrochemical performance of various transparent nanocomposite electrodes, including TCEs, energy storage electrodes, and electrochromic electrodes. Last, we provide perspectives on the development direction for next-generation transparent nanocomposite electrodes and breakthroughs for significantly mitigating the complex trade-off between their electrical/electrochemical performance and optical transparency.

Molecular Design of Layer-by-Layer Functionalized Liposomes for Oral Drug Delivery

Liposomes are small spherical vesicles composed mainly of phospholipids and cholesterol. Over the years, a number of liposomal formulations have shown clinical promise, but the use of liposomes in oral drug delivery is limited. This is partly due to the vulnerability of conventional liposomes to the detrimental effect of gastrointestinal destabilizing factors and also to the poor efficiency in intestinal absorption of liposomes. Some of these issues can be ameliorated using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology, which has been widely applied to modify the surface of various nanoparticulate systems. Discussions about LbL functionalization of liposomes as oral drug carriers, however, are scant in the literature. To fill this gap, this review presents an overview of the roles of LbL functionalization in the development of liposomes, followed by a discussion about major principles of molecular design and engineering of LbL-functionalized liposomes for oral drug delivery. Regarding the versatility offered by LbL assembly, it is anticipated that LbL-functionalized liposomes may emerge as one of the important carriers for oral drug administration in the future.