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Mao Z, Ren J, Li H. Constructing Multifunctional Composite Single Crystals via Polymer Gel Incorporation. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:2379. [PMID: 39204598 PMCID: PMC11358885 DOI: 10.3390/polym16162379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The non-uniformity of a single crystal can sometimes be found in biominerals, where surrounding biomacromolecules are incorporated into the growing crystals. This unique composite structure, combining heterogeneity and long-range ordering, enables the functionalization of single crystals. Polymer gel media are often used to prepare composite single crystals, in which the growing crystals incorporate gel networks and form a bi-continuous interpenetrating structure without any disruption to single crystallinity. Moreover, dyes and many kinds of nanoparticles can be occluded into single crystals under the guidance of gel incorporation. On this basis, the bio-inspired method has been applied in crystal morphology control, crystal dyeing, mechanical reinforcement, and organic bulk heterojunction-based optoelectronics. In this paper, the composite structure, the incorporation mechanisms, and the multiple functions of gel-incorporated single crystals are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China;
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China;
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Yao Y, Ren J, Li H. Multi-Functionalization of Single crystals Mediated by Gel-Incorporation: A Bioinspired Strategy. Chempluschem 2023; 88:e202300228. [PMID: 37529945 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Biominerals are inherently organic-inorganic crystal composites. Drawing inspiration from this biomineral structure, functionalized single crystals can be synthesized using the gel-grown method, resulting in the incorporation of gel-networks into the host crystals. By incorporating gel-networks, diverse guest materials, such as nanoparticles and dye molecules, can be uniformly and isotropically distributed within the crystals, thereby imparting non-intrinsic optical or magnetic properties to the host crystals. Additionally, gel-incorporation enhances the toughness and stability of the crystals as the incorporated gel-fibers and accompanying guest materials act as bridges to prevent crack propagation. Furthermore, gel-incorporation enables protein crystals to exhibit self-healing properties, which can be attributed to the dynamic bonding interaction between gel-networks and crystals. Notably, recent research has demonstrated that the incorporation of zwitterionic gel-networks enhances the charge effects on crystal morphology evolution as the charged groups become bound to the developing crystal surfaces, and their detachment is impeded by the interconnected gel-networks. Therefore, preparing single crystals with gel-incorporation is a remarkable strategy for synthesizing functionalized crystal materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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Yu G, Ren J, Yan S, Yuan W, Li H. Long-Range Ordered Organic Bulk-Heterojunction: C 60 and O-IDTBR Single Crystals Penetrated by Crystalline P3HT Fibrous Networks. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2302046. [PMID: 37173813 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The long-range ordering of bulk-heterojunctions (BHJs) significantly facilitates exciton diffusion and dissociation as well as charge transport. A feasible bio-inspired strategy to realize such a heterostructure is crystallization in gel media where the growing host crystals incorporate the surrounding guest materials of gel networks. Until now, the host-guest pairs forming ordered BHJs are still very limited and, more importantly, the used gel-network guests are structurally amorphous, spurring investigation toward crystalline gel-networks. Here, single crystals of fullerene and non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) in poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) organogel are prepared, forming C60 :P3HT and (5Z,5″Z)-5,5″-((7,7″-(4,4,9,9-tetraoctyl-4,9-dihydro-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b″]dithiophene-2,7-diyl)bis(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-7,4-diyl))bis(methanylylidene))bis(3-ethyl-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one) (O-IDTBR):P3HT BHJs. The crystalline P3HT network penetrates the crystal matrix without significantly disturbing the single crystallinity, resulting in long-range ordered BHJs. This bi-continuous structure, together with an improved overall ordering, contributes to enhanced charge/energy transfer. As a result, photodetectors based on these ordered BHJs exhibit ameliorated responsivity, detectivity, bandwidth, and stability as compared to the conventional BHJs with short-range ordering. Therefore, this work further extends the scope of long-range ordered BHJs toward crystalline polymer donors and NFAs, providing a generally applicable strategy for the design of organic optoelectronic devices with superior performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiong Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Shuo Yan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Wentao Yuan
- Center of Electron Microscopy and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
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Suzuki R, Karasawa A, Gomita A, Abe M, Kojima K, Tachibana M. Unique Mechanical Properties of Gel-Incorporating Protein Crystals. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023; 6:965-972. [PMID: 36802463 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c01033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Crystalline materials that are grown in gel media exhibit reinforced mechanical characteristics. Studies on the mechanical properties of protein crystals are limited in numbers because of the difficulty in growing high-quality large crystals. This study shows the demonstration of the unique macroscopic mechanical properties by compression tests of large protein crystals grown in both solution and agarose gel. Particularly, the gel-incorporating protein crystals exhibit larger elastic limits and a higher fracture stress compared with the native protein crystals without gel. Conversely, the change in the Young's modulus corresponding to if the crystals incorporate the gel network is negligible. This suggests that gel networks affect only the fracture phenomenon. Thus, reinforced mechanical characteristics that cannot be obtained by the gel or the protein crystal alone can be developed. By combining the gel media and protein crystals, the gel-incorporating protein crystals show the potential to toughen without sacrificing other mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Suzuki
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Ayano Karasawa
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
| | - Ayaka Gomita
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
| | - Marina Abe
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
| | - Kenichi Kojima
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
| | - Masaru Tachibana
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
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Wen Q, Ma W, Liu Y, Jin X, Ren J, Lin C, Hu C, Yang YM, Li H. PbI 2-TiO 2 Bulk Heterojunctions with Long-Range Ordering for X-ray Detectors. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:11176-11181. [PMID: 34761947 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
High-performance X-ray detectors are usually based on single crystals, due to the long-range ordering and hence outstanding electronic properties. On the other hand, bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) that can effectively enhance photogenerated exciton dissociation are widely used for photodetectors. The benefits of both spur investigation into how to combine these two strategies to enhance X-ray detection. Here, TiO2 networks are incorporated into PbI2 crystals to form interpenetrating type II heterojunctions, namely BHJs. These BHJs exhibit long-range ordering in molecular packing similar to that of single crystals. Compared with single crystals, the long-range ordered BHJs facilitate the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes to inhibit recombination, extend the mobility lifetime product by 6.4 times, and consequently improve X-ray sensitivity by 5.8 times. Hence, this work provides a new strategy using gel-grown crystals to fabricate high-performance X-ray detectors as well as a new platform for studying the behavior of X-ray-generated carriers in BHJs with long-range ordering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Wen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Wenbo Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yujing Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Jin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Chengce Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Chong Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yang Michael Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
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Ren J, Liu Y, Li H. Incorporating polymers within a single‐crystal: From heterogeneous structure to multiple functions. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
| | - Yujing Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University of Technology Hangzhou China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
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Ren J, Niu M, Guo X, Liu Y, Yang X, Chen M, Hao X, Zhu Y, Chen H, Li H. Bulk-Heterojunction with Long-Range Ordering: C60 Single-Crystal with Incorporated Conjugated Polymer Networks. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:1630-1635. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Mengsi Niu
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Xuyun Guo
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yujing Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Min Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xiaotao Hao
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Ye Zhu
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hongzheng Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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Structure, Optical, and Thermal Properties of 9, 10-diphenylanthracene Crystals. CRYSTALS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst9100512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) single crystal is a promising scintillator material for fast-neutron detection. Two centimetre-sized polymorph crystals of DPA were grown by melting and solution methods (DPA-Melt and DPA-Solution, respectively), and characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry. The DPA-Melt crystal possessed a P21/n structure, with excitation bands at approximately 331, 348, 367, and 387 nm, and the strongest emission wavelength at approximately 454 nm. On the other hand, the DPA-Solution crystal possessed a C2/c structure, with excitation bands at approximately 335, 353, 372, and 396 nm, and the strongest emission wavelength at approximately 468 nm. The two kinds of DPA crystals have the same molecular formula but different crystal structures, crystal lattice constants, and cell parameters. The theoretical density of the DPA-Solution crystal was 1.239 g/cm3, while that of the DPA-Melt crystal was 1.211 g/cm3. The two types of crystals exhibited the same melting point, but the thermal stability of the DPA-Solution crystal is better than that of the DPA-Melt crystal.
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Liu Y, He K, Yuan W, Jin X, Liang T, Wang Y, Xin HL, Chen H, Gao C, Li H. Visualizing the toughening origins of gel-grown calcite single-crystal composites. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2018.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ye T, Jin XY, Chen L, Hu C, Ren J, Liu YJ, Wu G, Chen LJ, Chen HZ, Li HY. Shape change of calcite single crystals to accommodate interfacial curvature: Crystallization in presence of Mg 2+ ions and agarose gel-networks. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Wu J, Li Q, Xue G, Chen H, Li H. Preparation of Single-Crystalline Heterojunctions for Organic Electronics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1606101. [PMID: 28234418 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201606101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Organic single-crystalline heterojunctions are composed of different single crystals interfaced together. The intrinsic highly ordered heterostructure in these multicomponent solids holds the capacity for multifunctions, as well as superior charge-transporting properties, promising high-performance electronic applications such as ambipolar transistors and solar cells. However, this kind of heterojunction is not easily available and the preparation methods need to be developed. Recent advances in the efficient strategies that have emerged in yielding high-quality single-crystalline heterojunctions are highlighted here. The advantages and limitations of each strategy are also discussed. The obtained single-crystalline heterojunctions have started to exhibit rich physical properties, including metallic conduction, photovoltaic effects, and so on. Further structural optimization of the heterojunctions to accommodate the electronic device configuration is necessary to significantly advance this research direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiake Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Qinfen Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Guobiao Xue
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Hongzheng Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Hanying Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
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