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Bone J, Jenkins JL. Understanding Polymer Electrodeposition and Conducting Polymer Modified Electrodes Using Electrochemistry, Spectroscopy, and Scanning Probe Microscopy. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION 2023; 100:4062-4071. [PMID: 37840821 PMCID: PMC10571039 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Conducting polymers are critically important materials in organic electronic platforms relevant to sustainability (organic photovoltaics and organic light-emitting diodes) and wearable electronics (organic electrochemical transistors). However, most chemistry students do not receive formal training in the fundamental properties and extensive characterization of these fascinating materials. Described here are four scaffolded learning modules adapted from the primary literature and designed to build the fundamental understanding and practical skills necessary for productive contribution to emerging research in the field of conducting polymers and conducting polymer modified electrodes (CPMEs). These activities were performed by first-year chemistry graduate students and have been used in the lab to orient and equip new student researchers with the electrochemical, spectroscopic, and spectroelectrochemical skillsets central to working in CPMEs. First year master's students and undergraduate student researchers worked individually to complete data collection, analysis, and interpretation over three 4 h periods with additional time for sample preparation and imaging. Alternatively, one or more of these modules can be adapted and performed by pairs or groups of three over two 4 h lab periods as part of an undergraduate course such as instrumental analysis, polymers, and macromolecules, or as a capstone experience; instructions for these and other modifications are as described herein. If lab equipment and/or available time are limiting factors, sufficient sample data are provided for use as dry laboratories. Through completion of these modules, student researchers learn how to build chemically rational explanations for the electrochemical and spectroscopic signals, to collectively examine data from multiple complementary characterization techniques, and to extract enabling structure-property relationships, all while coming to see themselves as researchers and members of a worldwide scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica
M. Bone
- Department of Chemistry, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky 40475, United States
| | - Judith L. Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky 40475, United States
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Moiz SA, Alzahrani MS, Alahmadi ANM. Electron Transport Layer Optimization for Efficient PTB7:PC70BM Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14173610. [PMID: 36080688 PMCID: PMC9460111 DOI: 10.3390/polym14173610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells have received a great deal of attention mainly due to the possibility of higher power conversion efficiency for photovoltaic applications. Therefore, in this study, relatively novel polymer BHJ solar cells are proposed (ITO/ETL/PTB7:PC70BM/PEDOT:PSS/Au) with various electron transport layers (ETL) such as zinc oxysulfide (Zn(O,S)), zinc selenide (ZnSe), and poly[(9,9-bis(3′-((N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammonium)-propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] dibromide (PFN-Br). Here, each ETL material is selected based on the energy bandgap compatibility with ITO as well as the PTB7:PC70BM active layer and is based on other physical properties, which are generally required for efficient photovoltaic responses. Each proposed device is comprehensively optimized and then photovoltaic responses are simulated and compared using the software SCAPS-1D. It was observed that the ITO/Zn(O,S)/PTB7:PC70BM/PEDOT:PSS/Au device offered the highest power-conversion efficiency of up to 17.15% with an open-circuit voltage of 0.85 volts, a short-circuit current of 28.23 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 70.69%.
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Keene ST, Gueskine V, Berggren M, Malliaras GG, Tybrandt K, Zozoulenko I. Exploiting mixed conducting polymers in organic and bioelectronic devices. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:19144-19163. [PMID: 35942679 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02595g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Efficient transport of both ionic and electronic charges in conjugated polymers (CPs) has enabled a wide range of novel electrochemical devices spanning applications from energy storage to bioelectronic devices. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the fundamental physical processes which underlie the operation of mixed conducting polymer (MCP) devices. While charge injection and transport have been studied extensively in both ionic and electronic conductors, translating these principles to mixed conducting systems proves challenging due to the complex relationships among the individual materials properties. We break down the process of electrochemical (de)doping, the basic feature exploited in mixed conducting devices, into its key steps, highlighting recent advances in the study of these physical processes in the context of MCPs. Furthermore, we identify remaining challenges in further extending fundamental understanding of MCP-based device operation. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of the elementary processes governing operation in MCPs will drive the advancement in both materials design and device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott T Keene
- Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, 9 JJ Thompson Ave., CB3 0FA Cambridge, UK
| | - Viktor Gueskine
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Magnus Berggren
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden
| | - George G Malliaras
- Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, 9 JJ Thompson Ave., CB3 0FA Cambridge, UK
| | - Klas Tybrandt
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Igor Zozoulenko
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Linköping University, SE-601 74, Norrköping, Sweden
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Arildii D, Kim K, Lee Y, Choi H, Jang C, Eom SH, Mun SA, Yoon SC, Jin SH, Park J, Kim B. Highly Sensitive and Durable Organic Photodiodes Based on Long-Term Storable NiO x Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:14410-14421. [PMID: 35312277 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c01693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organic optoelectronic devices that can be fabricated at low cost have attracted considerable attention because they can absorb light over a wide frequency range and have high conversion efficiency, as well as being lightweight and flexible. Moreover, their performance can be significantly affected by the choice of the charge-selective interlayer material. Nonstoichiometric nickel oxide (NiOx) is an excellent material for the hole-transporting layer (HTL) of organic optoelectronic devices because of the good alignment of its valence band position with the highest occupied molecular orbital level of many p-type polymers. Herein, we report a simple low-temperature process for the synthesis of NiOx nanoparticles (NPs) that can be well dispersed in solution for long-term storage and easily used to form thin NiOx NP layers. NiOx NP-based organic photodiode (OPD) devices demonstrated high specific detectivity (D*) values of 1012-1013 jones under various light intensities and negative biases. The D* value of the NiOx NP-based OPD device was 4 times higher than that of a conventional poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-based device, an enhancement that originated mainly from the 16 times decreased leakage current. The NiOx NP-based OPD device demonstrated better reliability over a wide range of light intensities and operational biases in comparison to a device with a conventional sol-gel-processed NiOx film. More importantly, the NiOx NP-based OPD showed long-term device stability superior to those of the PEDOT:PSS and sol-gel-processed NiOx-based devices. We highlight that our low-temperature solution-processable NiOx NP-based HTL could become a crucial component in the fabrication of stable high-performance OPDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashjargal Arildii
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Kangyong Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngwan Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Huijeong Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhee Jang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hun Eom
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang A Mun
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Cheol Yoon
- Division of Advanced Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Ho Jin
- Department of Chemistry Education, Graduate Department of Chemical Materials, Institute for Plastic Information and Energy Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongnam Park
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - BongSoo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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Anrango-Camacho C, Pavón-Ipiales K, Frontana-Uribe BA, Palma-Cando A. Recent Advances in Hole-Transporting Layers for Organic Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:443. [PMID: 35159788 PMCID: PMC8840354 DOI: 10.3390/nano12030443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Global energy demand is increasing; thus, emerging renewable energy sources, such as organic solar cells (OSCs), are fundamental to mitigate the negative effects of fuel consumption. Within OSC's advancements, the development of efficient and stable interface materials is essential to achieve high performance, long-term stability, low costs, and broader applicability. Inorganic and nanocarbon-based materials show a suitable work function, tunable optical/electronic properties, stability to the presence of moisture, and facile solution processing, while organic conducting polymers and small molecules have some advantages such as fast and low-cost production, solution process, low energy payback time, light weight, and less adverse environmental impact, making them attractive as hole transporting layers (HTLs) for OSCs. This review looked at the recent progress in metal oxides, metal sulfides, nanocarbon materials, conducting polymers, and small organic molecules as HTLs in OSCs over the past five years. The endeavors in research and technology have optimized the preparation and deposition methods of HTLs. Strategies of doping, composite/hybrid formation, and modifications have also tuned the optical/electrical properties of these materials as HTLs to obtain efficient and stable OSCs. We highlighted the impact of structure, composition, and processing conditions of inorganic and organic materials as HTLs in conventional and inverted OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinthya Anrango-Camacho
- Grupo de Investigación Aplicada en Materiales y Procesos (GIAMP), School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Hda. San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay, Urcuqui 100119, Ecuador; (C.A.-C.); (K.P.-I.)
| | - Karla Pavón-Ipiales
- Grupo de Investigación Aplicada en Materiales y Procesos (GIAMP), School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Hda. San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay, Urcuqui 100119, Ecuador; (C.A.-C.); (K.P.-I.)
| | - Bernardo A. Frontana-Uribe
- Centro Conjunto de Investigación en Química Sustentable UAEMex-UNAM, Carretera Toluca Atlacomulco, Km 14.5, Toluca 50200, Mexico;
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Alex Palma-Cando
- Grupo de Investigación Aplicada en Materiales y Procesos (GIAMP), School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Hda. San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay, Urcuqui 100119, Ecuador; (C.A.-C.); (K.P.-I.)
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Salma SA, Kim JH. Effect of the Side Chain Functionality of the Conjugated Polyelectrolytes as a Cathode Interlayer Material on the Photovoltaic Performances. Macromol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13233-022-0011-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Nakao N, Ogawa S, Kim HD, Ohkita H, Mikie T, Saito M, Osaka I. Pronounced Backbone Coplanarization by π-Extension in a Sterically Hindered Conjugated Polymer System Leads to Higher Photovoltaic Performance in Non-Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:56420-56429. [PMID: 34783522 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c17199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Achieving both the backbone order and solubility of π-conjugated polymers, which are often in a trade-off relationship, is imperative for maximizing the performance of organic solar cells. Here, we studied three different π-conjugated polymers based on thiazolothiazole (PSTz1 and POTz1) and benzobisthiazole (PNBTz1) that were combined with a benzodithiophene unit in the backbone, where PNBTz1 was newly synthesized. Because of the steric hindrance between the side chains located on neighboring heteroaromatic rings, POTz1 had a much less coplanar backbone than PSTz1 in which such a steric hindrance is absent. However, POTz1 showed higher photovoltaic performance in solar cells that used Y6 as the acceptor material. This was likely due to the significantly higher solubility of POTz1 than PSTz1, resulting in a better morphology. Interestingly, PNBTz1 was found to have markedly higher backbone coplanarity than POTz1, despite having similar steric hindrance between the side chains, most likely owing to the more extended π-electron system, whereas PNBTz1 had good solubility comparable to POTz1. As a result, PNBTz1 exhibited higher photovoltaic performance than POTz1 in the Y6-based cells: specifically, the fill factor was significantly enhanced. Our results indicate that the backbone order and solubility can be achieved by the careful molecular design, which indeed leads to higher photovoltaic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Nakao
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ogawa
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Hyung Do Kim
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hideo Ohkita
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Mikie
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Masahiko Saito
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Itaru Osaka
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
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Bottiglieri L, Nourdine A, Resende J, Deschanvres JL, Jiménez C. Optimized Stoichiometry for CuCrO 2 Thin Films as Hole Transparent Layer in PBDD4T-2F:PC 70BM Organic Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:2109. [PMID: 34443938 PMCID: PMC8398522 DOI: 10.3390/nano11082109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The performance and stability in atmospheric conditions of organic photovoltaic devices can be improved by the integration of stable and efficient photoactive materials as substituent of the chemically unstable poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), generally used as organic hole transport layer. Promising candidates are p-type transparent conductive oxides, which combine good optoelectronic and a higher mechanical and chemical stability than the organic counterpart. In this work, we synthesize Cu-rich CuCrO2 thin films by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition as an efficient alternative to PEDOT:PSS. The effect of stoichiometry on the structural, electrical, and optical properties was analysed to find a good compromise between transparency, resistivity, and energy bands alignment, to maximize the photovoltaic performances., Average transmittance and bandgap are reduced when increasing the Cu content in these out of stoichiometry CuCrO2 films. The lowest electrical resistivity is found for samples synthesized from a solution composition in the 60-70% range. The optimal starting solution composition was found at 65% of Cu cationic ratio corresponding to a singular point in Hackee's figure of merit of 1 × 10-7 Ω-1. PBDD4T-2F:PC70BM organic solar cells were fabricated by integrating CuCrO2 films grown from a solution composition ranging between 40% to 100% of Cu as hole transport layers. The solar cells integrating a film grown with a Cu solution composition of 65% achieved a power conversion efficiency as high as 3.1%, representing the best trade-off of the optoelectronic properties among the studied candidates. Additionally, despite the efficiencies achieved from CuCrO2-based organic solar cells are still inferior to the PEDOT:PSS counterpart, we demonstrated a significant enhancement of the lifetime in atmospheric conditions of optimal oxides-based organic photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Bottiglieri
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Laboratoire des Matériaux et du Génie Physique, Institute of Engineering, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Grenoble, France; (J.-L.D.); (C.J.)
| | - Ali Nourdine
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, The Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Physical-Chemistry of Materials and Interfaces, Institute of Engineering, Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Savoy Mont Blanc-Chambery, 38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Joao Resende
- AlmaScience Colab, Madan Parque, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal;
| | - Jean-Luc Deschanvres
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Laboratoire des Matériaux et du Génie Physique, Institute of Engineering, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Grenoble, France; (J.-L.D.); (C.J.)
| | - Carmen Jiménez
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Laboratoire des Matériaux et du Génie Physique, Institute of Engineering, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Grenoble, France; (J.-L.D.); (C.J.)
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Benhnia A, Watanabe S, Tuerhong R, Nakaya M, Onoe J, Bucher JP. Resolving Site-Specific Energy Levels of Small-Molecule Donor-Acceptor Heterostructures Close to Metal Contacts. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11061618. [PMID: 34203037 PMCID: PMC8234413 DOI: 10.3390/nano11061618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The active material of optoelectronic devices must accommodate for contacts which serve to collect or inject the charge carriers. It is the purpose of this work to find out to which extent properties of organic optoelectronic layers change close to metal contacts compared to known properties of bulk materials. Bottom-up fabrication capabilities of model interfaces under ultrahigh vacuum and single-atom low temperature (LT)-STM spectroscopy with density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to detect the spatial modifications of electronic states such as frontier-orbitals at interfaces. The system under consideration is made of a silver substrate covered with a blend of C60 and ZnPc molecules of a few monolayers. When C60 and ZnPc are separately adsorbed on Ag(111), they show distinct spectroscopic features in STM. However, when C60 is added to the ZnPc monolayer, it shows scanning tunneling spectra similar to ZnPc, revealing a strong interaction of C60 with the ZnPc induced by the substrate. DFT calculations on a model complex confirm the strong hybridization of C60 with ZnPc layer upon adsorption on Ag(111), thus highlighting the role of boundary layers where the donor-acceptor character is strongly perturbed. The calculation also reveals a significant charge transfer from the Ag to the complex that is likely responsible for a downward shift of the molecular LUMO in agreement with the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Benhnia
- Institutde Physiqueet Chimiedes Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPCMS UMR 7504, F-67034 Strasbourg, France; (A.B.); (R.T.)
| | - Shinta Watanabe
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; (S.W.); (M.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Rouzhaji Tuerhong
- Institutde Physiqueet Chimiedes Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPCMS UMR 7504, F-67034 Strasbourg, France; (A.B.); (R.T.)
| | - Masato Nakaya
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; (S.W.); (M.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Jun Onoe
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; (S.W.); (M.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Jean-Pierre Bucher
- Institutde Physiqueet Chimiedes Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPCMS UMR 7504, F-67034 Strasbourg, France; (A.B.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence:
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Wang B, Biesold GM, Zhang M, Lin Z. Amorphous inorganic semiconductors for the development of solar cell, photoelectrocatalytic and photocatalytic applications. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:6914-6949. [PMID: 33904560 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01134g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Amorphous inorganic semiconductors have attracted growing interest due to their unique electrical and optical properties that arise from their intrinsic disordered structure and thermodynamic metastability. Recently, amorphous inorganic semiconductors have been applied in a variety of new technologies, including solar cells, photoelectrocatalysis, and photocatalysis. It has been reported that amorphous phases can improve both efficiency and stability in these applications. While these phenomena are well established, their mechanisms have long remained unclear. This review first introduces the general background of amorphous inorganic semiconductor properties and synthesis. Then, the recent successes and current challenges of amorphous inorganic semiconductor-based materials for applications in solar cells, photoelectrocatalysis, and photocatalysis are addressed. In particular, we discuss the mechanisms behind the remarkable performances of amorphous inorganic semiconductors in these fields. Finally, we provide insightful perspectives into further developments for applications of amorphous inorganic semiconductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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Chen G, Wang X, Shi Y, Tinkham JS, Brenner TM, Olson DC, Sellinger A, Furtak TE. Tuning the work function of nickel oxide using triethoxysilane functionalized monolayers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:2449-2457. [PMID: 33463637 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp03306e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The work function of nickel oxide (NiOx) electrodes was tuned by the covalent attachment of commercially available as well as specially synthesized triethoxysilane functionalized molecules with a range of dipole moments. The presence of the silane molecular layers on the NiOx surface was verified using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. While these tests indicated the surface coverage was incomplete, Kelvin probe measurements showed that the coverage was sufficient to change the work function of the NiOx across a range of ∼900 meV. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the dipole moments of the isolated molecules correlated well with the measured work function changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA.
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An N-type Naphthalene Diimide Ionene Polymer as Cathode Interlayer for Organic Solar Cells. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14020454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on non-fullerene acceptors have the advantages of synthetic versatility, strong absorption ability, and high thermal stability. These characteristics result in impressive power conversion efficiency values, but to further push both the performance and the stability of PSCs, the insertion of appropriate interlayers in the device structure remains mandatory. Herein, a naphthalene diimide-based cathode interlayer (NDI-OH) is synthesized with a facile three-step reaction and used as a cathode interlayer for fullerene and non-fullerene PSCs. This cationic polyelectrolyte exhibited good solubility in alcohol solvents, transparency in the visible range, self-doping behavior, and good film forming ability. All these characteristics allowed the increase in the devices’ power conversion efficiencies (PCE) both for fullerene and non-fullerene-based PSCs. The successful results make NDI-OH a promising cathode interlayer to apply in PSCs.
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Ibrahim Zamkoye I, El Gbouri H, Antony R, Ratier B, Bouclé J, Galmiche L, Trigaud T, Audebert P. Characterization and Electronic Properties of Heptazine Layers: Towards Promising Interfacial Materials for Organic Optoelectronics. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 13:E3826. [PMID: 32872522 PMCID: PMC7504471 DOI: 10.3390/ma13173826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
For the first time, an original compound belonging to the heptazine family has been deposited in the form of thin layers, both by thermal evaporation under vacuum and spin-coating techniques. In both cases, smooth and homogeneous layers have been obtained, and their properties evaluated for eventual applications in the field of organic electronics. The layers have been fully characterized by several concordant techniques, namely UV-visible spectroscopy, steady-state and transient fluorescence in the solid-state, as well as topographic and conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) used in Kelvin probe force mode (KPFM). Consequently, the afferent energy levels, including Fermi level, have been determined, and show that these new heptazines are promising materials for tailoring the electronic properties of interfaces associated with printed electronic devices. A test experiment showing an improved electron transfer rate from a tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) photo-active layer in presence of a heptazine interlayer is finally presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issoufou Ibrahim Zamkoye
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Houda El Gbouri
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Remi Antony
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Bernard Ratier
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Johann Bouclé
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Laurent Galmiche
- Laboratoire de Photophysique et Photochimie Supramoléculaires et Macromoléculaires UMR 5231, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay, Rue de la Science, 91190 Gif s. Yvette, France;
| | - Thierry Trigaud
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
| | - Pierre Audebert
- University of Limoges, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, XLIM, UMR 7252, F-87000 Limoges, France; (I.I.Z.); (H.E.G.); (R.A.); (B.R.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Photophysique et Photochimie Supramoléculaires et Macromoléculaires UMR 5231, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay, Rue de la Science, 91190 Gif s. Yvette, France;
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Wang J, Yao N, Zhang D, Zheng Z, Zhou H, Zhang F, Zhang Y. Fast Field-Insensitive Charge Extraction Enables High Fill Factors in Polymer Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:38460-38469. [PMID: 32805970 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c09123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fill factor (FF) is a determining parameter for the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSC). So far, nonfullerene (NF) OSCs with state-of-the-art PCEs exhibit FFs <0.8, lower than the values of Si or perovskite solar cells. The FFs directly display the dependence of photocurrent on bias, meaning that the competition between charge extraction and recombination is modulated by internal electric potential (Vin). Here, we report a study to understand key parameters/properties affecting the device FF based on seven groups of NF-OSCs consisting of widely used PBDBT-2F or PTB7-Th donors and representative NF-acceptors with FFs ranging from 0.60 to 0.78 and PCEs from 10.27 to 16.09%. We used field-dependent transient photocurrent measurements to reveal that fast and field-insensitive charge extraction at low Vin is an essential prerequisite for obtaining high FFs (0.75-0.8), which is enabled by balanced charge transport in steady and reduced bimolecular charge recombination in high purity phases. With bias-dependent quantum efficiency analysis, we further show that the recombination loss at low Vin in the devices with low FFs tends to be more significant involving excitons generated in the donor phase of blends. Our results provide relevance for how to improve the FF toward the boost of photovoltaic performance in NF-OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqiu Wang
- School of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierachical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Nannan Yao
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping 58183, Sweden
| | - Dongyang Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Zhong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierachical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Huiqiong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierachical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Fengling Zhang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping 58183, Sweden
| | - Yuan Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
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15
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Zheng Y, Giordano AJ, Marder SR, Saavedra SS. Potential-Modulated Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence for Measurement of the Electron Transfer Kinetics of Submonolayers on Optically Transparent Electrodes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:6728-6735. [PMID: 32453577 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
An electroreflectance method to determine the electron transfer rate constant of a film of redox-active chromophores immobilized on an optically transparent electrode when the surface coverage of the film is very low (<0.1 monolayer) is described herein. The method, potential-modulated total internal reflection fluorescence (PM-TIRF) spectroscopy, is a fluorescence version of potential-modulated attenuated total reflection (PM-ATR) spectroscopy that is applicable when the immobilized chromophores are luminescent. The method was tested using perylene diimide (PDI) molecules functionalized with p-phenylene phosphonic acid (PA) moieties that bind strongly to indium-tin oxide (ITO). Conditions to prepare PDI-phenyl-PA films that exhibit absorbance and fluorescence spectra characteristic of monomeric (i.e., nonaggregated) molecules were identified; the electrochemical surface coverage was approximately 0.03 monolayer. The tilt angle of the long axis of the PDI molecular plane is 58° relative to the ITO surface normal, 25° greater than the tilt angle of aggregated PDI-phenyl-PA films, which have a surface coverage of approximately one monolayer. The more in-plane orientation of monomeric films is likely due to the absence of cofacial π-π interactions present in aggregated films and possibly a difference in PA-ITO binding modes. The electron transfer rate constant (ks,opt) of monomeric PDI-phenyl-PA films was determined using PM-TIRF and compared with PM-ATR results obtained for aggregated films. For PDI monomers, ks,opt = 3.8 × 103 s-1, which is about 3.7-fold less than ks,opt for aggregated films. The slower kinetics are attributed to the absence of electron self-exchange between monomeric PDI molecules. Differences in the electroactivity of the binding sites on the ITO electrode surface also may play a role. This is the first demonstration of PM-TIRF for determining electron transfer rate constants at an electrode/organic film interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilong Zheng
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Anthony J Giordano
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Seth R Marder
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - S Scott Saavedra
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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16
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Vasilopoulou M, Fakharuddin A, Coutsolelos AG, Falaras P, Argitis P, Yusoff ARBM, Nazeeruddin MK. Molecular materials as interfacial layers and additives in perovskite solar cells. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:4496-4526. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00733d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Here we review the recent strategies for developing organic and inorganic molecular materials for application as electron and hole transport layers and as additives to achieve high efficiency and stability perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vasilopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”
- 15341 Agia Paraskevi
- Greece
| | | | - Athanassios G. Coutsolelos
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Crete
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry
- Voutes Campus
- Heraklion 70013
| | - Polycarpos Falaras
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”
- 15341 Agia Paraskevi
- Greece
| | - Panagiotis Argitis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”
- 15341 Agia Paraskevi
- Greece
| | | | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
- Rue de l’Industrie 17
- CH-1951 Sion
- Switzerland
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17
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Daviddi E, Chen Z, Beam Massani B, Lee J, Bentley CL, Unwin PR, Ratcliff EL. Nanoscale Visualization and Multiscale Electrochemical Analysis of Conductive Polymer Electrodes. ACS NANO 2019; 13:13271-13284. [PMID: 31674763 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b06302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Conductive polymers are exceptionally promising for modular electrochemical applications including chemical sensors, bioelectronics, redox-flow batteries, and photoelectrochemical systems due to considerable synthetic tunability and ease of processing. Despite well-established structural heterogeneity in these systems, conventional macroscopic electroanalytical methods-specifically cyclic voltammetry-are typically used as the primary tool for structure-property elucidation. This work presents an alternative correlative multimicroscopy strategy. Data from laboratory and synchrotron-based microspectroscopies, including conducting-atomic force microscopy and synchrotron nanoscale infrared spectroscopy, are combined with potentiodynamic movies of electrochemical fluxes from scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) to reveal the relationship between electrode structure and activity. A model conductive polymer electrode system of tailored heterogeneity is investigated, consisting of phase-segregated domains of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) surrounded by contiguous regions of insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), representing an ultramicroelectrode array. Isolated domains of P3HT are shown to retain bulk-like chemical and electronic structure when blended with PMMA and possess approximately equivalent electron-transfer rate constants compared to pure P3HT electrodes. The nanoscale electrochemical data are used to model and predict multiscale electrochemical behavior, revealing that macroscopic cyclic voltammograms should be much more kinetically facile than observed experimentally. This indicates that parasitic resistances rather than redox kinetics play a dominant role in macroscopic measurements in these conductive polymer systems. SECCM further demonstrates that the ambient degradation of the P3HT electroactivity within P3HT/PMMA blends is spatially heterogeneous. This work serves as a roadmap for benchmarking the quality of conductive polymer films as electrodes, emphasizing the importance of nanoscale electrochemical measurements in understanding macroscopic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Daviddi
- Department of Chemistry , University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL , United Kingdom
| | - Zhiting Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
| | - Brooke Beam Massani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
| | - Jaemin Lee
- Department of Chemistry , University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL , United Kingdom
| | - Cameron L Bentley
- Department of Chemistry , University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL , United Kingdom
| | - Patrick R Unwin
- Department of Chemistry , University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL , United Kingdom
| | - Erin L Ratcliff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
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18
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Sae-Kung C, Wright BF, Clarke TM, Wallace GG, Mozer AJ. Effects of Interfacial Layers on the Open Circuit Voltage of Polymer/Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Devices Studied by Charge Extraction Techniques. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:21030-21041. [PMID: 31081321 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b02850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial layers are frequently used in organic solar cells performing various functions, including blocking surface recombination, improving selectivity of charge carrier extraction, modification of the work function of the contact materials, and enhancing light absorption within the photoactive layer through an optical cavity effect. The aim of this work is to investigate the origin of performance enhancement of bulk heterojunction solar cells using various electron and hole interfacial layers, with a particular focus on separating the contributions of work function modification and reduced recombination to the improvement of the open circuit voltage ( Voc). Solar cells using poly[ N-9'-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole- alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)]:[6,6]-phenyl C70-butyric acid methyl ester (1:4) active layers were prepared with a combination of polymeric, metal oxide, and polyelectrolyte electron and/or hole interfacial layers. Four device structures with (i) no interfacial layers (reference); (ii) only hole; (iii) only electron; (iv) both electron and hole interfacial layers were fabricated and compared using current-voltage, transient photovoltage, and charge extraction measurements. The voltage gains (Δ Voc) at matched charge density attributed to work function modification (Δ Voch or Δ Voce) are distinguished from the increase in Voc arising from increased charge carrier density. At the hole contact, Δ Voch was 0.21 V by using a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) hole interfacial layer, whereas Δ Voce was 0.29 V on the electron contact using a polyethoxylate imine-TiO x interfacial layer compared to reference devices. The electron lifetime also improved by orders of magnitude with the use of either electron or hole contact layers, contributing to a further 0.35-0.38 V increase in the open circuit voltage (Δ Vocrec) because of increased charge density. The increased charge carrier lifetime is proposed to originate from the larger spatial separation of the electrons and holes in the device because of the increased internal field. Using both an electron and a hole interfacial layer did not significantly increase the charge carrier lifetime compared to single interfacial layer devices; therefore, the Voc did not increase significantly. The findings presented clarify the role of interfacial layers in organic solar cells and provide new insights into using time-resolved charge extraction techniques to understand the influence of interfacial layers on the open circuit voltage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaiyuth Sae-Kung
- Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM , University of Wollongong , North Wollongong , New South Wales 2500 , Australia
- National Metal and Materials Technology Center , 114 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd., Klong 1 , Klong Luang , Pathumthani 12120 , Thailand
| | - Brendan F Wright
- Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM , University of Wollongong , North Wollongong , New South Wales 2500 , Australia
- School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering , University of New South Wales , Anzac Parade , Sydney 2052 , Australia
| | - Tracey M Clarke
- Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM , University of Wollongong , North Wollongong , New South Wales 2500 , Australia
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , London WC1H0AJ , U.K
| | - Gordon G Wallace
- Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM , University of Wollongong , North Wollongong , New South Wales 2500 , Australia
| | - Attila J Mozer
- Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM , University of Wollongong , North Wollongong , New South Wales 2500 , Australia
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19
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Pockett A, Lee HKH, Coles BL, Tsoi WC, Carnie MJ. A combined transient photovoltage and impedance spectroscopy approach for a comprehensive study of interlayer degradation in non-fullerene acceptor organic solar cells. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:10872-10883. [PMID: 31135798 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr02337b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells utilise thin interlayer materials between the active layer and metal electrodes to improve stability and performance. In this work, we combine transient photovoltage (TPV) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements to study how degradation affects both the active layer and the interlayer. We show that neither technique alone can provide a complete insight into both of these regions: TPV is more suited to studying degradation of the active layer; EIS clearly identifies the properties of the interlayer. By analysing both of these approaches we are able to assess how different interlayers impact the stability of the active layer, as well as how the interlayers themselves degrade and severely limit device performance. EIS measurements are also able to resolve the impact of the interlayer on series resistance even when it is not apparent from standard current-voltage (JV) measurements. The technique could therefore be valuable for the optimisation of all devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pockett
- SPECIFIC - Swansea University, Materials Research Centre, College of Engineering, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK.
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20
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Bhattacharyya D, Montenegro A, Dhar P, Mammetkuliyev M, Pankow RM, Jung MC, Thompson ME, Thompson BC, Benderskii AV. Molecular Orientation of Poly-3-hexylthiophene at the Buried Interface with Fullerene. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:1757-1762. [PMID: 30908051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular orientation at the donor-acceptor interface plays a crucial role in determining the efficiency of organic semiconductor materials. We have used vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy to determine the orientation of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) at the planar buried interface with fullerene (C60). The thiophene rings of P3HT have been found to tilt significantly toward C60, making an average angle θ ≈ 49° ± 10° between the plane of the ring and the interface. Such tilt may be attributed to π-π stacking interactions between P3HT and C60 and may facilitate efficient charge transfer between donor and acceptor. Upon annealing, the thiophene rings tilt away from the interface by Δθ = 12-19°. This may be attributed to higher crystallinity of annealed P3HT that propagates all the way to the interface, resulting in more "edge-on" orientation, which is consistent with the observed red-shift by ∼6 cm-1 and spectral narrowing of the C=C stretch bands.
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Gao Y, Patterson R, Hu L, Yuan L, Zhang Z, Hu Y, Chen Z, Teh ZL, Conibeer G, Huang S. MgCl 2 passivated ZnO electron transporting layer to improve PbS quantum dot solar cells. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 30:085403. [PMID: 30248023 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aae3de] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The unique tunable bandgaps and straightforward synthesis of colloidal quantum dots make them promising low-cost materials for photovoltaics. High-performance colloidal quantum dot solar cells rely on good-quality electron transporting layers (ETLs) to make carrier selective contacts. Despite extensive use of n-type oxides as ETLs, a detailed understanding of their surface and interface states as well as mechanisms to improve their optical properties are still under development. Here, we report a simple procedure to produce MgCl2 passivated ZnO nanoparticles ETLs that show improved device performance. The MgCl2 treated ZnO electron transporting layers boost the PbS colloidal quantum dot cell efficiency from 6.3% to 8.2%. The cell exhibits reduced defects leading to significant improvements of both FF and J sc. This low-temperature MgCl2 treated ZnO electron transporting layer may be applied in solution processed tandem cells as a promising strategy to further increase cell efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Gao
- Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
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22
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Pintor-Monroy MI, Barrera D, Murillo-Borjas BL, Ochoa-Estrella FJ, Hsu JWP, Quevedo-Lopez MA. Tunable Electrical and Optical Properties of Nickel Oxide (NiO x) Thin Films for Fully Transparent NiO x-Ga 2O 3 p-n Junction Diodes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:38159-38165. [PMID: 30360100 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b08095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
One of the major limitations of oxide semiconductors technology is the lack of proper p-type materials to enable devices such as pn junctions, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. This limitation has resulted in an increased research focus on these materials. In this work, p-type NiO x thin films with tunable optical and electrical properties as well as its dependence with oxygen pressure during pulsed laser deposition are demonstrated. The control of NiO x films resistivity ranged from ∼109 to ∼102 Ω cm, showing a p-type behavior with Eg tuning from 3.4 to 3.9 eV. Chemical composition and the resulting band diagrams are also discussed. The all-oxide NiO x-Ga2O3 pn junction showed very low leakage current, an ideality factor of ∼2, 105 on/off ratio, and 0.6 V built-in potential. Its J- V temperature dependence is also analyzed. C- V measurements demonstrate diodes with a carrier concentration of 1015 cm-3 for the Ga2O3 layer, which is fully depleted. These results show a stable, promising diode, attractive for future photoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Pintor-Monroy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , The University of Texas at Dallas , 800W. Campbell Road , Richardson , Texas 75080 , United States
| | - Diego Barrera
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , The University of Texas at Dallas , 800W. Campbell Road , Richardson , Texas 75080 , United States
| | - Bayron L Murillo-Borjas
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , The University of Texas at Dallas , 800W. Campbell Road , Richardson , Texas 75080 , United States
| | - Francisco Javier Ochoa-Estrella
- Departamento de Investigación en Física , Universidad de Sonora , Rosales y Luis Encinas , Hermosillo , Sonora 83000 , Mexico
| | - Julia W P Hsu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , The University of Texas at Dallas , 800W. Campbell Road , Richardson , Texas 75080 , United States
| | - Manuel A Quevedo-Lopez
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , The University of Texas at Dallas , 800W. Campbell Road , Richardson , Texas 75080 , United States
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23
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Mezzetti A, Fumagalli F, Alfano A, Iadicicco D, Antognazza MR, di Fonzo F. Stable hybrid organic/inorganic photocathodes for hydrogen evolution with amorphous WO 3 hole selective contacts. Faraday Discuss 2018; 198:433-448. [PMID: 28272631 DOI: 10.1039/c6fd00216a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical H2 production through hybrid organic/inorganic interfaces exploits the capability of polymeric absorbers to drive photo-induced electron transfer to an electrocatalyst in a water environment. Photoelectrode architectures based on solution-processed organic semiconductors are now emerging as low-cost alternatives to crystalline inorganic semiconductors based on Si, oxides and III-V alloys. In this work, we demonstrate that the stability of a hybrid organic/inorganic photocathode, employing a P3HT:PCBM blend as photoactive material, can be considerably improved by introducing an electrochemically stable WO3 hole selective layer, paired with a TiO2 electron selective layer. This hybrid photoelectrode exhibits a photocurrent of 2.48 mA cm-2 at 0 VRHE, +0.56 VRHE onset potential and a state-of the art operational activity of more than 10 hours. This work gives the perspective that photoelectrodes based on organic semiconductors, coupled with proper inorganic selective contacts, represent a sound new option for the efficient and durable photoelectrochemical conversion of solar energy into fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Mezzetti
- Center for Nano Science and Technology@PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Heinrich CD, Reichstein PM, Thelakkat M. Synthesis, Surface Grafting, and Fabrication of Ultrathin Polymeric SAMFETs with High Field-Effect Mobility. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:35441-35448. [PMID: 30246519 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b11662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Densely surface-grafted monolayer (3-4 nm) poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) brushes are prepared by click chemistry. For this, P3HT chains with alkyne end groups were synthesized and chemically coupled to a surface-immobilized self-assembled monolayer (SAM) having azide functionality in an organic field-effect transistor channel. The grafted P3HT-alkyne with a molecular weight of Mn,MALDI = 11 400 g mol-1 ( Mn,SEC = 17 400 g mol-1) and a narrow distribution of Đ = 1.15, has the highest reported molecular weight for surface-immobilized P3HT brushes. We show the successful grafting of P3HT on the substrate surface with atomic force microscopy, contact angle, and absorption studies. From the film thickness, we can calculate the reduced tethered densities of ∑ = 10.3-12.1, which is indicative of the monolayers being in the true brush regime with high grafting density that is enough to form a compact self-assembled monolayer. The aggregation behavior of the films is characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and compared to linear P3HT and a bottlebrush copolymer polystyrene- g-P3HT (PS- g-P3HT) with similar P3HT lengths. For such an SAM-based organic field-effect transistor (SAMFET) nanodevice with an ultrathin P3HT layer of 3-4 nm, a very high field-effect mobility of up to 1.8 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1 is achieved in channel lengths of 5-20 μm, which is nearly 2 orders of magnitude higher than reported values for polymer-based SAMFETs.
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Vinokur J, Deckman I, Sarkar T, Nouzman L, Shamieh B, Frey GL. Interlayers Self-Generated by Additive-Metal Interactions in Organic Electronic Devices. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2018; 30:e1706803. [PMID: 29989224 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201706803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The fundamental structure of all organic electronic devices is a stack of thin layers sandwiched between electrodes, with precise intralayer morphology and interlayer interactions. Solution processing multilayers with little to no intermixing is, however, technically challenging and often incompatible with continuous roll-to-roll, high-speed manufacturing. Here, an overview of a recently developed methodology for self-generation of interlayers positioned between the active layer and metal contact is presented. The interlayer material is blended as an additive in the active layer and migrates to the organic/metal interface during metal deposition. The driving force for this migration is additive-metal interactions. The generated interlayer positions an interfacial dipole that reduces barriers for charge transfer across the organic/metal interface. This methodology is generic and, as reported here, the self-generated interlayers significantly improve the performance of many devices. Importantly, this approach is compatible with printing and reel-to-reel processing. Directives toward additive selection, processing conditions and integration in future applications are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Vinokur
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Igal Deckman
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Room 550 Cory Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Tanmoy Sarkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Liza Nouzman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Basel Shamieh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Gitti L Frey
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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26
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Organic electrolyte hybridized ZnO as the electron transport layer for inverted polymer solar cells. J IND ENG CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2018.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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27
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Hietzschold S, Hillebrandt S, Ullrich F, Bombsch J, Rohnacher V, Ma S, Liu W, Köhn A, Jaegermann W, Pucci A, Kowalsky W, Mankel E, Beck S, Lovrincic R. Functionalized Nickel Oxide Hole Contact Layers: Work Function versus Conductivity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:39821-39829. [PMID: 29052974 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nickel oxide (NiO) is a widely used material for efficient hole extraction in optoelectronic devices. However, its surface characteristics strongly depend on the processing history and exposure to adsorbates. To achieve controllability of the electronic and chemical properties of solution-processed nickel oxide (sNiO), we functionalize its surface with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 4-cyanophenylphosphonic acid. A detailed analysis of infrared and photoelectron spectroscopy shows the chemisorption of the molecules with a nominal layer thickness of around one monolayer and gives an insight into the chemical composition of the SAM. Density functional theory calculations reveal the possible binding configurations. By the application of the SAM, we increase the sNiO work function by up to 0.8 eV. When incorporated in organic solar cells, the increase in work function and improved energy level alignment to the donor does not lead to a higher fill factor of these cells. Instead, we observe the formation of a transport barrier, which can be reduced by increasing the conductivity of the sNiO through doping with copper oxide. We conclude that the widespread assumption of maximizing the fill factor by only matching the work function of the oxide charge extraction layer with the energy levels in the active material is a too narrow approach. Successful implementation of interface modifiers is only possible with a sufficiently high charge carrier concentration in the oxide interlayer to support efficient charge transfer across the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hietzschold
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for High-Frequency Technology, TU Braunschweig , Schleinitzstr. 22, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabina Hillebrandt
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Ullrich
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Surface Science Division, TU Darmstadt , Jovanka-Bontschits-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jakob Bombsch
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Valentina Rohnacher
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shuangying Ma
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Stuttgart , Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Wenlan Liu
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Stuttgart , Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Andreas Köhn
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Stuttgart , Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Wolfram Jaegermann
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Surface Science Division, TU Darmstadt , Jovanka-Bontschits-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Annemarie Pucci
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Kowalsky
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for High-Frequency Technology, TU Braunschweig , Schleinitzstr. 22, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Eric Mankel
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Surface Science Division, TU Darmstadt , Jovanka-Bontschits-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Beck
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Lovrincic
- InnovationLab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for High-Frequency Technology, TU Braunschweig , Schleinitzstr. 22, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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28
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Hofmann OT, Glowatzki H, Bürker C, Rangger GM, Bröker B, Niederhausen J, Hosokai T, Salzmann I, Blum RP, Rieger R, Vollmer A, Rajput P, Gerlach A, Müllen K, Schreiber F, Zojer E, Koch N, Duhm S. Orientation-Dependent Work-Function Modification Using Substituted Pyrene-Based Acceptors. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2017; 121:24657-24668. [PMID: 29152034 PMCID: PMC5682610 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b08451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The adsorption of molecular acceptors is a viable method for tuning the work function of metal electrodes. This, in turn, enables adjusting charge injection barriers between the electrode and organic semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate the potential of pyrene-tetraone (PyT) and its derivatives dibromopyrene-tetraone (Br-PyT) and dinitropyrene-tetraone (NO2-PyT) for modifying the electronic properties of Au(111) and Ag(111) surfaces. The systems are investigated by complementary theoretical and experimental approaches, including photoelectron spectroscopy, the X-ray standing wave technique, and density functional theory simulations. For some of the investigated interfaces the trends expected for Fermi-level pinning are observed, i.e., an increase of the metal work function along with increasing molecular electron affinity and the same work function for Au and Ag with monolayer acceptor coverage. Substantial deviations are, however, found for Br-PyT/Ag(111) and NO2-PyT/Ag(111), where in the latter case an adsorption-induced work function increase of as much as 1.6 eV is observed. This behavior is explained as arising from a face-on to edge-on reorientation of molecules in the monolayer. Our calculations show that for an edge-on orientation much larger work-function changes can be expected despite the prevalence of Fermi-level pinning. This is primarily ascribed to a change of the electron affinity of the adsorbate layer that results from a change of the molecular orientation. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of how changing the molecular electron affinity as well as the adsorbate structure impacts the electronic properties of electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. T. Hofmann
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
- E-mail:
| | - H. Glowatzki
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - C. Bürker
- Institut
für Angewandte Physik, Universität
Tübingen, Auf
der Morgenstelle 10, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - G. M. Rangger
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - B. Bröker
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12389 Berlin, Germany
| | - J. Niederhausen
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - T. Hosokai
- National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 2, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
| | - I. Salzmann
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12389 Berlin, Germany
- The
Institute of Solid State Physics, The University
of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha
5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
| | - R.-P. Blum
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12389 Berlin, Germany
| | - R. Rieger
- Max Planck
Institut für Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - A. Vollmer
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - P. Rajput
- Atomic
& Molecular Physics Division, Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - A. Gerlach
- Institut
für Angewandte Physik, Universität
Tübingen, Auf
der Morgenstelle 10, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - K. Müllen
- Max Planck
Institut für Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg
University Mainz, Duesbergweg
10-14, Mainz, Germany
| | - F. Schreiber
- Institut
für Angewandte Physik, Universität
Tübingen, Auf
der Morgenstelle 10, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - E. Zojer
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - N. Koch
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12389 Berlin, Germany
- Jiangsu
Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices
and Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, 199 Ren-Ai Road, Suzhou 215123, P.R. China
| | - S. Duhm
- Jiangsu
Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices
and Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, 199 Ren-Ai Road, Suzhou 215123, P.R. China
- E-mail:
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29
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Rudolph M, Ratcliff EL. Normal and inverted regimes of charge transfer controlled by density of states at polymer electrodes. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1048. [PMID: 29051498 PMCID: PMC5715087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01264-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conductive polymer electrodes have exceptional promise for next-generation bioelectronics and energy conversion devices due to inherent mechanical flexibility, printability, biocompatibility, and low cost. Conductive polymers uniquely exhibit hybrid electronic-ionic transport properties that enable novel electrochemical device architectures, an advantage over inorganic counterparts. Yet critical structure-property relationships to control the potential-dependent rates of charge transfer at polymer/electrolyte interfaces remain poorly understood. Herein, we evaluate the kinetics of charge transfer between electrodeposited poly-(3-hexylthiophene) films and a model redox-active molecule, ferrocenedimethanol. We show that the kinetics directly follow the potential-dependent occupancy of electronic states in the polymer. The rate increases then decreases with potential (both normal and inverted kinetic regimes), a phenomenon distinct from inorganic semiconductors. This insight can be invoked to design polymer electrodes with kinetic selectivity toward redox active species and help guide synthetic approaches for the design of alternative device architectures and approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rudolph
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, 1235 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - E L Ratcliff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, 1235 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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30
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Castro E, Sisto TJ, Romero EL, Liu F, Peurifoy SR, Wang J, Zhu X, Nuckolls C, Echegoyen L. Cove‐Edge Nanoribbon Materials for Efficient Inverted Halide Perovskite Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201706895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edison Castro
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Thomas J. Sisto
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Elkin L. Romero
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | | | - Jue Wang
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Xiaoyang Zhu
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
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31
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Castro E, Sisto TJ, Romero EL, Liu F, Peurifoy SR, Wang J, Zhu X, Nuckolls C, Echegoyen L. Cove‐Edge Nanoribbon Materials for Efficient Inverted Halide Perovskite Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:14648-14652. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201706895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edison Castro
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Thomas J. Sisto
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Elkin L. Romero
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | | | - Jue Wang
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Xiaoyang Zhu
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX 79968 USA
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32
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Castro E, Zavala G, Seetharaman S, D'Souza F, Echegoyen L. Impact of fullerene derivative isomeric purity on the performance of inverted planar perovskite solar cells. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. A 2017; 5:19485-19490. [PMID: 29785268 PMCID: PMC5958917 DOI: 10.1039/c7ta06338e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The effect of utilizing a pure cis-α-dimethoxy carbonyl fulleropyrrolidine C70 (DMEC70) isomer as the electron transporting material (ETM) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) was evaluated. The as-prepared C70 mono-adduct products are mixtures of regioisomers and the interest was to evaluate them independently as ETMs. Three different cis-DMEC70 isomers (α, β-endo and β-exo) (mix-DMEC70) were synthesized and purified by HPLC. It was found that PSCs based on the pure α-DMEC70 exhibit a substantially enhanced maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.6% as compared to devices based on the mixed-DMEC70 isomers that yielded a PCE of 16.4%. A maximum PCE of 15.7% was observed for devices based on [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). This work points out the importance of using pure fullerene derivative isomers as ETMs to reduce the intrinsic energy disorder, which enhances the overall device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edison Castro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Pas, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Gerardo Zavala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Pas, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | | | - Francis D'Souza
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Pas, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
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33
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Steirer KX, Ou KL, Armstrong NR, Ratcliff EL. Critical Interface States Controlling Rectification of Ultrathin NiO-ZnO p-n Heterojunctions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:31111-31118. [PMID: 28832121 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b08899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we consider the heterojunction formation of two prototypical metal oxides: p-type NiO and n-type ZnO. Elementally abundant, low-cost metal oxide/oxide' heterojunctions are of interest for UV optical sensing, gas sensing, photocatalysis, charge confinement layers, piezoelectric nanogenerators, and flash memory devices. These heterojunctions can also be used as current rectifiers and potentially as recombination layers in tandem photovoltaic stacks by making the two oxide layers ultrathin. In the ultrathin geometry, understanding and control of interface electronic structure and chemical reactions at the oxide/oxide' interface are critical to functionality, as oxygen atoms are shared at the interface of the dissimilar materials. In the studies presented here the extent of chemical reactions and interface band bending is monitored using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies. Interface reactivity is controlled by varying the near surface composition of nickel oxide, nickel hydroxide, and nickel oxyhydroxide using standard surface-treatment procedures. A direct correlation between relative percentage of interface hydroxyl chemistry (and hence surface Lewis basicity) and the local band edge alignment for ultrathin p-n junctions (6 nm NiO/30 nm ZnO) is observed. We propose an acid-base formulism to explain these results: the stronger the acid-base reaction, the greater the fraction of interfacial electronic states which lower the band offset between the ZnO conduction band and the NiO valence band. Increased interfacial gap states result in larger reverse bias current of the p-n junction and lower rectification ratios. The acid-base formulism could serve as a future design principle for oxide/oxide' and other heterojunctions based on dissimilar materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Xerxes Steirer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Kai Lin Ou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Neal R Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Erin L Ratcliff
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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34
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Vinokur J, Obuchovsky S, Deckman I, Shoham L, Mates T, Chabinyc ML, Frey GL. Dynamics of Additive Migration to Form Cathodic Interlayers in Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:29889-29900. [PMID: 28800213 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b06793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Migration of additives to organic/metal interfaces can be used to self-generate interlayers in organic electronic devices. To generalize this approach for various additives, metals, and organic electronic devices it is first necessary to study the dynamics of additive migration from the bulk to the top organic/metal interface. In this study, we focus on a known cathode interlayer material, polyethylene glycol (PEG), as additive in P3HT:PC71BM blends and study its migration to the blend/Al interface during metal deposition and its effect on organic solar cell (OSC) performance. Using dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (DSIMS) depth profiles and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy surface analysis (XPS), we quantitatively correlate the initial concentration of PEG in the blend and sequence of thermal annealing/metal deposition processes with the organic/Al interfacial composition. We find that PEG is initially distributed within the film according to the kinetics of the spin coating process, i.e., the majority of PEG accumulates at the bottom substrate, while the minority resides in the film. During electrode evaporation, PEG molecules kinetically "trapped" near the film surface migrate to the organic/Al interface to reduce the interfacial energy. This diffusion-limited process is enhanced with the initial concentration of PEG in the solution and with thermal annealing after metal deposition. In contrast, annealing the film before metal deposition stalls PEG migration. This mechanism is supported by corresponding OSC devices showing that Voc increases with PEG content at the interface, up to a saturation value associated with the formation of a continuous PEG interlayer. Presence of a continuous interlayer excludes the driving force for further migration of PEG to the interface. Revealing this mechanism provides practical insight for judicious selection of additives and processing conditions for interfacial engineering of spontaneously generated interlayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Vinokur
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Stas Obuchovsky
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Igal Deckman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Lishai Shoham
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Tom Mates
- Materials Department, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, United States
| | - Michael L Chabinyc
- Materials Department, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050, United States
| | - Gitti L Frey
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
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35
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Ehamparam R, Oquendo LE, Liao MW, Brynnel AK, Ou KL, Armstrong NR, McGrath DV, Saavedra SS. Axially Bound Ruthenium Phthalocyanine Monolayers on Indium Tin Oxide: Structure, Energetics, and Charge Transfer Properties. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:29213-29223. [PMID: 28795562 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07394] [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 efficiency of charge collection at the organic/transparent conducting oxide (TCO) interface in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices affects overall device efficiency. Modifying the TCO with an electrochemically active molecule may enhance OPV efficiency by providing a charge-transfer pathway between the electrode and the organic active layer, and may also mitigate surface recombination. The synthesis and characterization of phosphonic acid-ruthenium phthalocyanine (RuPcPA) monolayer films on indium tin oxide (ITO), designed to facilitate charge harvesting at ITO electrodes, is presented in this work. The PA group was installed axially relative to the Pc plane so that upon deposition, RuPcPA molecules were preferentially aligned with the ITO surface plane. The tilt angle of 22° between the normal axes to the Pc plane and the ITO surface plane, measured by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, is consistent with a predominately in-plane orientation. The effect of surface roughness on RuPcPA orientation was modeled, and a correlation was obtained between experimental and theoretical mean tilt angles. Based on electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies, RuPcPA monolayers are composed predominately of monomers. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potential modulated-ATR (PM-ATR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the electron-transfer (ET) kinetics of these monolayers. A rate constant of 4.0 × 103 s-1 was measured using EIS, consistent with a short tunneling distance between the chromophore and the electrode surface. Using PM-ATR, ks,opt values of 2.2 × 103 and 2.4 × 103 s-1 were measured using TE and TM polarized light, respectively; the similarity of these values is consistent with a narrow molecular orientation distribution and narrow range of tunneling distances. The ionization potential of RuPcPA-modified ITO was measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and the results indicate favorable energetics for hole collection at the RuPcPA/ITO interface, indicating that this type of TCO modification may be useful for enhancing charge collection efficiency in OPV devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanan Ehamparam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Luis E Oquendo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Michael W Liao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Ambjorn K Brynnel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Kai-Lin Ou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Neal R Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Dominic V McGrath
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - S Scott Saavedra
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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36
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Shallcross RC, Zheng Y, Saavedra SS, Armstrong NR. Determining Band-Edge Energies and Morphology-Dependent Stability of Formamidinium Lead Perovskite Films Using Spectroelectrochemistry and Photoelectron Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:4866-4878. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b00516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Clayton Shallcross
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Yilong Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - S. Scott Saavedra
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Neal R. Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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Mateker WR, McGehee MD. Progress in Understanding Degradation Mechanisms and Improving Stability in Organic Photovoltaics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1603940. [PMID: 28004854 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the degradation mechanisms of organic photovoltaics is particularly important, as they tend to degrade faster than their inorganic counterparts, such as silicon and cadmium telluride. An overview is provided here of the main degradation mechanisms that researchers have identified so far that cause extrinsic degradation from oxygen and water, intrinsic degradation in the dark, and photo-induced burn-in. In addition, it provides methods for researchers to identify these mechanisms in new materials and device structures to screen them more quickly for promising long-term performance. These general strategies will likely be helpful in other photovoltaic technologies that suffer from insufficient stability, such as perovskite solar cells. Finally, the most promising lifetime results are highlighted and recommendations to improve long-term performance are made. To prevent degradation from oxygen and water for sufficiently long time periods, OPVs will likely need to be encapsulated by barrier materials with lower permeation rates of oxygen and water than typical flexible substrate materials. To improve stability at operating temperatures, materials will likely require glass transition temperatures above 100 °C. Methods to prevent photo-induced burn-in are least understood, but recent research indicates that using pure materials with dense and ordered film morphologies can reduce the burn-in effect.
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Sandberg OJ, Sandén S, Sundqvist A, Smått JH, Österbacka R. Determination of Surface Recombination Velocities at Contacts in Organic Semiconductor Devices Using Injected Carrier Reservoirs. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 118:076601. [PMID: 28256870 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.076601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A method to determine surface recombination velocities at collecting contacts in interface-limited organic semiconductor devices, based on the extraction of injected carrier reservoirs in a single-carrier sandwich-type structure, is presented. The analytical framework is derived and verified with drift-diffusion simulations. The method is demonstrated on solution-processed organic semiconductor devices with hole-blocking TiO_{2}/organic and SiO_{2}/organic interfaces, relevant for solar cell and transistor applications, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar J Sandberg
- Center for Functional Materials and Faculty of Science and Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Simon Sandén
- Center for Functional Materials and Faculty of Science and Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Anton Sundqvist
- Center for Functional Materials and Faculty of Science and Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Jan-Henrik Smått
- Center for Functional Materials and Faculty of Science and Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Ronald Österbacka
- Center for Functional Materials and Faculty of Science and Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland
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Groves C. Simulating charge transport in organic semiconductors and devices: a review. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2017; 80:026502. [PMID: 27991440 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/80/2/026502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Charge transport simulation can be a valuable tool to better understand, optimise and design organic transistors (OTFTs), photovoltaics (OPVs), and light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). This review presents an overview of common charge transport and device models; namely drift-diffusion, master equation, mesoscale kinetic Monte Carlo and quantum chemical Monte Carlo, and a discussion of the relative merits of each. This is followed by a review of the application of these models as applied to charge transport in organic semiconductors and devices, highlighting in particular the insights made possible by modelling. The review concludes with an outlook for charge transport modelling in organic electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Groves
- Durham University, School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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41
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Kurniawan K, Tajima T, Kubo Y, Miyake H, Kurashige W, Negishi Y, Takaguchi Y. Incorporating a TiOx shell in single-walled carbon nanotube/fullerodendron coaxial nanowires: increasing the photocatalytic evolution of H2 from water under irradiation with visible light. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra05412b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The SWCNT/fullerodendron/TiOx coaxial nanowire shows an enhanced photocatalytic activity (Φ = 0.47) for the evolution of hydrogen from water under irradiation with visible light (λ = 450 nm).
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Kurniawan
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
- Okayama University
- Okayama
- Japan
| | - T. Tajima
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
- Okayama University
- Okayama
- Japan
| | - Y. Kubo
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
- Okayama University
- Okayama
- Japan
| | - H. Miyake
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation
- Yamaguchi University
- Ube
- Japan
| | - W. Kurashige
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Faculty of Science Division I
- Tokyo University of Science
- Tokyo 162-8601
- Japan
| | - Y. Negishi
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Faculty of Science Division I
- Tokyo University of Science
- Tokyo 162-8601
- Japan
| | - Y. Takaguchi
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
- Okayama University
- Okayama
- Japan
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Yang W, Yu Z, Liu W, Li CZ, Chen H. Aqueous solution-processed NiOx
anode buffer layers applicable for polymer solar cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/pola.28427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Weitao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou 310027 People's Republic of China
| | - Zhikai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou 310027 People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou 310027 People's Republic of China
| | - Chang-Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou 310027 People's Republic of China
| | - Hongzheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou 310027 People's Republic of China
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Arrechea S, Aljarilla A, de la Cruz P, Palomares E, Sharma GD, Langa F. Efficiency improvement using bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonamide lithium salt as a chemical additive in porphyrin based organic solar cells. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:17953-17962. [PMID: 27731455 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr06374h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Two new conjugated acceptor-π-donor-π-acceptor (A-π-D-π-A) porphyrins have been synthesised using 3-ethylrhodanine (1a) or dicyanovinylene (1b) groups as acceptor units. Their optical and electrochemical properties made these materials excellent electron donors along with PC71BM as the acceptor for solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. The devices based on 1a:PC71BM (1 : 2) and 1b:PC71BM (1 : 2) processed with CB showed low power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 2.30% and 2.80%, respectively. Nonetheless, after processing the active layer using a mixture of 3 vol% of a pyridine additive in THF, the PCE was enhanced up to 5.14% and 6.06% for 1a:PC71BM and 1b:PC71BM, respectively. Moreover, when we used LiTFSI as the chemical additive in pyridine/CB-processed 1b:PC71BM an excellent PCE of 7.63% was recorded. The effects over the film morphology and the device characteristics (Jsc, Voc and FF) due to the introduction of LiTFSI are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Arrechea
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071-Toledo, Spain. and Escuela de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Ana Aljarilla
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071-Toledo, Spain.
| | - Pilar de la Cruz
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071-Toledo, Spain.
| | - Emilio Palomares
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Avda. Països Catalans, 14, Tarragona, E-43007, Spain. and ICREA, Passeig Lluis Companys, 23, Barcelona, E-08010, Spain
| | - Ganesh D Sharma
- Department of Physics, The LNM Institute of Information Technology (Deemed University), Rupa ki Nagal, Jamdoli, Jaipur (Raj.) 302031, India.
| | - Fernando Langa
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071-Toledo, Spain.
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Ou KL, Ehamparam R, MacDonald G, Stubhan T, Wu X, Shallcross RC, Richards R, Brabec CJ, Saavedra SS, Armstrong NR. Characterization of ZnO Interlayers for Organic Solar Cells: Correlation of Electrochemical Properties with Thin-Film Morphology and Device Performance. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:19787-19798. [PMID: 27362429 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b02792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This report focuses on the evaluation of the electrochemical properties of both solution-deposited sol-gel (sg-ZnO) and sputtered (sp-ZnO) zinc oxide thin films, intended for use as electron-collecting interlayers in organic solar cells (OPVs). In the electrochemical studies (voltammetric and impedance studies), we used indium-tin oxide (ITO) over coated with either sg-ZnO or sp-ZnO interlayers, in contact with either plain electrolyte solutions, or solutions with probe redox couples. The electroactive area of exposed ITO under the ZnO interlayer was estimated by characterizing the electrochemical response of just the oxide interlayer and the charge transfer resistance from solutions with the probe redox couples. Compared to bare ITO, the effective electroactive area of ITO under sg-ZnO films was ca. 70%, 10%, and 0.3% for 40, 80, and 120 nm sg-ZnO films. More compact sp-ZnO films required only 30 nm thicknesses to achieve an effective electroactive ITO area of ca. 0.02%. We also examined the electrochemical responses of these same ITO/ZnO heterojunctions overcoated with device thickness pure poly(3-hexylthiophehe) (P3HT), and donor/acceptor blended active layers (P3HT:PCBM). Voltammetric oxidation/reduction of pure P3HT thin films on ZnO/ITO contacts showed that pinhole pathways exist in ZnO films that permit dark oxidation (ITO hole injection into P3HT). In P3HT:PCBM active layers, however, the electrochemical activity for P3HT oxidation is greatly attenuated, suggesting PCBM enrichment near the ZnO interface, effectively blocking P3HT interaction with the ITO contact. The shunt resistance, obtained from dark current-voltage behavior in full P3HT/PCBM OPVs, was dependent on both (i) the porosity of the sg-ZnO or sp-ZnO films (as revealed by probe molecule electrochemistry) and (ii) the apparent enrichment of PCBM at ZnO/P3HT:PCBM interfaces, both effects conveniently revealed by electrochemical characterization. We anticipate that these approaches will be applicable to a wider array of solution-processed interlayers for "printable" solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Lin Ou
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Ramanan Ehamparam
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Gordon MacDonald
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Tobias Stubhan
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg , Martensstrasse 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - R Clayton Shallcross
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Robin Richards
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Christoph J Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg , Martensstrasse 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - S Scott Saavedra
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Neal R Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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Paniagua SA, Giordano AJ, Smith OL, Barlow S, Li H, Armstrong NR, Pemberton JE, Brédas JL, Ginger D, Marder SR. Phosphonic Acids for Interfacial Engineering of Transparent Conductive Oxides. Chem Rev 2016; 116:7117-58. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A. Paniagua
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - Anthony J. Giordano
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - O’Neil L. Smith
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - Stephen Barlow
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - Hong Li
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
- Division
of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, KAUST, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Neal R. Armstrong
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Jeanne E. Pemberton
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Jean-Luc Brédas
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
- Division
of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, KAUST, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - David Ginger
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Seth R. Marder
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
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46
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Kelly LL, Racke DA, Kim H, Ndione P, Sigdel AK, Berry JJ, Graham S, Nordlund D, Monti OLA. Hybridization-Induced Carrier Localization at the C60 /ZnO Interface. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2016; 28:3960-3965. [PMID: 26596518 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201503694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Electronic coupling and ground-state charge transfer at the C60 /ZnO hybrid interface is shown to localize carriers in the C60 phase. This effect, revealed by resonant X-ray photoemission, arises from interfacial hybridization between C60 and ZnO. Such localization at carrier-selective electrodes and interlayers may lead to severely reduced carrier harvesting efficiencies and increased recombination rates in organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah L Kelly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - David A Racke
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Hyungchul Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Paul Ndione
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Center for Photovoltaics, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Ajaya K Sigdel
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Center for Photovoltaics, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Joseph J Berry
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Center for Photovoltaics, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Samuel Graham
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Dennis Nordlund
- Stanford Linear Accelerator Campus, Stanford Synchrotron Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Oliver L A Monti
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Arizona, 118 E. Fourth St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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47
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Thermally Stable Solution Processed Vanadium Oxide as a Hole Extraction Layer in Organic Solar Cells. MATERIALS 2016; 9:ma9040235. [PMID: 28773356 PMCID: PMC5502882 DOI: 10.3390/ma9040235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Low-temperature solution-processable vanadium oxide (V2Ox) thin films have been employed as hole extraction layers (HELs) in polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells. V2Ox films were fabricated in air by spin-coating vanadium(V) oxytriisopropoxide (s-V2Ox) at room temperature without the need for further thermal annealing. The deposited vanadium(V) oxytriisopropoxide film undergoes hydrolysis in air, converting to V2Ox with optical and electronic properties comparable to vacuum-deposited V2O5. When s-V2Ox thin films were annealed in air at temperatures of 100 °C and 200 °C, OPV devices showed similar results with good thermal stability and better light transparency. Annealing at 300 °C and 400 °C resulted in a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5% with a decrement approximately 15% lower than that of unannealed films; this is due to the relative decrease in the shunt resistance (Rsh) and an increase in the series resistance (Rs) related to changes in the oxidation state of vanadium.
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48
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Kelly LL, Racke DA, Schulz P, Li H, Winget P, Kim H, Ndione P, Sigdel AK, Brédas JL, Berry JJ, Graham S, Monti OLA. Spectroscopy and control of near-surface defects in conductive thin film ZnO. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:094007. [PMID: 26871256 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/9/094007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The electronic structure of inorganic semiconductor interfaces functionalized with extended π-conjugated organic molecules can be strongly influenced by localized gap states or point defects, often present at low concentrations and hard to identify spectroscopically. At the same time, in transparent conductive oxides such as ZnO, the presence of these gap states conveys the desirable high conductivity necessary for function as electron-selective interlayer or electron collection electrode in organic optoelectronic devices. Here, we report on the direct spectroscopic detection of a donor state within the band gap of highly conductive zinc oxide by two-photon photoemission spectroscopy. We show that adsorption of the prototypical organic acceptor C60 quenches this state by ground-state charge transfer, with immediate consequences on the interfacial energy level alignment. Comparison with computational results suggests the identity of the gap state as a near-surface-confined oxygen vacancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah L Kelly
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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Ren JM, Subbiah J, Zhang B, Ishitake K, Satoh K, Kamigaito M, Qiao GG, Wong EHH, Wong WWH. Fullerene peapod nanoparticles as an organic semiconductor-electrode interface layer. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 52:3356-9. [PMID: 26822451 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc10444k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
A syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) bottlebrush polymer has been shown to complex with C60 fullerene and assemble into nanoparticles that can be dispersed in polar organic solvents. This composite material was used as an electrode interlayer in organic solar cell (OSC) devices leading to enhanced device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing M Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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50
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Gu L, Zhang H, Jiao Z, Li M, Wu M, Lei Y. Glucosamine-induced growth of highly distributed TiO2 nanoparticles on graphene nanosheets as high-performance photocatalysts. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra15028d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasmall TiO2 nanoparticles@graphene composites with superior photocatalytic activity have been designed by a facile glucosamine-assisted hydrothermal strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanbing Gu
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering
- Shanghai University
- Shanghai 200444
- P. R. China
| | - Haijiao Zhang
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering
- Shanghai University
- Shanghai 200444
- P. R. China
| | - Zheng Jiao
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering
- Shanghai University
- Shanghai 200444
- P. R. China
| | - Minjie Li
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Science
- Shanghai University
- Shanghai 200444
- P. R. China
| | - Minghong Wu
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering
- Shanghai University
- Shanghai 200444
- P. R. China
| | - Yong Lei
- Institute of Physics & IMN MacroNano
- Ilmenau University of Technology
- Ilmenau 98693
- Germany
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