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Chakraborty J, Chatterjee A, Molkens K, Nath I, Arenas Esteban D, Bourda L, Watson G, Liu C, Van Thourhout D, Bals S, Geiregat P, Van der Voort P. Decoding Excimer Formation in Covalent-Organic Frameworks Induced by Morphology and Ring Torsion. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2314056. [PMID: 38618981 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202314056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
A thorough and quantitative understanding of the fate of excitons in covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) after photoexcitation is essential for their augmented optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications via precise structure tuning. The synthesis of a library of COFs having identical chemical backbone with impeded conjugation, but varied morphology and surface topography to study the effect of these physical properties on the photophysics of the materials is herein reported. The variation of crystallite size and surface topography substantified different aggregation pattern in the COFs, which leads to disparities in their photoexcitation and relaxation properties. Depending on aggregation, an inverse correlation between bulk luminescence decay time and exciton binding energy of the materials is perceived. Further transient absorption spectroscopic analysis confirms the presence of highly localized, immobile, Frenkel excitons (of diameter 0.3-0.5 nm) via an absence of annihilation at high density, most likely induced by structural torsion of the COF skeletons, which in turn preferentially relaxes via long-lived (nanosecond to microsecond) excimer formation (in femtosecond scale) over direct emission. These insights underpin the importance of structural and topological design of COFs for their targeted use in photocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeet Chakraborty
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Amrita Chatterjee
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Korneel Molkens
- Physics and Chemistry of Nanostructures, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- NOLIMITS, Center for Non-Linear Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Photonics Research Group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 126, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Ipsita Nath
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Daniel Arenas Esteban
- EMAT-Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp, 2020, Belgium
| | - Laurens Bourda
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- XStruct, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Geert Watson
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Chunhui Liu
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- NanoSensing Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Dries Van Thourhout
- NOLIMITS, Center for Non-Linear Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Photonics Research Group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 126, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Sara Bals
- Photonics Research Group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 126, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Pieter Geiregat
- Physics and Chemistry of Nanostructures, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- NOLIMITS, Center for Non-Linear Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Pascal Van der Voort
- Centre for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis (COMOC), Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
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Stewart K, Pagano K, Tan E, Daboczi M, Rimmele M, Luke J, Eslava S, Kim JS. Understanding Effects of Alkyl Side-Chain Density on Polaron Formation Via Electrochemical Doping in Thiophene Polymers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2211184. [PMID: 37626011 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Polarons exist when charges are injected into organic semiconductors due to their strong coupling with the lattice phonons, significantly affecting electronic charge-transport properties. Understanding the formation and (de)localization of polarons is therefore critical for further developing organic semiconductors as a future electronics platform. However, there are very few studies reported in this area. In particular, there is no direct in situ monitoring of polaron formation and identification of its dependence on molecular structure and impact on electrical properties, limiting further advancement in organic electronics. Herein, how a minor modification of side-chain density in thiophene-based conjugated polymers affects the polaron formation via electrochemical doping, changing the polymers' electrical response to the surrounding dielectric environment for gas sensing, is demonstrated. It is found that the reduction in side-chain density results in a multistep polaron formation, leading to an initial formation of localized polarons in thiophene units without side chains. Reduced side-chain density also allows the formation of a high density of polarons with fewer polymer structural changes. More numerous but more localized polarons generate a stronger analyte response but without the selectivity between polar and non-polar solvents, which is different from the more delocalized polarons that show clear selectivity. The results provide important molecular understanding and design rules for the polaron formation and its impact on electrical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Stewart
- Department of Physics and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Katia Pagano
- Department of Physics and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ellasia Tan
- Department of Physics and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matyas Daboczi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Martina Rimmele
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Joel Luke
- Department of Physics and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Salvador Eslava
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ji-Seon Kim
- Department of Physics and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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3
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Liu C, Lüer L, Corre VML, Forberich K, Weitz P, Heumüller T, Du X, Wortmann J, Zhang J, Wagner J, Ying L, Hauch J, Li N, Brabec CJ. Understanding Causalities in Organic Photovoltaics Device Degradation in a Machine-Learning-Driven High-Throughput Platform. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2300259. [PMID: 36961263 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) now approach power conversion efficiencies of 20%. However, in order to enter mass markets, problems in upscaling and operational lifetime have to be solved, both concerning the connection between processing conditions and active layer morphology. Morphological studies supporting the development of structure-process-property relations are time-consuming, complex, and expensive to undergo and for which statistics, needed to assess significance, are difficult to be collected. This work demonstrates that causal relationships between processing conditions, morphology, and stability can be obtained in a high-throughput method by combining low-cost automated experiments with data-driven analysis methods. An automatic spectral modeling feeds parametrized absorption data into a feature selection technique that is combined with Gaussian process regression to quantify deterministic relationships linking morphological features and processing conditions with device functionality. The effect of the active layer thickness and the morphological order is further modeled by drift-diffusion simulations and returns valuable insight into the underlying mechanisms for improving device stability by tuning the microstructure morphology with versatile approaches. Predicting microstructural features as a function of processing parameters is decisive know-how for the large-scale production of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Larry Lüer
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vincent M Le Corre
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Karen Forberich
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Paul Weitz
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Heumüller
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyan Du
- School of Physics, Shandong University, 27 Shanda Nanlu, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Jonas Wortmann
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jiyun Zhang
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jerrit Wagner
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lei Ying
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Device, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jens Hauch
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Device, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Christoph J Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
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Lüer L, Peters IM, Corre VML, Forberich K, Guldi DM, Brabec CJ. Bypassing the Single Junction Limit with Advanced Photovoltaic Architectures. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308578. [PMID: 38140834 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Multijunction devices and photon up- and down-conversion are prominent concepts aimed at increasing photovoltaic efficiencies beyond the single junction limit. Integrating these concepts into advanced architectures may address long-standing issues such as processing complexity, microstructure control, and resilience against spectral changes of the incoming radiation. However, so far, no models have been established to predict the performance of such integrated architectures. Here, a simulation environment based on Bayesian optimization is presented, that can predict and virtually optimize the electrical performance of multi-junction architectures, both vertical and lateral, in combination with up- and down-conversion materials. Microstructure effects on performance are explicitly considered using machine-learned predictive models from high throughput experimentation on simpler architectures. Two architectures that would surpass the single junction limit of photovoltaic energy conversion at reasonable complexity are identified: a vertical "staggered half octave system," where selective absorption allows the use of 6 different bandgaps, and the lateral "overlapping rainbow system" where selective irradiation allows the use of a narrowband energy acceptor with reduced voltage losses, according to the energy gap law. Both architectures would be highly resilient against spectral changes, in contrast with two terminal multi-junction architectures which are limited by Kirchhoff's law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Lüer
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ian Marius Peters
- High Throughput Methods in Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vincent M Le Corre
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Karen Forberich
- High Throughput Methods in Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dirk M Guldi
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstr. 3, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph J Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstrasse 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
- High Throughput Methods in Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN), Immerwahrstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
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5
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Lüer L, Wang R, Liu C, Dube H, Heumüller T, Hauch J, Brabec CJ. Maximizing Performance and Stability of Organic Solar Cells at Low Driving Force for Charge Separation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305948. [PMID: 38039433 PMCID: PMC10853714 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Thanks to the development of novel electron acceptor materials, the power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are now approaching 20%. Further improvement of PCE is complicated by the need for a driving force to split strongly bound excitons into free charges, causing voltage losses. This review discusses recent approaches to finding efficient OPV systems with minimal driving force, combining near unity quantum efficiency (maximum short circuit currents) with optimal energy efficiency (maximum open circuit voltages). The authors discuss apparently contradicting results on the amount of exciton binding in recent literature, and approaches to harmonize the findings. A comprehensive view is then presented on motifs providing a driving force for charge separation, namely hybridization at the donor:acceptor interface and polarization effects in the bulk, of which quadrupole moments (electrostatics) play a leading role. Apart from controlling the energies of the involved states, these motifs also control the dynamics of recombination processes, which are essential to avoid voltage and fill factor losses. Importantly, all motifs are shown to depend on both molecular structure and process conditions. The resulting high dimensional search space advocates for high throughput (HT) workflows. The final part of the review presents recent HT studies finding consolidated structure-property relationships in OPV films and devices from various deposition methods, from research to industrial upscaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Lüer
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Rong Wang
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT)Paul‐Gordan‐Straße 691052ErlangenGermany
| | - Chao Liu
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Henry Dube
- Department Chemistry and PharmacyFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergNikolaus‐Fiebiger‐Straße 1091058ErlangenGermany
| | - Thomas Heumüller
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Jens Hauch
- Helmholtz‐Institute Erlangen‐Nürnberg (HI‐ERN)Immerwahrstraße 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Christoph J. Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz‐Institute Erlangen‐Nürnberg (HI‐ERN)Immerwahrstraße 291058ErlangenGermany
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Reiker T, Liu Z, Winter C, Cappellari MV, Abradelo DG, Strassert CA, Zhang D, Zacharias H. Ultrafast electron dynamics in excited states of conjugated thiophene-fluorene organic polymer (pF8T2) thin films. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:4736-4751. [PMID: 38251969 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp00502j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The electronic states of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-alt-bithiophene) pF8T2 on H/Si(100) substrates, prototypical for organic photovoltaics, were investigated by ultrafast photoelectron spectroscopy and by time-resolved fluorescence studies. Occupied and unoccupied electronic states were analysed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), static and dynamic femtosecond two-photon photoemission (2PPE), and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC). Time-resolved measurements allow assessment of population lifetimes of intermediate states. The combination of time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and fluorescence excitation allows following the electronic dynamics in excited states from the femtosecond to the nanosecond time scale. For this prototypical material the electron kinetic energy resolved lifetimes range from about a few tens of femtoseconds up to hundreds of picoseconds. After annealing these types of organic thin films the efficiency of organic solar cells usually increases. We show that annealing does not influence the initial ultrafast charge generation processes, but the long-lived states. However, the nanosecond scale fluorescence lifetimes measured by TCSPC are prolonged after annealing, which therefore is identified as the cause of a greater exciton diffusion range and thus is beneficial for charge carrier extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Reiker
- Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
- Physics Institute, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Z Liu
- Organic Solids Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - C Winter
- Physics Institute, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - M V Cappellari
- Center for Nanotechnology and Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Münster, Heisenbergstraße 11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - D Gonzalez Abradelo
- Center for Nanotechnology and Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Münster, Heisenbergstraße 11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - C A Strassert
- Center for Nanotechnology and Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Münster, Heisenbergstraße 11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - D Zhang
- Organic Solids Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - H Zacharias
- Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
- Physics Institute, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
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7
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Xu M, Wei C, Zhang Y, Chen J, Li H, Zhang J, Sun L, Liu B, Lin J, Yu M, Xie L, Huang W. Coplanar Conformational Structure of π-Conjugated Polymers for Optoelectronic Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2301671. [PMID: 37364981 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Hierarchical structure of conjugated polymers is critical to dominating their optoelectronic properties and applications. Compared to nonplanar conformational segments, coplanar conformational segments of conjugated polymers (CPs) demonstrate favorable properties for applications as a semiconductor. Herein, recent developments in the coplanar conformational structure of CPs for optoelectronic devices are summarized. First, this review comprehensively summarizes the unique properties of planar conformational structures. Second, the characteristics of the coplanar conformation in terms of optoelectrical properties and other polymer physics characteristics are emphasized. Five primary characterization methods for investigating the complanate backbone structures are illustrated, providing a systematical toolbox for studying this specific conformation. Third, internal and external conditions for inducing the coplanar conformational structure are presented, offering guidelines for designing this conformation. Fourth, the optoelectronic applications of this segment, such as light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and field-effect transistors, are briefly summarized. Finally, a conclusion and outlook for the coplanar conformational segment regarding molecular design and applications are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chuanxin Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yunlong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jiefeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jingrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lili Sun
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jinyi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Mengna Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Linghai Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & School of Chemistry and Life Sciences & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), Shaanxi Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE) & Shaanxi Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering (SIBME), Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072, China
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8
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Zheng Y, Venkatesh R, Callaway CP, Viersen C, Fagbohungbe KH, Liu AL, Risko C, Reichmanis E, Silva-Acuña C. Chain Conformation and Exciton Delocalization in a Push-Pull Conjugated Polymer. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2023; 35:10258-10267. [PMID: 38107193 PMCID: PMC10720347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Linear and nonlinear optical line shapes reveal details of excitonic structure in polymer semiconductors. We implement absorption, photoluminescence, and transient absorption spectroscopies in DPP-DTT, an electron push-pull copolymer, to explore the relationship between their spectral line shapes and chain conformation, deduced from resonance Raman spectroscopy and from ab initio calculations. The viscosity of precursor polymer solutions before film casting displays a transition that suggests gel formation above a critical concentration. Upon crossing this viscosity deflection concentration, the line shape analysis of the absorption spectra within a photophysical aggregate model reveals a gradual increase in interchain excitonic coupling. We also observe a red-shifted and line-narrowed steady-state photoluminescence spectrum along with increasing resonance Raman intensity in the stretching and torsional modes of the dithienothiophene unit, which suggests a longer exciton coherence length along the polymer-chain backbone. Furthermore, we observe a change of line shape in the photoinduced absorption component of the transient absorption spectrum. The derivative-like line shape may originate from two possibilities: a new excited-state absorption or Stark effect, both of which are consistent with the emergence of a high-energy shoulder as seen in both photoluminescence and absorption spectra. Therefore, we conclude that the exciton is more dispersed along the polymer chain backbone with increasing concentrations, leading to the hypothesis that polymer chain order is enhanced when the push-pull polymers are processed at higher concentrations. Thus, tuning the microscopic chain conformation by concentration would be another factor of interest when considering the polymer assembly pathways for pursuing large-area and high-performance organic optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Zheng
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Rahul Venkatesh
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Connor P. Callaway
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Campbell Viersen
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Kehinde H. Fagbohungbe
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Aaron L. Liu
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Chad Risko
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Elsa Reichmanis
- Department
of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 124 East Morton Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Carlos Silva-Acuña
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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9
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Fujita T, Hoshi T. Ab Initio Study of Charge Separation Dynamics and Pump-Probe Spectroscopy in the P3HT/PCBM Blend. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7615-7623. [PMID: 37639551 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
We develop a bottom-up computational method for excited-state dynamics and time-resolved spectroscopy signals in molecular aggregates, on the basis of ab initio excited-state calculations. As an application, we consider the charge separation dynamics and pump-probe spectroscopy in the amorphous P3HT/PCBM blend. To simulate quantum dynamics and time-resolved spectroscopy, the model Hamiltonian for single-excitation and double-excitation manifolds was derived on the basis of fragment-based excited-state calculations within the GW approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation. After elucidating the energetics of the electron-hole separation and examining linear absorption spectrum, we investigated the quantum dynamics of exciton and charge carriers in comparison with the pump-probe transient absorption spectra. In particular, we introduced the pump-probe excited-state absorption (ESA) anisotropy as a spectroscopic signature of charge carrier dynamics after exciton dissociation. We found that the charge separation dynamics can be probed by the pump-probe ESA anisotropy dynamics after charge-transfer excitations. The present study provides the fundamental information for understanding the experimental spectroscopy signals, by elucidating the relationship between the excited states, the exciton and charge carrier dynamics, and time-resolved spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takatoshi Fujita
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Takeo Hoshi
- Department of Mechanical and Physical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori-shi 680-8552, Tottori, Japan
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10
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Cavassin P, Holzer I, Tsokkou D, Bardagot O, Réhault J, Banerji N. Electrochemical Doping in Ordered and Disordered Domains of Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2300308. [PMID: 37086157 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers are increasingly used as organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors in electrochemical applications for neuromorphic computing, bioelectronics, and energy harvesting. The design of efficient electrochemical devices relies on large modulations of the polymer conductivity, fast doping/dedoping kinetics, and high ionic uptake. In this work, structure-property relations are established and control of these parameters by the co-existence of order and disorder in the phase morphology is demonstrated. Using in situ time-resolved spectroelectrochemistry, resonant Raman, and terahertz (THz) conductivity measurements, the electrochemical doping in the different morphological domains of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is investigated. The main finding is that bipolarons are found preferentially in disordered polymer regions, where they are formed faster and are thermodynamically more favored. On the other hand, polarons show a preference for ordered domains, leading to drastically different bipolaron/polaron ratios and doping/dedoping dynamics in the distinct regions. A significant enhancement of the electronic conductivity is evident when bipolarons start forming in the disordered regions, while the presence of bipolarons in the ordered regions is detrimental for transport. This study provides significant advances in the understanding of the impact of morphology on the electrochemical doping of conjugated polymers and the induced increase in conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Cavassin
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Holzer
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Demetra Tsokkou
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Bardagot
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Julien Réhault
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Banerji
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
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11
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Abdelaziz BB, Mustapha N, Bedja IM, Aldaghri O, Idriss H, Ibrahem M, Ibnaouf KH. Spectral Behavior of a Conjugated Polymer MDMO-PPV Doped with ZnO Nanoparticles: Thin Films. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2405. [PMID: 37686913 PMCID: PMC10490548 DOI: 10.3390/nano13172405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the presented study is to examine the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the spectrum features of poly [2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV). The characteristics of the MDMO-PPV and doped ZnO NPS samples were assessed using several techniques. A set of solutions of MDMO-PPV in toluene that were doped with different ratio percentages of ZnO NPs was prepared to obtain thin films. Pristine and composite solutions were spin-coated on glass substrates. It was observed that MDMO-PPV had two distinct absorbance bands at 310 and 500 nm in its absorption spectrum. The UV-Vis spectrum was dramatically changed when 5% of ZnO NPs were added. The result showed a significant reduction in absorption of the band 500 nm, while 310 nm absorption increased rapidly and became more pronounced. Upon adding (10%) ZnONPs to the sample, no noticeable change was observed in the 500 nm band. However, the 310 nm band shifted towards the blue region. There is a dominant peak in the PL spectrum of MDMO-PPV in its pristine form around 575 nm and a smaller hump around 600 nm of the spectrum. The spectral profile at 600 nm and the intensity of both bands are improved by raising the ZnO NP concentration. These bands feature two vibronic transitions identified as (0-0) and (0-1). When the dopant concentration increased to the maximum dopant percentage (10%), the energy band gap values increased by 0.21 eV compared to the pristine MDMO-PPV. In addition, the refractive index (n) decreased to its lowest value of 2.30 with the presence of concentrations of ZnO NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boutheina Ben Abdelaziz
- Advanced Materials and Quantum Phenomena Laboratory, Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis El-Manar University, 2092 University Campus, Tunis 1006, Tunisia;
| | - Nazir Mustapha
- Physics Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; (N.M.); (H.I.); (M.I.)
| | - Idriss M. Bedja
- Cornea Research Chair, Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 10219, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Osamah Aldaghri
- Physics Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; (N.M.); (H.I.); (M.I.)
| | - Hajo Idriss
- Physics Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; (N.M.); (H.I.); (M.I.)
| | - Moez Ibrahem
- Physics Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; (N.M.); (H.I.); (M.I.)
| | - Khalid H. Ibnaouf
- Physics Department, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; (N.M.); (H.I.); (M.I.)
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12
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An K, Zhong W, Peng F, Deng W, Shang Y, Quan H, Qiu H, Wang C, Liu F, Wu H, Li N, Huang F, Ying L. Mastering morphology of non-fullerene acceptors towards long-term stable organic solar cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2688. [PMID: 37164953 PMCID: PMC10172308 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38306-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the rapid progress of organic solar cells based on non-fullerene acceptors, simultaneously achieving high power conversion efficiency and long-term stability for commercialization requires sustainable research effort. Here, we demonstrate stable devices by integrating a wide bandgap electron-donating polymer (namely PTzBI-dF) and two acceptors (namely L8BO and Y6) that feature similar structures yet different thermal and morphological properties. The organic solar cell based on PTzBI-dF:L8BO:Y6 could achieve a promising efficiency of 18.26% in the conventional device structure. In the inverted structure, excellent long-term thermal stability over 1400 h under 85 °C continuous heating is obtained. The improved performance can be ascribed to suppressed charge recombination along with appropriate charge transport. We find that the morphological features in terms of crystalline coherence length of fresh and aged films can be gradually regulated by the weight ratio of L8BO:Y6. Additionally, the occurrence of melting point decrease and reduced enthalpy in PTzBI-dF:L8BO:Y6 films could prohibit the amorphous phase to cluster, and consequently overcome the energetic traps accumulation aroused by thermal stress, which is a critical issue in high efficiency non-fullerene acceptors-based devices. This work provides insight into understanding non-fullerene acceptors-based organic solar cells for improved efficiency and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang An
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Wenkai Zhong
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Center of Hydrogen Science, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Feng Peng
- South China Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Wanyuan Deng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Ying Shang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510320, China
| | - Huilei Quan
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Hong Qiu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Advanced Light Source Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Feng Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Center of Hydrogen Science, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hongbin Wu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510320, China.
| | - Fei Huang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510320, China.
| | - Lei Ying
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
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13
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Colom E, Hernández-Ferrer J, Galán-González A, Ansón-Casaos A, Navarro-Rodríguez M, Palacios-Lidón E, Colchero J, Padilla J, Urbina A, Arenal R, Benito AM, Maser WK. Graphene Oxide: Key to Efficient Charge Extraction and Suppression of Polaronic Transport in Hybrids with Poly (3-hexylthiophene) Nanoparticles. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2023; 35:3522-3531. [PMID: 37181669 PMCID: PMC10173772 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) of conjugated polymers in intimate contact with sheets of graphene oxide (GO) constitute a promising class of water-dispersible nanohybrid materials of increased interest for the design of sustainable and improved optoelectronic thin-film devices, revealing properties exclusively pre-established upon their liquid-phase synthesis. In this context, we report for the first time the preparation of a P3HTNPs-GO nanohybrid employing a miniemulsion synthesis approach, whereby GO sheets dispersed in the aqueous phase serve as a surfactant. We show that this process uniquely favors a quinoid-like conformation of the P3HT chains of the resulting NPs well located onto individual GO sheets. The accompanied change in the electronic behavior of these P3HTNPs, consistently confirmed by the photoluminescence and Raman response of the hybrid in the liquid and solid states, respectively, as well as by the properties of the surface potential of isolated individual P3HTNPs-GO nano-objects, facilitates unprecedented charge transfer interactions between the two constituents. While the electrochemical performance of nanohybrid films is featured by fast charge transfer processes, compared to those taking place in pure P3HTNPs films, the loss of electrochromic effects in P3HTNPs-GO films additionally indicates the unusual suppression of polaronic charge transport processes typically encountered in P3HT. Thus, the established interface interactions in the P3HTNPs-GO hybrid enable a direct and highly efficient charge extraction channel via GO sheets. These findings are of relevance for the sustainable design of novel high-performance optoelectronic device structures based on water-dispersible conjugated polymer nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Colom
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Galán-González
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro
de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas, Universidade da Coruña (CICA), E-15008 San Vicenzo de Elviña, A Coruña, Spain
| | | | | | - Elisa Palacios-Lidón
- Departamento
de Física, Edificio CIOyN, Universidad
de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Jaime Colchero
- Departamento
de Física, Edificio CIOyN, Universidad
de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Javier Padilla
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada y Tec. Naval, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, E-30202 Cartagena, Spain
| | - Antonio Urbina
- Departamento
de Ciencias e Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas
(INAMAT), Universidad Pública
de Navarra (UPNA), E-31006 Pamplona, Spain
- Laboratorio
de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA)Universidad
de Zaragoza, E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Raul Arenal
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA-CSIC-Univ. Zaragoza), E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- ARAID
Foundation, E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana M. Benito
- Instituto
de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), E-50011 Zaragoza, Spain
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14
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Eller F, Wenzel FA, Hildner R, Havenith RWA, Herzig EM. Spark Discharge Doping-Achieving Unprecedented Control over Aggregate Fraction and Backbone Ordering in Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Solutions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207537. [PMID: 36861324 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The properties of semiconducting polymers are strongly influenced by their aggregation behavior, that is, their aggregate fraction and backbone planarity. However, tuning these properties, particularly the backbone planarity, is challenging. This work introduces a novel solution treatment to precisely control the aggregation of semiconducting polymers, namely current-induced doping (CID). It utilizes spark discharges between two electrodes immersed in a polymer solution to create strong electrical currents resulting in temporary doping of the polymer. Rapid doping-induced aggregation occurs upon every treatment step for the semiconducting model-polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene). Therefore, the aggregate fraction in solution can be precisely tuned up to a maximum value determined by the solubility of the doped state. A qualitative model for the dependences of the achievable aggregate fraction on the CID treatment strength and various solution parameters is presented. Moreover, the CID treatment can yield an extraordinarily high quality of backbone order and planarization, expressed in UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Depending on the selected parameters, an arbitrarily lower backbone order can be chosen using the CID treatment, allowing for maximum control of aggregation. This method may become an elegant pathway to finely tune aggregation and solid-state morphology for thin-films of semiconducting polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Eller
- Dynamics and Structure Formation - Herzig Group, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Felix A Wenzel
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Richard Hildner
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Remco W A Havenith
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
- Ghent Quantum Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S3), Gent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Eva M Herzig
- Dynamics and Structure Formation - Herzig Group, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
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15
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LeCroy G, Cendra C, Quill TJ, Moser M, Hallani R, Ponder JF, Stone K, Kang SD, Liang AYL, Thiburce Q, McCulloch I, Spano FC, Giovannitti A, Salleo A. Role of aggregates and microstructure of mixed-ionic-electronic-conductors on charge transport in electrochemical transistors. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023. [PMID: 37089107 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00017f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic efforts have delivered a library of organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) with high performance in electrochemical transistors. The most promising materials are redox-active conjugated polymers with hydrophilic side chains that reach high transconductances in aqueous electrolytes due to volumetric electrochemical charging. Current approaches to improve transconductance and device stability focus mostly on materials chemistry including backbone and side chain design. However, other parameters such as the initial microstructure and microstructural rearrangements during electrochemical charging are equally important and are influenced by backbone and side chain chemistry. In this study, we employ a polymer system to investigate the fundamental electrochemical charging mechanisms of OMIECs. We couple in situ electronic charge transport measurements and spectroelectrochemistry with ex situ X-ray scattering electrochemical charging experiments and find that polymer chains planarize during electrochemical charging. Our work shows that the most effective conductivity modulation is related to electrochemical accessibility of well-ordered, interconnected aggregates that host high mobility electronic charge carriers. Electrochemical stress cycling induces microstructural changes, but we find that these aggregates can largely maintain order, providing insights on the structural stability and reversibility of electrochemical charging in these systems. This work shows the importance of material design for creating OMIECs that undergo structural rearrangements to accommodate ions and electronic charge carriers during which percolating networks are formed for efficient electronic charge transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett LeCroy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Camila Cendra
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Tyler J Quill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | | | - Rawad Hallani
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - James F Ponder
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, USA
- UES, Inc., Dayton, Ohio 45432, USA
| | - Kevin Stone
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Stephen D Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | | | - Quentin Thiburce
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Iain McCulloch
- Department of Chemistry, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Frank C Spano
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | - Alexander Giovannitti
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, 412 96, Sweden.
| | - Alberto Salleo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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16
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Palacino-González E, Jansen TLC. Modeling the Effect of Disorder in the Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy of Poly-3-hexyltiophene in an Organic Photovoltaic Blend: A Combined Quantum/Classical Approach. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2023; 127:6793-6801. [PMID: 37081993 PMCID: PMC10108354 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a first-principles model of the 12-mer poly-3-hexyltiophene (P3HT) polymer system in the realistic description of an organic photovoltaic blend environment. We combine Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of a thin-film blend of P3HT and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) to model the interactions with a fluctuating environment with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations to parametrize the effect of the torsional flexibility in the polymer and construct an exciton-type Hamiltonian that describes the photoexcitation of the polymer. This allows us to reveal the presence of different flexibility patterns governed by the torsional angles along the polymer chain which, in the interacting fluctuating environment, control the broadening of the spectral observables. We identify the origin of the homogeneous and inhomogeneous line shape of the simulated optical signals. This is paramount to decipher the spectroscopic nature of the ultrafast electron-transfer process occurring in organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials.
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17
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Mombrú D, Romero M, Faccio R, Mombrú AW. On the Donor: Acceptor Features for Poly(3-hexylthiophene): TiO 2 Quantum Dots Hybrid Materials Obtained via Water Vapor Flow Assisted Sol-Gel Growth. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15071706. [PMID: 37050320 PMCID: PMC10096910 DOI: 10.3390/polym15071706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we present a novel methodology for the preparation of P3HT:TiO2 quantum dots hybrid materials via water vapor flow-assisted sol-gel growth focusing on the structural, optical and electrical property characterization complemented with first-principles calculations as a promising donor-acceptor system for polymer and hybrid solar cells. X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy analyses suggest that the increasing concentration of TiO2 quantum dots leads to the formation of higher amounts of amorphous regions while the crystalline regions exhibited interesting aspect ratio modifications for the P3HT polymer. Raman spectra evidenced the formation of charge carriers in the P3HT with increasing TiO2 quantum dots content and the P3HT:TiO2 50:50 weight ratio resulted in the best composition for optimizing the bulk electronic conductivity, as evidenced by impedance spectroscopy studies. Our DFT calculations performed for a simplified model of the P3HT:TiO2 interface revealed that there is an important contribution of the thiophene carbon atoms states in the conduction band at the Fermi level. Finally, our DFT calculations also reveal an evident gain of electron density at the TiO2 (101) surface while the thiophene rings showed a loss of the electron density, thus confirming that the P3HT:TiO2 junction acts as a good donor-acceptor system. In our opinion, these results not only present a novel methodology for the preparation of P3HT:TiO2 quantum dots hybrid materials but also reveal some key aspects to guide the more rational design of polymer and hybrid solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Mombrú
- Centro NanoMat & Área Física, Departamento de Experimentación y Teoría de la Estructura de la Materia y sus Aplicaciones (DETEMA), Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo C.P. 11800, Uruguay
| | - Mariano Romero
- Centro NanoMat & Área Física, Departamento de Experimentación y Teoría de la Estructura de la Materia y sus Aplicaciones (DETEMA), Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo C.P. 11800, Uruguay
| | - Ricardo Faccio
- Centro NanoMat & Área Física, Departamento de Experimentación y Teoría de la Estructura de la Materia y sus Aplicaciones (DETEMA), Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo C.P. 11800, Uruguay
| | - Alvaro W Mombrú
- Centro NanoMat & Área Física, Departamento de Experimentación y Teoría de la Estructura de la Materia y sus Aplicaciones (DETEMA), Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo C.P. 11800, Uruguay
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18
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Alam KM, Garcia JC, Kiriakou MV, Chaulagain N, Vrushabendrakumar D, Cranston ED, Gusarov S, Kobryn AE, Shankar K. Enhanced luminescence sensing performance and increased intrachain order in blended films of P3HT and cellulose nanocrystals. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 34:205703. [PMID: 36787629 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/acbbd1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Blended films comprising poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA)-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), exhibited more intense photoluminescence (PL) and longer PL emission lifetimes compared to pristine P3HT films. Optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra indicated reduced torsional disorder i.e. enhanced backbone planarity in the P3HT@CNC blended composites compared to the bare P3HT. Such molecule-level geometrical modification resulted in both smaller interchain and higher intrachain exciton bandwidth in the blended composites compared to the bare P3HT, because of reduced interchain interactions and enhanced intrachain order. These results indicate a potential switch of the aggregation behavior from dominant H-aggregates to J-aggregates, supported by Raman spectroscopy. The reorganization of micromolecular structure and concomitant macroscopic aggregation of the conjugated polymer chains resulted in a longer conjugation length for the P3HT@CNC blended composites compared to the bare P3HT. Additionally, this nanoscale morphological change produced a reduction in the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap of the blends, evidenced from optical absorption spectra. Classical molecular dynamics simulation studies predicted the probability of enhanced planarity in the polymer backbone following interactions with CNC surfaces. Theoretical results from density functional theory calculations corroborate the experimentally observed reduction of optical bandgap in the blends compared to bare P3HT. The blended composite outperformed the bare P3HT in nitro-group PL sensing tests with a pronounced difference in the reaction kinetics. While the PL quenching dynamics for bare P3HT followed Stern-Volmer kinetics, the P3HT@CNC blended composite exhibited a drastic deviation from the same. This work shows the potential of a functionalized rod-like biopolymer in tuning the optoelectronic properties of a technologically important polymeric organic semiconductor through control of the nanoscale morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazi M Alam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - John C Garcia
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Michael V Kiriakou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Narendra Chaulagain
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Damini Vrushabendrakumar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Emily D Cranston
- Departments of Wood Science and Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Sergey Gusarov
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Alexander E Kobryn
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Karthik Shankar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
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19
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Quill TJ, LeCroy G, Halat DM, Sheelamanthula R, Marks A, Grundy LS, McCulloch I, Reimer JA, Balsara NP, Giovannitti A, Salleo A, Takacs CJ. An ordered, self-assembled nanocomposite with efficient electronic and ionic transport. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:362-368. [PMID: 36797383 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01476-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mixed conductors-materials that can efficiently conduct both ionic and electronic species-are an important class of functional solids. Here we demonstrate an organic nanocomposite that spontaneously forms when mixing an organic semiconductor with an ionic liquid and exhibits efficient room-temperature mixed conduction. We use a polymer known to form a semicrystalline microstructure to template ion intercalation into the side-chain domains of the crystallites, which leaves electronic transport pathways intact. Thus, the resulting material is ordered, exhibiting alternating layers of rigid semiconducting sheets and soft ion-conducting layers. This unique dual-network microstructure leads to a dynamic ionic/electronic nanocomposite with liquid-like ionic transport and highly mobile electronic charges. Using a combination of operando X-ray scattering and in situ spectroscopy, we confirm the ordered structure of the nanocomposite and uncover the mechanisms that give rise to efficient electron transport. These results provide fundamental insights into charge transport in organic semiconductors, as well as suggesting a pathway towards future improvements in these nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Quill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Garrett LeCroy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David M Halat
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rajendar Sheelamanthula
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adam Marks
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lorena S Grundy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Iain McCulloch
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jeffrey A Reimer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nitash P Balsara
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Materials Sciences Division and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Giovannitti
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Alberto Salleo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher J Takacs
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
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20
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Kashani S, Wang Z, Risko C, Ade H. Relating reorganization energies, exciton diffusion length and non-radiative recombination to the room temperature UV-vis absorption spectra of NF-SMA. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:443-453. [PMID: 36515185 DOI: 10.1039/d2mh01228f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding excited-state reorganization energies, exciton diffusion lengths and non-radiative (NR) recombination, and the overall optoelectronic responses of nonfullerene small molecule acceptors (NF-SMAs) is important in order to rationally design new materials with controlled properties. While the effects of structural modifications on the optical gaps and electron affinities of NF-SMAs have been studied extensively, analyses of their absorption spectra that carefully characterize electronic and vibrational contributions that allow comparisons of reorganization energies and their implications for exciton diffusion lengths and NR recombination have yet to be reported. Here, we study the room temperature absorption spectra of three structural classes of NF-SMAs in dilute solutions through multiparameter Franck Condon (MFC) analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We show that the absorption spectra of these NF-SMAs can be categorized based on molecular structure-spectra correlation. The absorption spectra of curved, Y6-like structures can be described using an MFC model with two electronic transitions and two effective vibrational modes. The results of MFC/DFT analyses reveal that Y6 exhibits the smallest intra-molecular reorganization energy among the materials studied. Linear ITIC-like molecular structures reveal larger reorganization energies and reduced conformational uniformity compared to Y6. Meanwhile structures such as IDTBR and IEICO, which have an extra π-conjugated moiety between the donor and acceptor moieties, have large excited-state reorganization energies and low degrees of conformational uniformity. Since the intra-molecular reorganization energy is correlated with exciton diffusion length and nonradiative voltage losses (ΔVnr), our results highlight the power of RT absorption spectroscopy and DFT calculations as simple tools to designing improved OSCs materials with small reorganization energies, small ΔVnr, large exciton diffusion length and low energetic disorder (due to a strongly dominant conformation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Kashani
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Chad Risko
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA
| | - Harald Ade
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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21
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Ghosh R, Paesani F. Connecting the dots for fundamental understanding of structure-photophysics-property relationships of COFs, MOFs, and perovskites using a Multiparticle Holstein Formalism. Chem Sci 2023; 14:1040-1064. [PMID: 36756323 PMCID: PMC9891456 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc03793a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoactive organic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials such as conjugated polymers, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and layered perovskites, display intriguing photophysical signatures upon interaction with light. Elucidating structure-photophysics-property relationships across a broad range of functional materials is nontrivial and requires our fundamental understanding of the intricate interplay among excitons (electron-hole pair), polarons (charges), bipolarons, phonons (vibrations), inter-layer stacking interactions, and different forms of structural and conformational defects. In parallel with electronic structure modeling and data-driven science that are actively pursued to successfully accelerate materials discovery, an accurate, computationally inexpensive, and physically-motivated theoretical model, which consistently makes quantitative connections with conceptually complicated experimental observations, is equally important. Within this context, the first part of this perspective highlights a unified theoretical framework in which the electronic coupling as well as the local coupling between the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom can be efficiently described for a broad range of quasiparticles with similarly structured Holstein-style vibronic Hamiltonians. The second part of this perspective discusses excitonic and polaronic photophysical signatures in polymers, COFs, MOFs, and perovskites, and attempts to bridge the gap between different research fields using a common theoretical construct - the Multiparticle Holstein Formalism. We envision that the synergistic integration of state-of-the-art computational approaches with the Multiparticle Holstein Formalism will help identify and establish new, transformative design strategies that will guide the synthesis and characterization of next-generation energy materials optimized for a broad range of optoelectronic, spintronic, and photonic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California La Jolla San Diego California 92093 USA
| | - Francesco Paesani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California La Jolla San Diego California 92093 USA
- San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California La Jolla San Diego California 92093 USA
- Materials Science and Engineering, University of California La Jolla San Diego California 92093 USA
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22
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Lungwitz D, Mansour AE, Zhang Y, Opitz A, Barlow S, Marder SR, Koch N. Improving the Resistance of Molecularly Doped Polymer Semiconductor Layers to Solvent. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2023; 35:672-681. [PMID: 36711052 PMCID: PMC9879288 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c03262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The ability to form multi-heterolayer (opto)electronic devices by solution processing of (molecularly doped) semiconducting polymer layers is of great interest since it can facilitate the fabrication of large-area and low-cost devices. However, the solution processing of multilayer devices poses a particular challenge with regard to dissolution of the first layer during the deposition of a second layer. Several approaches have been introduced to circumvent this problem for neat polymers, but suitable approaches for molecularly doped polymer semiconductors are much less well-developed. Here, we provide insights into two different mechanisms that can enhance the solvent resistance of solution-processed doped polymer layers while also retaining the dopants, one being the doping-induced pre-aggregation in solution and the other including the use of a photo-reactive agent that results in covalent cross-linking of the semiconductor and, perhaps in some cases, the dopant. For molecularly p-doped poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and poly[2,5-bis(3-tetradecyl-thiophene-2-yl)thieno(3,2-b)thiophene] layers, we find that the formation of polymer chain aggregates prior to the deposition from solution plays a major role in enhancing solvent resistance. However, this pre-aggregation limits inclusion of the cross-linking agent benzene-1,3,5-triyl tris(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoate). We show that if pre-aggregation in solution is suppressed, high resistance of thin doped polymer layers to solvent can be achieved using the tris(azide). Moreover, the electrical conductivity can be largely retained by increasing the tris(azide) content in a doped polymer layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Lungwitz
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-12489Berlin, Germany
| | - Ahmed E. Mansour
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-12489Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, D-12489Berlin, Germany
| | - Yadong Zhang
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia30332-0400, United States
- Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Institute, University
of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80303, United States
| | - Andreas Opitz
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-12489Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephen Barlow
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia30332-0400, United States
- Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Institute, University
of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80303, United States
| | - Seth R. Marder
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia30332-0400, United States
- Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Institute, University
of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80303, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80303, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80303, United States
| | - Norbert Koch
- Institut
für Physik & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-12489Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, D-12489Berlin, Germany
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23
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Staub MC, Yu S, Li CY. Poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) Crystalsomes: Tiling 1D Polymer Crystals on a Spherical Surface. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2200529. [PMID: 35879644 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Polymer crystalsomes are a class of hollow crystalline polymer nanoparticles with shells formed by single crystals with broken translational symmetry. They have shown intriguing mechanical, thermal, and biomedical properties associated with spherical packing. Previously reported crystalsomes are formed by quasi-2D lamellae which can readily tile on a spherical surface. In this work, the formation of polymer crystalsomes formed by 1D polymer crystals is reported. Poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is chosen as the model polymer because of its 1D growth habit. P3HT crystalsomes are successfully fabricated using a miniemulsion solution crystallization method, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction experiments confirm that P3HT crystallized into a Form I crystal structure. XRD, differential scanning calorimetry and UV-Vis results reveal curvature-dependent structural, thermal and electro-optical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Clyde Staub
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shichen Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Yuren Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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24
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Boeije Y, Olivucci M. From a one-mode to a multi-mode understanding of conical intersection mediated ultrafast organic photochemical reactions. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:2643-2687. [PMID: 36970950 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00719c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses how ultrafast organic photochemical reactions are controlled by conical intersections, highlighting that decay to the ground-state at multiple points of the intersection space results in their multi-mode character.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yorrick Boeije
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Massimo Olivucci
- Chemistry Department, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro n. 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Chemistry Department, Bowling Green State University, Overman Hall, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA
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25
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Park SA, Kim DH, Choi Y, Lee DH, Park T, Cho S, Kim M. Molecular symmetry effect on the morphology and self-aggregation of semiconducting polymers. Polym Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1039/d2py01219g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigate molecular symmetricity on the physical and photoelectric properties of semiconducting polymers by selectively incorporating different numbers of fluorine atoms at different positions in the donor unit of NDI-based copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Ah Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Do Hui Kim
- Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Yelim Choi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Hwan Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Taiho Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinuk Cho
- Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Minjun Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
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26
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Maity A, Perotto S, Moschetta M, Hua H, Sardar S, Paternò GM, Tian J, Klein M, Adamo G, Lanzani G, Soci C. Resonant Enhancement of Polymer-Cell Optostimulation by a Plasmonic Metasurface. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:42674-42680. [PMID: 36467911 PMCID: PMC9713778 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic semiconductors have shown great potential as efficient bioelectronic materials. Specifically, photovoltaic polymers such as the workhorse poly(thiophene) derivatives, when stimulated with visible light, can depolarize neurons and generate action potentials, an effect that has been also employed for rescuing vision in blind rats. In this context, however, the coupling of such materials with optically resonant structures to enhance those photodriven biological effects is still in its infancy. Here, we employ the optical coupling between a nanostructured metasurface and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) to improve the bioelectronic effects occurring upon photostimulation at the abiotic-biotic interface. In particular, we designed a spectrally tuned aluminum metasurface that can resonate with P3HT, hence augmenting the effective field experienced by the polymer. In turn, this leads to an 8-fold increase in invoked inward current in cells. This enhanced activation strategy could be useful to increase the effectiveness of P3HT-based prosthetic implants for degenerative retinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Maity
- Centre
for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, TPI, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
- Division
of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Sara Perotto
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Moschetta
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Huang Hua
- Department
of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, 117456 Singapore
| | - Samim Sardar
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maria Paternò
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Politecnico di Milano and Center for Nano Science and
Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Jingyi Tian
- Centre
for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, TPI, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
- Division
of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Maciej Klein
- Centre
for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, TPI, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
- Division
of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Giorgio Adamo
- Centre
for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, TPI, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
- Division
of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Politecnico di Milano and Center for Nano Science and
Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Soci
- Centre
for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, TPI, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
- Division
of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
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27
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Johnston AR, Pitch GM, Minckler ED, Mora IG, Balasco Serrão VH, Dailing EA, Ayzner AL. Excitonically Coupled Simple Coacervates via Liquid/Liquid Phase Separation. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:10275-10281. [PMID: 36305559 PMCID: PMC9661528 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Viscoelastic liquid coacervate phases that are highly enriched in nonconjugated polyelectrolytes are currently the subject of highly active research from biological and soft-materials perspectives. However, formation of a liquid, electronically active coacervate has proved highly elusive, since extended π-electron interactions strongly favor the solid state. Herein we show that a conjugated polyelectrolyte can be rationally designed to undergo aqueous liquid/liquid phase separation to form a liquid coacervate phase. This result is significant both because it adds to the fundamental understanding of liquid/liquid phase separation but also because it opens intriguing applications in light harvesting and beyond. We find that the semiconducting coacervate is intrinsically excitonically coupled, allowing for long-range exciton diffusion in a strongly correlated, fluctuating environment. The emergent excitonic states are comprised of both excimers and H-aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Johnston
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
| | - Gregory M. Pitch
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
| | - Eris D. Minckler
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
| | - Ivette G. Mora
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
| | - Vitor H. Balasco Serrão
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
- Biomolecular
cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
| | - Eric A. Dailing
- The
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California94720, United States
| | - Alexander L. Ayzner
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California95064, United States
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28
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Herrmann K, Freund S, Eller F, Rößler T, Papastavrou G, Herzig EM, Retsch M. Microstructural and Thermal Transport Properties of Regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) Thin Films. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:7700. [PMID: 36363292 PMCID: PMC9654977 DOI: 10.3390/ma15217700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric thin films offer a wide range of exciting properties and applications, with several advantages compared to inorganic counterparts. The thermal conductivity of such thin films ranges typically between 0.1-1 W m-1 K-1. This low thermal conductivity can cause problems with heat dissipation in various applications. Detailed knowledge about thermal transport in polymeric thin films is desired to overcome these shortcomings, especially in light of the multitude of possible microstructures for semi-crystalline thin films. Therefore, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) is chosen as a model system to analyze the microstructure and optoelectronic properties using X-ray scattering and absorption spectra along with the thermal transport properties using the photoacoustic technique. This combination of analysis methods allows for determining the optoelectronic and thermal transport properties on the same specimen, supplemented by structural information. The effect of different molecular weights and solvents during film preparation is systematically examined. A variation of the optoelectronic properties, mainly regarding molecular weight, is apparent, while no direct influence of the solvent during preparation is discernible. In contrast, the thermal conductivities of all films examined fall within a similar range. Therefore, the microstructural properties in the ordered regions do not significantly affect the resulting thermal properties in the sample space investigated in this work. We conclude that it is mainly the amorphous regions that determine the thermal transport properties, as these represent a bottleneck for thermal transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Herrmann
- Department of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Simon Freund
- Department of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Fabian Eller
- Dynamics and Structure Formation—Herzig Group, Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Tamino Rößler
- Physical Chemistry 2, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Georg Papastavrou
- Physical Chemistry 2, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute, Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces and Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Eva M. Herzig
- Dynamics and Structure Formation—Herzig Group, Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Markus Retsch
- Department of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute, Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces and Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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29
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Timmer D, Zheng F, Gittinger M, Quenzel T, Lünemann DC, Winte K, Zhang Y, Madjet ME, Zablocki J, Lützen A, Zhong JH, De Sio A, Frauenheim T, Tretiak S, Lienau C. Charge Delocalization and Vibronic Couplings in Quadrupolar Squaraine Dyes. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:19150-19162. [PMID: 36206456 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Squaraines are prototypical quadrupolar charge-transfer chromophores that have recently attracted much attention as building blocks for solution-processed photovoltaics, fluorescent probes with large two-photon absorption cross sections, and aggregates with large circular dichroism. Their optical properties are often rationalized in terms of phenomenological essential state models, considering the coupling of two zwitterionic excited states to a neutral ground state. As a result, optical transitions to the lowest S1 excited state are one-photon allowed, whereas the next higher S2 state can only be accessed by two-photon transitions. A further implication of these models is a substantial reduction of vibronic coupling to the ubiquitous high-frequency vinyl-stretching modes of organic materials. Here, we combine time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy, two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical simulations to test and rationalize these predictions for nonaggregated molecules. We find small Huang-Rhys factors below 0.01 for the high-frequency, 1500 cm-1 modes in particular, as well as a noticeable reduction for those of lower frequency modes in general for the electronic S0 → S1 transition. The two-photon allowed state S2 is well separated energetically from S1 and has weak vibronic signatures as well. Thus, the resulting pronounced concentration of the oscillator strength in a narrow region relevant to the lowest electronic transition makes squaraines and their aggregates exceptionally interesting for strong and ultrastrong coupling of excitons to localized light modes in external resonators with chiral properties that can largely be controlled by the molecular architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Timmer
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Fulu Zheng
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany
| | - Moritz Gittinger
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Thomas Quenzel
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Daniel C Lünemann
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Katrin Winte
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Yu Zhang
- Theoretical Division and Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico87545, United States
| | - Mohamed E Madjet
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany
| | - Jennifer Zablocki
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn53121, Germany
| | - Arne Lützen
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn53121, Germany
| | - Jin-Hui Zhong
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong518055, China
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Bremen28359, Germany.,Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC), Beijing100193, China.,Shenzhen Computational Science and Applied Research (CSAR) Institute, Shenzhen518110, China
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division and Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico87545, United States
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CeNaD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany.,Forschungszentrum Neurosensorik, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg26129, Germany
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30
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Hicks GEJ, Cranston RR, Lotocki V, Manion JG, Lessard BH, Seferos DS. Dopant-Stabilized Assembly of Poly(3-hexylthiophene). J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:16456-16470. [PMID: 36044779 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c04984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Polymer self-assembly is a powerful approach for forming nanostructures for solution-phase applications. However, polymer semiconductor assembly has primarily been driven by solvent interactions. Here, we report poly(3-hexythiophene) homopolymer assembly driven and stabilized by oxidative doping with iron (III) p-toluenesulfonate in benzonitrile. By this improved method, dopant mol % and addition temperature determine the size and morphology of oxidized polymer nanostructures. The dopant counterion provides colloidal stability in a process of dopant-stabilized assembly (DSA). Each variable governing polymer assembly is systematically varied, revealing general principles of oxidized nanostructure assembly and allowing the polymer planarity, optical absorption, and doping level to be modulated. Oxidized nanostructure heights, lengths, and widths are shown to depend on these properties, which we hypothesize is due to competing nanostructure formation and oxidation mechanisms that are governed by the polymer conformation upon doping. Finally, we demonstrate that the nanoparticle oxidative doping level can be tuned post-formation through sequential dopant addition. By revealing the fundamental processes underlying DSA, this work provides a powerful toolkit to control the assembly and optoelectronic properties of oxidatively doped nanostructures in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garion E J Hicks
- Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, M5S 3H6 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rosemary R Cranston
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Victor Lotocki
- Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, M5S 3H6 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph G Manion
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benoît H Lessard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, 800 King Edward, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dwight S Seferos
- Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, M5S 3H6 Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College St, M5S 3E5 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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31
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Mombrú D, Romero M, Faccio R, Mombrú ÁW. Roles of amorphous and crystalline regions in determining the optical and electronic properties of donor:acceptor systems comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene) embedded with nitrogen/sulfur-doped graphene quantum dots. Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-022-00694-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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32
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Fluorescence dynamics of thiophene-based copolymer/fullerene-derivative system as solution and blend film. MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00706-022-02941-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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33
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Direct observation of ultrafast exciton localization in an organic semiconductor with soft X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3414. [PMID: 35701418 PMCID: PMC9198071 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31008-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The localization dynamics of excitons in organic semiconductors influence the efficiency of charge transfer and separation in these materials. Here we apply time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy to track photoinduced dynamics of a paradigmatic crystalline conjugated polymer: poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) commonly used in solar cell devices. The π→π* transition, the first step of solar energy conversion, is pumped with a 15 fs optical pulse and the dynamics are probed by an attosecond soft X-ray pulse at the carbon K-edge. We observe X-ray spectroscopic signatures of the initially hot excitonic state, indicating that it is delocalized over multiple polymer chains. This undergoes a rapid evolution on a sub 50 fs timescale which can be directly associated with cooling and localization to form either a localized exciton or polaron pair. A detailed understanding of ultrafast exciton dynamics is crucial for improving the efficiency of organic light-harvesting-devices. Here, the authors track exciton localization on a sub-50 fs timescale in an organic semiconductor using time resolved soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy.
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34
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Feng K, Shan W, Wang J, Lee JW, Yang W, Wu W, Wang Y, Kim BJ, Guo X, Guo H. Cyano-Functionalized n-Type Polymer with High Electron Mobility for High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201340. [PMID: 35429014 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
n-Type organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) with high electron mobility are scarce and highly challenging to develop. As a result, the figure-of-merit (µC*) of n-type organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) lags far behind the p-type analogs, restraining the development of OECT-based low-power complementary circuits and biosensors. Here, two n-type donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers based on fused bithiophene imide dimer f-BTI2 as the acceptor unit and thienylene-vinylene-thienylene (TVT) as the donor co-unit are reported. The cyanation of TVT enables polymer f-BTI2g-TVTCN with simultaneously enhanced ion-uptake ability, film structural order, and charge-transport property. As a result, it is able to obtain a high volumetric capacitance (C*) of 170 ± 22 F cm-3 and a record OECT electron mobility (μe,OECT ) of 0.24 cm2 V-1 s-1 for f-BTI2g-TVTCN, subsequently achieving a state-of-the-art µC* of 41.3 F cm-1 V-1 s-1 and geometry-normalized transconductance (gm,norm ) of 12.8 S cm-1 in n-type accumulation-mode OECTs. In contrast, only a moderate µC* of 1.50 F cm-1 V-1 s-1 is measured for the non-cyanated polymer f-BTI2g-TVT. These remarkable results demonstrate the great power of cyano functionalization of polymer semiconductors in developing n-type OMIECs with substantial electron mobility in aqueous environment for high-performance n-type OECTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Feng
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Wentao Shan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Junwei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Wanli Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Wenchang Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Yimei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Xugang Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Oxide Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Han Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
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35
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Eder T, Kraus D, Höger S, Vogelsang J, Lupton JM. Vibrations Responsible for Luminescence from HJ-Aggregates of Conjugated Polymers Identified by Cryogenic Spectroscopy of Single Nanoparticles. ACS NANO 2022; 16:6382-6393. [PMID: 35394735 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A single polymer chain can be thought of as a covalently bound J-aggregate, where the microscopic transition-dipole moments line up to emit in phase. Packing polymer chains into a bulk film can result in the opposite effect, inducing H-type coupling between chains. Cofacial transition-dipole moments oscillate out of phase, canceling each other out, so that the lowest-energy excited state turns dark. H-aggregates of conjugated polymers can, in principle, be coaxed into emitting light by mixing purely electronic and vibronic transitions. However, it is challenging to characterize this electron-phonon coupling experimentally. In a bulk film, many different conformations exist with varying degrees of intrachain J-type and interchain H-type coupling strengths, giving rise to broad and featureless aggregate absorption and emission spectra. Even if single nanoparticles consisting of only a few single chains are grown in a controlled fashion, the luminescence spectra remain broad, owing to the underlying molecular dynamics and structural heterogeneity at room temperature. At cryogenic temperatures, emission from H-type aggregates should be suppressed because, in the absence of thermal energy, internal conversion drives the aggregate to the lowest-energy dark state. At the same time, electronic and vibronic transitions narrow substantially, facilitating the attribution of spectral signatures to distinct vibrational modes. We demonstrate how to distinguish signatures of interchain H-type aggregate species from those of intramolecular J-type coupling. Whereas all dominant vibronic modes revealed in the photoluminescence (PL) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectra of a single chromophore within a single polymer chain are identified in the J-type aggregate luminescence spectra, they are not all present at once in the H-type spectra. Universal spectral features are found for the luminescence from strongly HJ-coupled chains, clearly resolving the vibrations responsible for the nonadiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics that enable light emission. We discuss the possible combinations of vibrational modes responsible for H-type aggregate PL and demonstrate that only one, mainly the lowest energy one, of the three dominant vibrational modes contributes to the 0-1 transition, whereas combinations of all three are found in the 0-2 transition. From this analysis, we can distinguish between energy shifts due to either J-type intrachain coupling or H-type interchain interactions, offering a means to directly discriminate between structural and energetic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Eder
- Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Kraus
- Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sigurd Höger
- Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie der Universität Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Vogelsang
- Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - John M Lupton
- Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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36
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Dingler C, Walter R, Gompf B, Ludwigs S. In Situ Monitoring of Optical Constants, Conductivity, and Swelling of PEDOT:PSS from Doped to the Fully Neutral State. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Dingler
- IPOC─Functional Polymers, Institute of Polymer Chemistry & Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Ramon Walter
- 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCoPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Bruno Gompf
- 1st Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Sabine Ludwigs
- IPOC─Functional Polymers, Institute of Polymer Chemistry & Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
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37
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Jarząbek B, Nitschke P, Godzierz M, Palewicz M, Piasecki T, Gotszalk TP. Thermo-Optical and Structural Studies of Iodine-Doped Polymer: Fullerene Blend Films, Used in Photovoltaic Structures. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14050858. [PMID: 35267679 PMCID: PMC8912530 DOI: 10.3390/polym14050858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical and structural properties of a blend thin film of (1:1 wt.) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) doped with iodine (I2) and then exposed to a stepwise heating were reported and compared with the properties of doped P3HT films. The UV-Vis(T) absorption measurements were performed in situ during annealing runs, at the precisely defined temperatures, in a range of 20–210 °C. It was demonstrated that this new method allows one to observe the changes of absorption spectra, connected with the iodine release and other structural processes upon annealing. In addition, the thermally-induced changes of the exciton bandwidth (W) and the absorption edge parameters, i.e., the energy gap (EG) and the Urbach energy (EU) were discussed in the context of different length of conjugation and the structural disorder in polymers and blends films. During annealing, several stages were distinguished and related to the following processes as: the iodine escape and an increase in P3HT crystallinity, the orderly stacking of polymer chains, the thermally inducted structural defects and the phase separation caused by an aggregation of PCBM in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the detailed X-ray diffraction studies, performed for P3HT and P3HT:PCBM films, before and after doping and then after their thermal treatment, allowed us to consider the structural changes of polymer and blend films. The effect of iodine content and the annealing process on the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells parameters was checked, by the impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements and the J-V characteristics registration. All of the investigated P3HT:PCBM blend films showed the photovoltaic effect; the increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) upon iodine doping was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bożena Jarząbek
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M. Curie-Skłodowska Str., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland;
- Correspondence: (B.J.); (P.N.)
| | - Paweł Nitschke
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M. Curie-Skłodowska Str., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland;
- Correspondence: (B.J.); (P.N.)
| | - Marcin Godzierz
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M. Curie-Skłodowska Str., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland;
| | - Marcin Palewicz
- Department of Nanometrology, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystem, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-372 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.P.); (T.P.); (T.P.G.)
| | - Tomasz Piasecki
- Department of Nanometrology, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystem, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-372 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.P.); (T.P.); (T.P.G.)
| | - Teodor Paweł Gotszalk
- Department of Nanometrology, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystem, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-372 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.P.); (T.P.); (T.P.G.)
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38
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Peng Z, Ye L, Ade H. Understanding, quantifying, and controlling the molecular ordering of semiconducting polymers: from novices to experts and amorphous to perfect crystals. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2022; 9:577-606. [PMID: 34878458 DOI: 10.1039/d0mh00837k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Molecular packing and texture of semiconducting polymers are often critical to the performance of devices using these materials. Although frameworks exist to quantify the ordering, interpretations are often just qualitative, resulting in imprecise use of terminology. Here, we reemphasize the significance of quantifying molecular ordering in terms of degree of crystallinity (volume fractions that are ordered) and quality of ordering and their relation to the size scale of an ordered region. We are motivated in part by our own imprecise and inconsistent use of terminology in the past, as well as the need to have a primer or tutorial reference to teach new group members. We strive to develop and use consistent terminology with regards to crystallinity, semicrystallinity, paracrystallinity, and related characteristics. To account for vastly different quality of ordering along different directions, we classify paracrystals into 2D and 3D paracrystals and use paracrystallite to describe the spatial extent of molecular ordering in 1-10 nm. We show that a deeper understanding of molecular ordering can be achieved by combining grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry, even though not all aspects of these measurements are consistent, and some classification appears to be method dependent. We classify a broad range of representative polymers under common processing conditions into five categories based on the quantitative analysis of the paracrystalline disorder parameter (g) and thermal transitions. A small database is presented for 13 representative conjugated and insulating polymers ranging from amorphous to semi-paracrystalline. Finally, we outline the challenges to rationally design more perfect polymer crystals and propose a new molecular design approach that envisions conceptual molecular grafting that is akin to strained and unstrained hetero-epitaxy in classic (compound) semiconductors thin film growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengxing Peng
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
| | - Long Ye
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
| | - Harald Ade
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
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39
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Biswas S, Kim J, Zhang X, Scholes GD. Coherent Two-Dimensional and Broadband Electronic Spectroscopies. Chem Rev 2022; 122:4257-4321. [PMID: 35037757 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, coherent broadband spectroscopy has been widely used to improve our understanding of ultrafast processes (e.g., photoinduced electron transfer, proton transfer, and proton-coupled electron transfer reactions) at femtosecond resolution. The advances in femtosecond laser technology along with the development of nonlinear multidimensional spectroscopy enabled further insights into ultrafast energy transfer and carrier relaxation processes in complex biological and material systems. New discoveries and interpretations have led to improved design principles for optimizing the photophysical properties of various artificial systems. In this review, we first provide a detailed theoretical framework of both coherent broadband and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). We then discuss a selection of experimental approaches and considerations of 2DES along with best practices for data processing and analysis. Finally, we review several examples where coherent broadband and 2DES were employed to reveal mechanisms of photoinitiated ultrafast processes in molecular, biological, and material systems. We end the review with a brief perspective on the future of the experimental techniques themselves and their potential to answer an even greater range of scientific questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somnath Biswas
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08 544, United States
| | - JunWoo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08 544, United States
| | - Xinzi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08 544, United States
| | - Gregory D Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08 544, United States
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40
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Wu R, Matta M, Paulsen BD, Rivnay J. Operando Characterization of Organic Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Materials. Chem Rev 2022; 122:4493-4551. [PMID: 35026108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Operando characterization plays an important role in revealing the structure-property relationships of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors (OMIECs), enabling the direct observation of dynamic changes during device operation and thus guiding the development of new materials. This review focuses on the application of different operando characterization techniques in the study of OMIECs, highlighting the time-dependent and bias-dependent structure, composition, and morphology information extracted from these techniques. We first illustrate the needs, requirements, and challenges of operando characterization then provide an overview of relevant experimental techniques, including spectroscopy, scattering, microbalance, microprobe, and electron microscopy. We also compare different in silico methods and discuss the interplay of these computational methods with experimental techniques. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future development of operando for OMIEC-based devices and look toward multimodal operando techniques for more comprehensive and accurate description of OMIECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiheng Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Micaela Matta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan D Paulsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Jonathan Rivnay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
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41
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Liu Y, Xian K, Gui R, Zhou K, Liu J, Gao M, Zhao W, Jiao X, Deng Y, Yin H, Geng Y, Ye L. Simple Polythiophene Solar Cells Approaching 10% Efficiency via Carbon Chain Length Modulation of Poly(3-alkylthiophene). Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Kaihu Xian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ruohua Gui
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Kangkang Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Junwei Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Mengyuan Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Wenchao Zhao
- Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Xuechen Jiao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Yunfeng Deng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Hang Yin
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yanhou Geng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
- International Campus of Tianjin University, Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207, China
| | - Long Ye
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China
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42
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Gutiérrez-Meza E, Malatesta R, Li H, Bargigia I, Srimath Kandada AR, Valverde-Chávez DA, Kim SM, Li H, Stingelin N, Tretiak S, Bittner ER, Silva-Acuña C. Frenkel biexcitons in hybrid HJ photophysical aggregates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi5197. [PMID: 34890231 PMCID: PMC8664265 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi5197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Frenkel excitons are unequivocally responsible for the optical properties of organic semiconductors and are predicted to form bound exciton pairs (biexcitons). These are key intermediates, ubiquitous in many photophysical processes such as the exciton bimolecular annihilation dynamics in such systems. Because of their spectral ambiguity, there has been, to date, only scant direct evidence of bound biexcitons. By using nonlinear coherent spectroscopy, we identify here bound biexcitons in a model polymeric semiconductor. We find, unexpectedly, that excitons with interchain vibronic dispersion reveal intrachain biexciton correlations and vice versa. Moreover, using a Frenkel exciton model, we relate the biexciton binding energy to molecular parameters quantified by quantum chemistry, including the magnitude and sign of the exciton-exciton interaction the intersite hopping energies. Therefore, our work promises general insights into the many-body electronic structure in polymeric semiconductors and beyond, e.g., other excitonic systems such as organic semiconductor crystals, molecular aggregates, photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, or DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Gutiérrez-Meza
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Ravyn Malatesta
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hongmo Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Ilaria Bargigia
- Department of Physics and Center for Functional Materials, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Ajay Ram Srimath Kandada
- Department of Physics and Center for Functional Materials, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - David A. Valverde-Chávez
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Seong-Min Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Natalie Stingelin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Sergei Tretiak
- Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Eric R. Bittner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Carlos Silva-Acuña
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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43
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Beer P, Reichstein PM, Schötz K, Raithel D, Thelakkat M, Köhler J, Panzer F, Hildner R. Disorder in P3HT Nanoparticles Probed by Optical Spectroscopy on P3HT- b-PEG Micelles. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:10165-10173. [PMID: 34797986 PMCID: PMC8647091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c08377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We employ photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy on individual nanoscale aggregates of the conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT, at room temperature (RT) and at low temperature (LT) (1.5 K), to unravel different levels of structural and electronic disorder within P3HT nanoparticles. The aggregates are prepared by self-assembly of the block copolymer P3HT-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (P3HT-b-PEG) into micelles, with the P3HT aggregates constituting the micelles' core. Irrespective of temperature, we find from the intensity ratio between the 0-1 and 0-0 peaks in the PL spectra that the P3HT aggregates are of H-type nature, as expected from π-stacked conjugated thiophene backbones. Moreover, the distributions of the PL peak ratios demonstrate a large variation of disorder between micelles (inter-aggregate disorder) and within individual aggregates (intra-aggregate disorder). Upon cooling from RT to LT, the PL spectra red-shift by 550 cm-1, and the energy of the (effective) carbon-bond stretch mode is reduced by 100 cm-1. These spectral changes indicate that the P3HT backbone in the P3HT-b-PEG copolymer does not fully planarize before aggregation at RT and that upon cooling, partial planarization occurs. This intra-chain torsional disorder is ultimately responsible for the intra- and inter-aggregate disorder. These findings are supported by temperature-dependent absorption spectra on thin P3HT films. The interplay between intra-chain, intra-aggregate, and inter-aggregate disorder is key for the bulk photophysical properties of nanoparticles based on conjugated polymers, for example, in hierarchical (super-) structures. Ultimately, these properties determine the usefulness of such structures in hybrid organic-inorganic materials, for example, in (bio-)sensing and optoelectronics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Beer
- Spectroscopy of Soft Matter, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Paul M Reichstein
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Konstantin Schötz
- Soft Matter Optoelectronics, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dominic Raithel
- Spectroscopy of Soft Matter, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Mukundan Thelakkat
- Applied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Institut für Makromolekülforschung (BIMF), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jürgen Köhler
- Spectroscopy of Soft Matter, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Institut für Makromolekülforschung (BIMF), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Fabian Panzer
- Soft Matter Optoelectronics, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Richard Hildner
- Spectroscopy of Soft Matter, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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44
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Lewis TN, Tonnelé C, Shuler WG, Kasun ZA, Sato H, Berges AJ, Rodriguez JR, Krische MJ, Casanova D, Bardeen CJ. Chemical Tuning of Exciton versus Charge-Transfer Excited States in Conformationally Restricted Arylene Cages. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:18548-18558. [PMID: 34709810 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c08176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Covalent assemblies of conjugated organic chromophores provide the opportunity to engineer new excited states with novel properties. In this work, a newly developed triple-stranded cage architecture, in which meta-substituted aromatic caps serve as covalent linking groups that attach to both top and bottom of the conjugated molecule walls, is used to tune the properties of thiophene oligomer assemblies. Benzene-capped and triazine-capped 5,5'-(2,2-bithiophene)-containing arylene cages are synthesized and characterized using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods. The conformational freedom and electronic states are analyzed using time-dependent density functional theory. The benzene cap acts as a passive spacer whose electronic states do not mix with those of the chromophore walls. The excited state properties are dominated by through-space interactions between the chromophore subunits, generating a neutral Frenkel H-type exciton state. This excitonic state undergoes intersystem crossing on a 200 ps time scale while the fluorescence output is suppressed by a factor of 2 due to a decreased radiative rate. Switching to a triazine cap enables electron transfer from the chromophore-linker after the initial excitation to the exciton state, leading to the formation of a charge-transfer state within 10 ps. This state can avoid intersystem crossing and exhibits red-shifted fluorescence with enhanced quantum yield. The ability to interchange structural modules with different electronic properties while retaining the overall cage morphology provides a new approach for tuning the properties of discrete chromophore assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor N Lewis
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Chemistry, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Claire Tonnelé
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018, Donostia, Euskadi Spain
| | - William G Shuler
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Chemistry, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Zachary A Kasun
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Chemistry, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Hiroki Sato
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Chemistry, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Adam J Berges
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Chemistry, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Jacob R Rodriguez
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Michael J Krische
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Chemistry, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - David Casanova
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018, Donostia, Euskadi Spain.,IKERBASQUE - Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Euskadi Spain
| | - Christopher J Bardeen
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Chemistry, Riverside, California 92521, United States.,University of California, Riverside, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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45
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Lin X, Liu R, Ding C, Deng J, Guo Y, Long S, Li L, Li M. Modulation of Microstructure and Charge Transport in Polymer Monolayer Transistors by Solution Aging. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202100355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
- School of Microelectronics University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China
| | - Ruochen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
| | - Chenming Ding
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
| | - Junyang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
| | - Yifu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
| | - Shibing Long
- School of Microelectronics University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100029 China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
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46
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DelPo CA, Khan SUZ, Park KH, Kudisch B, Rand BP, Scholes GD. Polariton Decay in Donor-Acceptor Cavity Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:9774-9782. [PMID: 34595929 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced delocalization is beneficial for absorbing molecules in organic solar cells, and in particular bilayer devices, where excitons face small diffusion lengths as a barrier to reaching the charge-generating donor-acceptor interface. As hybrid light-matter states, polaritons offer exceptional delocalization which could be used to improve the efficiency of bilayer organic photovoltaics. Polariton delocalization can aid in delivering excitons to the donor-acceptor interface, but the subsequent charge transfer event must compete with the fast decay of the polariton. To evaluate the viability of polaritons as tools to improve bilayer organic solar cells, we studied the decay of the lower polariton in three cavity systems: a donor only, a donor-acceptor bilayer, and a donor-acceptor blend. Using several spectroscopic techniques, we identified an additional decay pathway through charge transfer for the polariton in the bilayer cavity, demonstrating charge transfer from the polariton is fast enough to outcompete the decay to the ground state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A DelPo
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Saeed-Uz-Zaman Khan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Kyu Hyung Park
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Bryan Kudisch
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Barry P Rand
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Gregory D Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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47
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Wang Y, Zhao XJ, Wei RJ, Liang GJ, Wang K, Tan YZ, Yang Y. Dynamic variation of excitonic coupling in excited bilayer graphene quantum dots. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2021. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/cjcp2109169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xin-jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Rong-Jing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Gui-jie Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China
| | - Kang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yuan-zhi Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Ye Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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48
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Anderson MA, Larson BW, Ratcliff EL. A Multi-modal Approach to Understanding Degradation of Organic Photovoltaic Materials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:44641-44655. [PMID: 34496216 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
State-of-the-art organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are composed of complex, chemically diverse polymeric and molecular structures that form highly intricate solid-state interactions, collectively yielding exceptional tunability in performance and aesthetics. These properties are especially attractive for semitransparent power-generating windows or shades in living environments, greenhouses, or other architectural integrations. However, before such a future is realized, a broader and deeper understanding of property stability must be acquired. Stability during operating and environmental conditions is critical, namely, material color steadfastness, optoelectronic performance retention, morphological rigidity, and chemical robustness. To date, no single investigation encompasses all four distinct, yet interconnected, metrics. Here, we present a multimodal strategy that captures a dynamic and interconnected evolution of each property during the course of an accelerated photobleaching experiment. We demonstrate this approach across relevant length scales (from molecular to visual macroscale) using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, grazing-incidence X-ray scattering, microwave conductivity, and time-dependent photobleaching spectroscopies for two high-performance semitransparent OPV blends-PDPP4T:PC60BM and PDPP4T:IEICO-4F, with comparisons to the stabilities of the individual components. We present direct evidence that specific molecular acceptor (fullerene vs nonfullerene) designs and the resulting donor-acceptor interactions lead to distinctly different mechanistic routes that ultimately arrive at what is termed "OPV degradation." We directly observe a chemical oxidation of the cyano endcaps of the IEICO-4F that coincides with a morphological change and large loss in photoconductivity while the fullerene acceptor-containing blend demonstrates a significantly greater fraction of oxygen uptake but retains 55% of the photoconductivity. This experimental roadmap provides meaningful guidance for future high-throughput, multimodal studies, benchmarking the sensitivity of the different analytical techniques for assessing stability in printable active layers, independent of complete device architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Anderson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Bryon W Larson
- Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Erin L Ratcliff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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49
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Wang R, Lüer L, Langner S, Heumueller T, Forberich K, Zhang H, Hauch J, Li N, Brabec CJ. Understanding the Microstructure Formation of Polymer Films by Spontaneous Solution Spreading Coating with a High-Throughput Engineering Platform. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:3590-3598. [PMID: 34236142 PMCID: PMC8518985 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202100927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
An important step of the great achievement of organic solar cells in power conversion efficiency is the development of low-band gap polymer donors, PBDB-T derivatives, which present interesting aggregation effects dominating the device performance. The aggregation of polymers can be manipulated by a series of variables from a materials design and processing conditions perspective; however, optimization of film quality is a time- and energy-consuming work. Here, we introduce a robot-based high-throughput platform (HTP) that is offering automated film preparation and optical spectroscopy thin-film characterization in combination with an analysis algorithm. PM6 films are prepared by the so-called spontaneous film spreading (SFS) process, where a polymer solution is coated on a water surface. Automated acquisition of UV/Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectra and automated extraction of morphological features is coupled to Gaussian Process Regression to exploit available experimental evidence for morphology optimization but also for hypothesis formulation and testing with respect to the underlying physical principles. The integrated spectral modeling workflow yields quantitative microstructure information by distinguishing amorphous from ordered phases and assesses the extension of amorphous versus the ordered domains. This research provides an easy to use methodology to analyze the exciton coherence length in conjugated semiconductors and will allow to optimize exciton splitting in thin film organic semiconductor layers as a function of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Wang
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT)Paul-Gordan-Straße 691052ErlangenGermany
| | - Larry Lüer
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Stefan Langner
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Thomas Heumueller
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Karen Forberich
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Heyi Zhang
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT)Paul-Gordan-Straße 691052ErlangenGermany
| | - Jens Hauch
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
- National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing TechnologyZhengzhou University450002ZhengzhouP. R. China
| | - Christoph J. Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11)Immerwahrstrasse 291058ErlangenGermany
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50
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Li Y, Fu H, Wu Z, Wu X, Wang M, Qin H, Lin F, Woo HY, Jen AKY. Regulating the Aggregation of Unfused Non-Fullerene Acceptors via Molecular Engineering towards Efficient Polymer Solar Cells. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:3579-3589. [PMID: 34037333 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202100746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tuning molecular aggregation via structure design to manipulate the film morphology still remains as a challenge for polymer solar cells based on unfused non-fullerene acceptors (UF-NFAs). Herein, a strategy was developed to modulate the aggregation patterns of UF-NFAs by systematically varying the π-bridge (D) unit and central core (A') unit in A-D-A'-D-A framework (A and D refer to electron-withdrawing and electron-donating moieties, respectively). Specifically, the quantified contents of H- or J-aggregation and crystallite disorder of three UF-NFAs (BDIC2F, BCIC2F, and TCIC2F) were analyzed via UV/Vis spectrometry and grazing incidence X-ray scattering. The results showed that the H-aggregate-dominated BCIC2F with less crystallite disorder exhibited a more favorable blend morphology with polymer donor PBDB-T (poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene)-co-(1,3-di(5-thiophene-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione)]) relative the other two UF-NFAs, resulting in improved exciton dissociation and charge tranport. Consequently, photovoltaic devices based on BCIC2F delivered a promising power conversion efficiency of 12.4 % with an exceptionally high short-circuit current density of 22.1 mA cm-2 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Huiting Fu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Ziang Wu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713 (Republic of, Korea
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Mei Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, P. R. China
| | - Hongmei Qin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, P. R. China
| | - Francis Lin
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713 (Republic of, Korea
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, P. R. China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2120, USA
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