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Colom E, Hernández-Ferrer J, Galán-González A, Ansón-Casaos A, Navarro-Rodríguez M, Palacios-Lidón E, Colchero J, Padilla J, Urbina A, Arenal R, Benito AM, Maser WK. Graphene Oxide: Key to Efficient Charge Extraction and Suppression of Polaronic Transport in Hybrids with Poly (3-hexylthiophene) Nanoparticles. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2023; 35:3522-3531. [PMID: 37181669 PMCID: PMC10173772 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) of conjugated polymers in intimate contact with sheets of graphene oxide (GO) constitute a promising class of water-dispersible nanohybrid materials of increased interest for the design of sustainable and improved optoelectronic thin-film devices, revealing properties exclusively pre-established upon their liquid-phase synthesis. In this context, we report for the first time the preparation of a P3HTNPs-GO nanohybrid employing a miniemulsion synthesis approach, whereby GO sheets dispersed in the aqueous phase serve as a surfactant. We show that this process uniquely favors a quinoid-like conformation of the P3HT chains of the resulting NPs well located onto individual GO sheets. The accompanied change in the electronic behavior of these P3HTNPs, consistently confirmed by the photoluminescence and Raman response of the hybrid in the liquid and solid states, respectively, as well as by the properties of the surface potential of isolated individual P3HTNPs-GO nano-objects, facilitates unprecedented charge transfer interactions between the two constituents. While the electrochemical performance of nanohybrid films is featured by fast charge transfer processes, compared to those taking place in pure P3HTNPs films, the loss of electrochromic effects in P3HTNPs-GO films additionally indicates the unusual suppression of polaronic charge transport processes typically encountered in P3HT. Thus, the established interface interactions in the P3HTNPs-GO hybrid enable a direct and highly efficient charge extraction channel via GO sheets. These findings are of relevance for the sustainable design of novel high-performance optoelectronic device structures based on water-dispersible conjugated polymer nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Colom
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Galán-González
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro
de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas, Universidade da Coruña (CICA), E-15008 San Vicenzo de Elviña, A Coruña, Spain
| | | | | | - Elisa Palacios-Lidón
- Departamento
de Física, Edificio CIOyN, Universidad
de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Jaime Colchero
- Departamento
de Física, Edificio CIOyN, Universidad
de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Javier Padilla
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada y Tec. Naval, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, E-30202 Cartagena, Spain
| | - Antonio Urbina
- Departamento
de Ciencias e Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas
(INAMAT), Universidad Pública
de Navarra (UPNA), E-31006 Pamplona, Spain
- Laboratorio
de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA)Universidad
de Zaragoza, E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Raul Arenal
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA-CSIC-Univ. Zaragoza), E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- ARAID
Foundation, E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana M. Benito
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
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2
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Li D, He X, Zhao L, Jia M, Li H, Zhang S, Zhang X, Chen J, Jin Q, Xu J. Ultrafast Electron Transfer Dynamics of Organic Polymer Nanoparticles with Graphene Oxide. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202300025. [PMID: 36691919 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202300025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We prepared organic polymer poly-3-hexylthiophene (p3ht) nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene oxide (GO)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites p3ht NPs-GO/RGO by using the reprecipitation method. We demonstrated that GO/RGO could improve the ordering and planarity of p3ht chains as well as the formation of p3ht NPs, and confirmed the effects of GO/RGO on the fluorescence and carrier transport dynamics of p3ht NPs by using femtosecond fluorescence upconversion and transient absorption (TA) techniques. Ultrafast electron transfer (∼1 ps) between GO/RGO and p3ht NPs quenched the fluorescence of p3ht NPs, indicating excellent properties of p3ht NPs-GO/RGO as the charge transfer complexes. Efficient electron transfer may promote the applications of p3ht NPs-GO/RGO composites in organic polymer solar cells and photocatalysis. Moreover, RGO had stronger interfacial interactions and more matched conduction band energy levels with p3ht NPs than GO did, which implied that p3ht NPs-RGO might have greater application values than p3ht NPs-GO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Litao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Spin Electron and Nanomaterials of, Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Suzhou University, 49 Bianhe Middle Road, Suzhou, 234000, P. R. China
| | - Menghui Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Haoyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Sanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Jinquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Qingyuan Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Jianhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
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3
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Bermejo J, Colchero J, Palacios-Lidon E. Kelvin Probe Microscopy Investigation of Poly-Octylthiophene Aggregates. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15031212. [PMID: 35161156 PMCID: PMC8838950 DOI: 10.3390/ma15031212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Conductive polymers have fundamental relevance as well as novel technological applications in the organic optoelectronics field. Their photophysical and transport properties strongly depend on the molecular arrangement, and nanoscale characterization is needed to fully understand the optoelectronic processes taking place in organic devices. In this work, we study the electrostatic properties of poly-3-octylthiophene isolated structures: disordered low-packed polymer chains and crystalline layered lamellar assemblies. We characterize the electronic ground state using Kelvin probe microscopy. This allows us to resolve a rich variety of surface potential regions that emerge over the different polymer structures. These SP regions are correlated with different molecular aggregates.
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4
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Tatum WK, Torrejon D, O'Neil P, Onorato JW, Resing AB, Holliday S, Flagg LQ, Ginger DS, Luscombe CK. Generalizable Framework for Algorithmic Interpretation of Thin Film Morphologies in Scanning Probe Images. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3387-3397. [PMID: 32526145 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We describe an open-source and widely adaptable Python library that recognizes morphological features and domains in images collected via scanning probe microscopy. π-Conjugated polymers (CPs) are ideal for evaluating the Materials Morphology Python (m2py) library because of their wide range of morphologies and feature sizes. Using thin films of nanostructured CPs, we demonstrate the functionality of a general m2py workflow. We apply numerical methods to enhance the signals collected by the scanning probe, followed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of the data. Then, a Gaussian Mixture Model segments every pixel in the image into phases, which have similar material-property signals. Finally, the phase-labeled pixels are grouped and labeled as morphological domains using either connected components labeling or persistence watershed segmentation. These tools are adaptable to any scanning probe measurement, so the labels that m2py generates will allow researchers to individually address and analyze the identified domains in the image. This level of control, allows one to describe the morphology of the system using quantitative and statistical descriptors such as the size, distribution, and shape of the domains. Such descriptors will enable researchers to quantitatively track and compare differences within and between samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley K Tatum
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Diego Torrejon
- BlackSky, 13241 Woodland Park Road, Suite 300, Herndon, Virginia 20171, United States.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 United States
| | - Patrick O'Neil
- BlackSky, 13241 Woodland Park Road, Suite 300, Herndon, Virginia 20171, United States.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 United States
| | - Jonathan W Onorato
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Anton B Resing
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Sarah Holliday
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Lucas Q Flagg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David S Ginger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Christine K Luscombe
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Molecular Engineering and Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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6
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Palacios-Lidón E, Istif E, Benito AM, Maser WK, Colchero J. Nanoscale J-aggregates of poly(3-hexylthiophene): key to electronic interface interactions with graphene oxide as revealed by KPFM. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:11202-11208. [PMID: 31157807 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr01491h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The nanoscale aggregate structure of conjugated polymers critically determines the performance of organic thin film optoelectronic devices. Their impact on electronic interface interactions with adjacent layers of graphene, widely reported to improve the device characteristics, yet remains an open issue, which needs to be addressed by an appropriate benchmark system. Here, we prepared discrete ensembles of poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles and graphene oxide sheets (P3HTNPs-GO) with well-defined aggregate structures of either J- or H-type and imaged their photogenerated charge transfer dynamics across their interface by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). A distinctive inversion of the sign of the surface potential and surface photovoltage (SPV) demonstrates that J-aggregates are decisive for establishing charge transfer interactions with GO. These enable efficient injection of photogenerated holes from P3HTNPs into GO sheets over a range of tens of nanometers, causing a slow SPV relaxation dynamics, and define their operation as an efficient hole-transport layer (HTL). Conversely, H-type aggregates do not facilitate specific interactions and entrust GO sheets the role of charge-blocking layers (CBLs). The direct effect of the aggregate structure of P3HT on the functional operation of GO as a HTL or CBL thus establishes clear criteria towards the rational design of improved organic optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Palacios-Lidón
- Departamento Física, Edificio CIOyN (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain.
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7
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Sahu PK, Chandra L, Pandey RK, Mehta NS, Dwivedi R, Mishra VN, Prakash R. Fast Development of Self‐Assembled, Highly Oriented Polymer Thin Film and Observation of Dual Sensing Behavior of Thin Film Transistor for Ammonia Vapor. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201900010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Kumar Sahu
- Department of Electronics EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Lalit Chandra
- Department of Electronics EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Rajiv K. Pandey
- School of Materials Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Niraj Singh Mehta
- Department of Ceramic EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - R. Dwivedi
- Department of Electronics EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - V. N. Mishra
- Department of Electronics EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
| | - Rajiv Prakash
- School of Materials Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi 221005 India
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8
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Son SY, Kang G, Kim M, Lee J, Kim T, Park T, Lim J. In-depth optical characterization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) after formation of nanosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:7567-7571. [PMID: 30951078 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr10075f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Herein, poly(3-hexylthiophene) films with periodic wavy surface structures are generated upon laser irradiation at a wavelength of 530 nm using a pulse duration of 5 ns and a repetition frequency of 10 Hz. The optical properties of the films irradiated with 1200, 3000, and 6000 pulses, respectively, are studied using various techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Yun Son
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Coceancigh H, Higgins DA, Ito T. Optical Microscopic Techniques for Synthetic Polymer Characterization. Anal Chem 2018; 91:405-424. [PMID: 30350610 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Herman Coceancigh
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
| | - Daniel A Higgins
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
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10
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Siles PF, Devarajulu M, Zhu F, Schmidt OG. Direct Imaging of Space-Charge Accumulation and Work Function Characteristics of Functional Organic Interfaces. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2018; 14:e1703647. [PMID: 29450970 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201703647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The tailoring of organic systems is crucial to further extend the efficiency of charge transfer mechanisms and represents a cornerstone for molecular device technologies. However, this demands control of electrical properties and understanding of the physics behind organic interfaces. Here, a quantitative spatial overview of work function characteristics for phthalocyanine architectures on Au substrates is provided via kelvin probe microscopy. While macroscopic investigations are very informative, the current approach offers a nanoscale spatial rendering of electrical characteristics which is not possible to attain via conventional techniques. Interface dipole is observed due to the formation of charge accumulation layers in thin F16 CuPc, F16 CoPc, and MnPc films, displaying work functions of 5.7, 6.1, and 5.0 eV, respectively. The imaging and quantification of interface locations with significant surface potential and work function response (<0.33 eV for material thickness <1 nm) show also a dependency on the crystalline state of the organic systems. The work function mapping suggests space-charge carrier regions of about 4 nm at the organic interface. This reveals rich spatial electric parameters and ambipolar characteristics that may drive electrical performance at device scales, opening a realm of possibilities toward the development of functional organic architectures and its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo F Siles
- Materials Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirunalini Devarajulu
- Materials Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Feng Zhu
- Materials Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver G Schmidt
- Materials Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfAED), TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Cluster of Excellence MERGE, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
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Istif E, Kagkoura A, Hernandez-Ferrer J, Stergiou A, Skaltsas T, Arenal R, Benito AM, Maser WK, Tagmatarchis N. Self-Assembled Core-Shell CdTe/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanoensembles as Novel Donor-Acceptor Light-Harvesting Systems. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:44695-44703. [PMID: 29214807 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of novel core-shell nanoensembles consisting of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (P3HTNPs) of 100 nm as core and semiconducting CdTe quantum dots (CdTeQDs) as shell with a thickness of a few tens of nanometers was accomplished by employing a reprecipitation approach. The structure, morphology, and composition of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensembles were confirmed by high-resolution scanning transmission microscopy and dynamic light-scattering studies. Intimate interface contact between the CdTeQDs shell and the P3HTNPs core leads to the stabilization of the CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensemble as probed by the steady-state absorption spectroscopy. Effective quenching of the characteristic photoluminescence of CdTeQDs at 555 nm, accompanied by simultaneous increase in emission of P3HTNPs at 660 and 720 nm, reveals photoinduced charge-transfer processes. Probing the redox properties of films of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs further proves the formation of a stabilized core-shell system in the solid state. Photoelectrochemical assays on CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs films show a reversible on-off photoresponse at a bias voltage of +0.8 V with a 3 times increased photocurrent compared to CdTeQDs. The improved charge separation is directly related to the unique core-shell configuration, in which the outer CdTeQDs shell forces the P3HTNPs core to effectively act as electron acceptor. The creation of novel donor-acceptor core-shell hybrid materials via self-assembly is transferable to other types of conjugated polymers and semiconducting nanoparticles. This work, therefore, opens new pathways for the design of improved optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emin Istif
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Antonia Kagkoura
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | | | - Anastasios Stergiou
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Theodosis Skaltsas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Raul Arenal
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon, Universidad de Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- ARAID Foundation , 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana M Benito
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Wolfgang K Maser
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nikos Tagmatarchis
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
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12
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Agbolaghi S, Zenoozi S, Abbasi F. Conductive poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanofibers and single crystals covered by coily dielectric oligomers and distinctions between their structures developed by self-seeding and isothermal approaches. JOURNAL OF THE IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13738-017-1239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Wang P, Barnes MD. Disentangling "Bright" and "Dark" Interactions in Ordered Assemblies of Organic Semiconductors. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:6949-6953. [PMID: 29048905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We report on spatially correlated wavelength-resolved photoluminescence and Kelvin probe force microscopy to probe ground state charge-transfer coupling and its correlation with pi-stacking order in nanoscale assemblies of a small molecule n-type organic semiconductor, tetraazaterrylene (TAT). We find a distinct upshift in surface potential contrast (SPC) corresponding to a decrease in work function in TAT in the transition from disordered spun-cast films to ordered crystalline nanowire assemblies, accompanied by a nanowire size dependence in the SPC shift suggesting that the shift depends on both ground state charge transfer interaction and a size (volume)-dependent intrinsic doping associated with the nitrogen substitutions. For the smallest nanowires studied (surface height ≈ 10-15 nm), the SPC shift with respect to disordered films is +110 meV, in close agreement with recent theoretical calculations. These results illustrate how "dark" (ground-state) interactions in organic semiconductors can be distinguished from "bright" (excited-state) exciton coupling typically assessed by spectral measurements alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijian Wang
- Department of Physics and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01002, United States
| | - Michael D Barnes
- Department of Physics and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01002, United States
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14
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Wang D, Russell TP. Advances in Atomic Force Microscopy for Probing Polymer Structure and Properties. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas P. Russell
- Polymer
Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Materials
Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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15
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Yan J, Lian Q, Mokhtar MZ, Milani AH, Whittaker E, Hamilton B, O'Brien P, Nguyen NT, Saunders BR. Textured ZnO films from evaporation-triggered aggregation of nanocrystal dispersions and their use in solar cells. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:27081-27089. [PMID: 28960011 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp05026g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to its high electron mobility, good stability and potential for low-temperature synthesis ZnO has received considerable attention for use in solar cells, photodetectors and sensors. Whilst there have been reports involving the formation ZnO films with porous morphologies the majority of those have involved elaborate or time-consuming preparation methods. In this study we investigate a simple new method for preparing textured porous ZnO (tp-ZnO) films. We used colloidal instability triggered by the evaporation of a volatile stabilising ligand during spin-coating of a ZnO nanocrystal (NC) dispersion to deposit crack-free tp-ZnO films. The porosity of the tp-ZnO films was 56% and they could be prepared using amine-based ligands with boiling points less than or equal to 78 °C. To demonstrate the ability to use the tp-ZnO films as electron acceptors they were infiltrated with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and solar cells prepared. The power conversion efficiencies of the tp-ZnO/P3HT devices reached values that were three times higher than a control bilayer ZnO/P3HT device prepared using a sol-gel derived ZnO film. Because our method used a low temperature treatment and ZnO films are used in a wide variety of third-generation solar cells, the new tp-ZnO films introduced here may offer a low cost method for improving the efficiency of other solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Yan
- School of Materials, MSS Tower, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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16
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Houston JE, Richeter S, Clément S, Evans RC. Molecular design of interfacial layers based on conjugated polythiophenes for polymer and hybrid solar cells. POLYM INT 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.5397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Houston
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Garching Germany
| | - Sébastien Richeter
- Institut Charles Gerhardt; Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Sébastien Clément
- Institut Charles Gerhardt; Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Rachel C Evans
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
- School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
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17
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Colella NS, Labastide JA, Cherniawski BP, Thompson HB, Marques SR, Zhang L, Usluer Ö, Watkins JJ, Briseno AL, Barnes MD. Poly[2,5-bis(3-dodecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] Oligomer Single-Crystal Nanowires from Supercritical Solution and Their Anisotropic Exciton Dynamics. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:2984-2989. [PMID: 28605188 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Supercritical fluids, exhibiting a combination of liquid-like solvation power and gas-like diffusivity, are a relatively unexplored medium for processing and crystallization of oligomer and polymeric semiconductors whose optoelectronic properties critically depend on the microstructure. Here we report oligomer crystallization from the polymer organic semiconductor, poly[2,5-bis(3-dodecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] (PBTTT) in supercritical hexane, yielding needle-like single crystals up to several microns in length. We characterize the crystals' photophysical properties by time- and polarization-resolved photoluminescence (TPRPL) spectroscopy. These techniques reveal two-dimensional interchromophore coupling facilitated by the high degree of π-stacking order within the crystal. Furthermore, the crystals obtained from supercritical fluid were found to be similar photophysically as the crystallites found in solution-cast thin films and distinct from solution-grown crystals that exhibited spectroscopic signatures indicative of different packing geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael D Barnes
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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Balzer F, Resel R, Lützen A, Schiek M. Quasi-one-dimensional cyano-phenylene aggregates: Uniform molecule alignment contrasts varying electrostatic surface potential. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:134704. [PMID: 28390357 DOI: 10.1063/1.4979484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The epitaxial growth of the mono-functionalized para-quaterphenylene molecule CNHP4 on muscovite mica is investigated. The vacuum deposited molecules aggregate into nanofibers of varying morphology. Due to muscovite's cm symmetry, almost mutually parallel fibers grow. Polarized light microscopy together with X-ray diffraction resolves the projected orientation of the molecules on the substrate surface and within the fibers. Several different contact planes with the substrate are detected. For all of them, the molecules orient with their long molecule axis approximately perpendicular to the grooved muscovite direction, so that the alignment of the molecules on the substrate is uniform. Kelvin probe force microscopy finds vastly different electrostatic properties of different fiber types and facets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Balzer
- NanoSyd, Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark, 6400 Sønderborg, Denmark
| | - Roland Resel
- Institute of Solid State Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Arne Lützen
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuela Schiek
- Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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19
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Su T. Origin of surface potential in undoped zinc oxide films revealed by advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra06117j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface potential of undoped ZnO film has been studied by a combined use of PFM and KPFM techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Su
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics
- Department of Physics
- Fudan University
- Shanghai 200433
- China
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20
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Ehrenreich P, Birkhold ST, Zimmermann E, Hu H, Kim KD, Weickert J, Pfadler T, Schmidt-Mende L. H-aggregate analysis of P3HT thin films-Capability and limitation of photoluminescence and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32434. [PMID: 27582091 PMCID: PMC5007523 DOI: 10.1038/srep32434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymer morphology and aggregation play an essential role for efficient charge carrier transport and charge separation in polymer-based electronic devices. It is a common method to apply the H-aggregate model to UV/Vis or photoluminescence spectra in order to analyze polymer aggregation. In this work we present strategies to obtain reliable and conclusive information on polymer aggregation and morphology based on the application of an H-aggregate analysis on UV/Vis and photoluminescence spectra. We demonstrate, with P3HT as model system, that thickness dependent reflection behavior can lead to misinterpretation of UV/Vis spectra within the H-aggregate model. Values for the exciton bandwidth can deviate by a factor of two for polymer thicknesses below 150 nm. In contrast, photoluminescence spectra are found to be a reliable basis for characterization of polymer aggregation due to their weaker dependence on the wavelength dependent refractive index of the polymer. We demonstrate this by studying the influence of surface characteristics on polymer aggregation for spin-coated thin-films that are commonly used in organic and hybrid solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Ehrenreich
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Susanne T Birkhold
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Eugen Zimmermann
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kwang-Dae Kim
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jonas Weickert
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Pfadler
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lukas Schmidt-Mende
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, POB 680, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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21
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Castillo M, Raut SL, Price S, Bora I, Jameson LP, Qiu C, Schug KA, Gryczynski Z, Dzyuba SV. Spectroscopic differentiation between monomeric and aggregated forms of BODIPY dyes: Effect of 1,1-dichloroethane. RSC Adv 2016; 6:68705-68708. [PMID: 30918630 PMCID: PMC6433389 DOI: 10.1039/c6ra10833d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
1,1-Dichloroethane (1,1-DCE) can induce spectroscopic differentiation between aggregated and monomeric forms of BODIPY dyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlius Castillo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 6218
| | - Sangram L Raut
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 4309
| | - Sarah Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 6218
| | - Ilkay Bora
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 6218
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 4309
| | - Laramie P Jameson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 6218
| | - Changling Qiu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Kevin A Schug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Zygmunt Gryczynski
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 4309
| | - Sergei V Dzyuba
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA; E-mail: ; Tel: +1 817 257 6218
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22
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Yan J, McNaughter PD, Wang Z, Hodson N, Chen M, Cui Z, O'Brien P, Saunders BR. Controlled aggregation of quantum dot dispersions by added amine bilinkers and effects on hybrid polymer film properties. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra15009d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanocrystal aggregation triggered by added bilinker prior to P3HT/ZnO film formation results in increased film thickness and light absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Yan
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | | | - Ziji Wang
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | - Nigel Hodson
- BioAFM Facility
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | - Mu Chen
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | - Zhengxing Cui
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | - Paul O'Brien
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
| | - Brian R. Saunders
- Polymers, Composites and Carbon Research Group
- School of Materials
- University of Manchester
- Manchester
- UK
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