1
|
Lai S, Cui Y, Chen Z, Xia X, Zhu P, Shan S, Hu L, Lu X, Zhu H, Liao X, Chen Y. Impact of Electrostatic Interaction on Vertical Morphology and Energy Loss in Efficient Pseudo-Planar Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2313105. [PMID: 38279607 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Although a suitable vertical phase separation (VPS) morphology is essential for improving charge transport efficiency, reducing charge recombination, and ultimately boosting the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs), there is a lack of theoretical guidance on how to achieve the ideal morphology. Herein, a relationship between the molecular structure and the VPS morphology of pseudo-planar heterojunction (PPHJ) OSCs is established by using molecular surface electrostatic potential (ESP) as a bridge. The morphological evolution mechanism is revealed by studying four binary systems with vary electrostatic potential difference (∆ESP) between donors (Ds) and acceptors (As). The findings manifest that as ∆ESP increases, the active layer is more likely to form a well-mixed phase, while a smaller ∆ESP favors VPS morphology. Interestingly, it is also observed that a larger ∆ESP leads to enhanced miscibility between Ds and As, resulting in higher non-radiative energy losses (ΔE3). Based on these discoveries, a ternary PPHJ device is meticulously designed with an appropriate ∆ESP to obtain better VPS morphology and lower ΔE3, and an impressive efficiency of 19.09% is achieved. This work demonstrates that by optimizing the ΔESP, not only the formation of VPS morphology can be controlled, but also energy losses can be reduced, paving the way to further boost OSC performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiting Lai
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yongjie Cui
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials & College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Xinxin Xia
- Department of Physics Chinese University of Hong Kong New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Peipei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Shiyu Shan
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Lin Hu
- China-Australia Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM), Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics Chinese University of Hong Kong New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Xunfan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen W, Liu T, Zou J, Zhang D, Tse MK, Tsang SW, Luo J, Jen AKY. Push-Pull Heptamethines Near the Cyanine Limit Exhibiting Large Quadratic Electro-Optic Effect. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2306089. [PMID: 37549890 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Harnessing the quadratic electro-optic (QEO) of near-infrared polymethine chromophores over broad telecom wavelength bands is a subject of immense potential but remains largely under-investigated. Herein a series of push-pull heptamethines containing the tricyanofuran (TCF) acceptors and indoline or benzo[e]indoline donors are reported. These dipolar chromophores can attain a highly delocalized "cyanine-like" electronic ground state in solvents spanning a wide range of polarities, in some cases even closer to the ideal polymethine state than symmetrical cyanines. A transmission-mode electromodulation spectroscopy is used to study the electric-field-induced changes in optical absorption and refraction of polymer films doped with heptamethine chromophores, and large and thermally stable QEO effect with high efficiency-loss figure-of-merits that compare favorably to those from dipolar polyenes in poled or unpoled polymers and III-V semiconductors is obtained. The study opens a path for developing organic materials based on cyanine-like merocyanines for complementary metal oxide semiconductor -compatible, fast, efficient, and low-loss electro-optic modulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weilong Chen
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Taili Liu
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Jie Zou
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Man Kit Tse
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Sai-Wing Tsang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Jingdong Luo
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liao X, Liu M, Pei H, Zhu P, Xia X, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Wu Z, Cui Y, Xu G, Gao M, Ye L, Ma R, Liu T, Lu X, Zhu H, Chen Y. Regulating Crystallinity Mismatch Between Donor and Acceptor to Improve Exciton/Charge Transport in Efficient Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318595. [PMID: 38224211 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Achieving a more balanced charge transport by morphological control is crucial in reducing bimolecular and trap-assisted recombination and enhancing the critical parameters for efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). Hence, a facile strategy is proposed to reduce the crystallinity difference between donor and acceptor by incorporating a novel multifunctional liquid crystal small molecule (LCSM) BDTPF4-C6 into the binary blend. BDTPF4-C6 is the first LCSM based on a tetrafluorobenzene unit and features a low liquid crystal phase transition temperature and strong self-assembly ability, conducive to regulating the active layer morphology. When BDTPF4-C6 is introduced as a guest molecule into the PM6 : Y6 binary, it exhibits better compatibility with the donor PM6 and primarily resides within the PM6 phase because of the similarity-intermiscibility principle. Moreover, systematic studies revealed that BDTPF4-C6 could be used as a seeding agent for PM6 to enhance its crystallinity, thereby forming a more balanced and favourable charge transport with suppressed charge recombination. Intriguingly, dual Förster resonance energy transfer was observed between the guest molecule and the host donor and acceptor, resulting in an improved current density. This study demonstrates a facile approach to balance the charge mobilities and offers new insights into boosting the efficiency of single-junction OSCs beyond 20 %.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xunfan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mingtao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Hongqiao Pei
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Peipei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Xinxin Xia
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Zeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Zhongyuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yongjie Cui
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Guodong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mengyuan Gao
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Long Ye
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Guangxi Key Lab of Processing for Nonferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Key Lab of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Resources, Environments and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lu J, Liu X, Li X, Li H, Shi L, Xia X, He BL, Meyer TF, Li X, Sun H, Yang X. Copper regulates the host innate immune response against bacterial infection via activation of ALPK1 kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311630121. [PMID: 38232278 PMCID: PMC10823219 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311630121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Copper is an essential trace element for the human body, and its requirement for optimistic immune functions has been recognized for decades. How copper is involved in the innate immune pathway, however, remains to be clarified. Here, we report that copper serves as a signal molecule to regulate the kinase activity of alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1), a cytosolic pattern-recognition receptor (PRR), and therefore promotes host cell defense against bacterial infection. We show that in response to infection, host cells actively accumulate copper in the cytosol, and the accumulated cytosolic copper enhances host cell defense against evading pathogens, including intracellular and, unexpectedly, extracellular bacteria. Subsequently, we demonstrate that copper activates the innate immune pathway of host cells in an ALPK1-dependent manner. Further mechanistic studies reveal that copper binds to ALPK1 directly and is essential for the kinase activity of this cytosolic PRR. Moreover, the binding of copper to ALPK1 enhances the sensitivity of ALPK1 to the bacterial metabolite ADP-heptose and eventually prompts host cells to elicit an enhanced immune response during bacterial infection. Finally, using a zebrafish in vivo model, we show that a copper-treated host shows an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, enhanced recruitment of phagosome cells, and promoted bacterial clearance. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of copper in the modulation of host innate immune response against bacterial pathogens and advance our knowledge on the cross talk between cytosolic copper homeostasis and immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xinghua Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Liwa Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xin Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Bai-liang He
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Thomas F. Meyer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin10117, Germany
- Laboratory of Infection Oncology, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian Albrecht’s University of Kiel, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel24105, Germany
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Xinming Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chung CY, Pan DJ, Paracchini S, Jiang W, So HC, McBride C, Maurer U, Zheng M, Choy KW. Dyslexia-related loci are significantly associated with language and literacy in Chinese-English bilingual Hong Kong Chinese twins. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1519-1529. [PMID: 37668838 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02594-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
A recent genome-wide association study on dyslexia in 51,800 affected European adults and 1,087,070 controls detected 42 genome-wide significant single nucleotide variants (SNPs). The association between rs2624839 in SEMA3F and reading fluency was replicated in a Chinese cohort. This study explores the genetic overlap between Chinese and English word reading, vocabulary knowledge and spelling, and aims at replicating the association in a unique cohort of bilingual (Chinese-English) Hong Kong Chinese twins. Our result showed an almost complete genetic overlap in vocabulary knowledge (r2 = 0.995), and some genetic overlaps in word reading and spelling (r2 = 0.846, 0.687) across the languages. To investigate the region near rs2624839, we tested proxy SNPs (rs1005678, rs12632110 and rs12494414) at the population level (n = 305-308) and the within-twin level (n = 342-344 [171-172 twin pairs]). All the three SNPs showed significant associations with quantitative Chinese and English vocabulary knowledge (p < 0.05). The strongest association after multiple testing correction was between rs12494414 and English vocabulary knowledge at the within-twin level (p = 0.004). There was a trend of associations with word reading and spelling in English but not in Chinese. Our result suggested that the region near rs2624839 is one of the common genetic factors across English and Chinese vocabulary knowledge and unique factors of English word reading and English spelling in bilingual Chinese twins. A larger sample size is required to validate our findings. Further studies on the relationship between variable expression of SEMA3F, which is important to neurodevelopment, and language and literacy are encouraged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheuk Yan Chung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dora Jue Pan
- School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Wenxuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Cheong So
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Catherine McBride
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Urs Maurer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Developmental Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mo Zheng
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Division of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Kwong Wai Choy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Joint BCM-CUHK Center of Medical Genetics, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen L, Yi J, Ma R, Ding L, Dela Peña TA, Liu H, Chen J, Zhang C, Zhao C, Lu W, Wei Q, Zhao B, Hu H, Wu J, Ma Z, Lu X, Li M, Zhang G, Li G, Yan H. An Isomeric Solid Additive Enables High-Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Developed Using a Benzo-Difuran-Based Donor Polymer. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2301231. [PMID: 37044383 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Currently, nearly all high-efficiency organic photovoltaic devices use donor polymers based on the benzo-dithiophene (BDT) unit. To diversify the choices of building blocks for high-performance donor polymers, the use of benzo-difuran (BDF) units is explored, which can achieve reduced steric hindrance, stronger molecular packing, and tunable energy levels. In previous research, the performance of BDF-based devices lagged behind those of BDT-based devices. In this study, a high efficiency (18.4%) is achieved using a BDF-based polymer donor, which is the highest efficiency reported for BDF donor materials to date. The high efficiency is enabled by a donor polymer (D18-Fu) and the aid of a solid additive (2-chloronaphthalene), which is the isomer of the commonly used additive 1-chloronaphthalene. These results revealed the significant effect of 2-chloronaphthalene in optimizing the morphology and enhancing the device parameters. This work not only provides a new building block that can achieve an efficiency comparable to dominant BDT units but also proposes a new solid additive that can replace the widely used 1-chloronaphthalene additive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jicheng Yi
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Lu Ding
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
| | - Top Archie Dela Peña
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511400, P. R. China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jian Chen
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
| | - Cuifen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Chaoyue Zhao
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
| | - Wen Lu
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials & Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wei
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials & Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Huawei Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Jiaying Wu
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511400, P. R. China
| | - Zaifei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Mingjie Li
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Guangye Zhang
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
- eFlexPV Limited (Foshan), Guicheng Street, Nanhai District, Foshan, 528200, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Song J, Liu H, Zhao Z, Guo X, Liu CK, Griggs S, Marks A, Zhu Y, Law HKW, McCulloch I, Yan F. 2D metal-organic frameworks for ultraflexible electrochemical transistors with high transconductance and fast response speeds. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadd9627. [PMID: 36630506 PMCID: PMC9833676 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add9627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical transistors (ECTs) have shown broad applications in bioelectronics and neuromorphic devices due to their high transconductance, low working voltage, and versatile device design. To further improve the device performance, semiconductor materials with both high carrier mobilities and large capacitances in electrolytes are needed. Here, we demonstrate ECTs based on highly oriented two-dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks (2D c-MOFs). The ion-conductive vertical nanopores formed within the 2D c-MOFs films lead to the most convenient ion transfer in the bulk and high volumetric capacitance, endowing the devices with fast speeds and ultrahigh transconductance. Ultraflexible device arrays are successfully used for wearable on-skin recording of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals along different directions, which can provide various waveforms comparable with those of multilead ECG measurement systems for monitoring heart conditions. These results indicate that 2D c-MOFs are excellent semiconductor materials for high-performance ECTs with promising applications in flexible and wearable electronics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Song
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zeyu Zhao
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuyun Guo
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chun-ki Liu
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sophie Griggs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Adam Marks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Ye Zhu
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Helen Ka-wai Law
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Iain McCulloch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Feng Yan
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077 Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Research Institute of Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Li J, Fang W, Shi Y, Ren C. Assessing economic, social and environmental impacts on housing prices in Hong Kong: a time-series study of 2006, 2011 and 2016. J Hous Built Environ 2021; 37:1433-1457. [PMID: 34545277 PMCID: PMC8444176 DOI: 10.1007/s10901-021-09898-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Given Hong Kong's unique high-density urban environment and limited land resources, more and more general public has been concerned about the living quality. Based on three waves of census data (2006, 2011 and 2016), combined with our spatial-temporal urban environmental database consisting of three local datasets of urban climate and air quality, this paper assesses the impacts of social, economic and environmental factors on the logarithm of housing prices in Hong Kong through linear regression analysis. Specifically, both supply- and demand-side economic factors have significant impacts on housing prices. Demographic factors are not as significant as expected in affecting housing prices. Transportation factors have more significant effects in the short run than in the long run. Environmental factors, including the number of hot night hours, Annual Air Quality Index (AAQI) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulates with particle sizes less than 10 microns (PM10), significantly affect housing prices over time. The results have important implications: current policy instruments to prevent housing price escalation are focused on increasing property tax or land supply (economic factors), while little attention is paid to social or environmental factors, which are geographically heterogeneous. Our findings suggest that housing provision in the New Territories may be a feasible solution to alleviate the housing crisis as its demographic pattern, transportation connectivity and air quality are significantly different from Hong Kong Island or Kowloon Peninsula. In regard to urban environmental problems brought by the high-density development in Hong Kong despite land-use saving, intensified urban infrastructure and promotion of public transportation, our study contributes to the understanding of its housing price dynamics from a more holistic perspective by comparing the impacts of economic, social and environmental factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Geography and Resource Management and Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Weixuan Fang
- Centre for Urban and Public Policy Research, University of Bristol, Beacon House, Queens Road, Bristol, UK
| | - Yuan Shi
- Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 905, YIA Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chao Ren
- Faculty of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chan SCY, Karczmarski L. Epidermal Lesions and Injuries of Coastal Dolphins as Indicators of Ecological Health. Ecohealth 2019; 16:576-582. [PMID: 31328242 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01428-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Humpback dolphins (genus Sousa), obligatory inshore delphinids, are frequently exposed to adverse effects of many human activities. In Hong Kong, one of the world's most urbanised coastal regions, ~ 50% of the dolphins suffer from at least one type of epidermal lesions, likely related to anthropogenically degraded habitat. Furthermore, one in every ten dolphins has physical injuries indicative of vessel collisions, propeller cuts and fishing-gear entanglements. As top predators with long lifespan, dolphins are good "barometers" of marine environment and their compromised health conditions are symptomatic of increasingly degraded ecological conditions of coastal seas, especially in rapidly developing regions of fast-growing economies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Y Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- Cetacean Ecology Lab, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong
| | - Leszek Karczmarski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
- Cetacean Ecology Lab, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Our research is motivated by the rapidly-evolving outbreaks of rare and fatal infectious diseases, for example, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome. In many of these outbreaks, main transmission routes were healthcare facility-associated and through person-to-person contact. While a majority of existing work on modelling of the spread of infectious diseases focuses on transmission processes at a community level, we propose a new methodology to model the outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which must be considered at an individual level. Our work also contributes to a novel aspect of integrating real-time positioning technologies into the tracking and modelling framework for effective HAI outbreak control and prompt responses. Our proposed solution methodology is developed based on three key components - time-varying contact network construction, individual-level transmission tracking and HAI parameter estimation - and aims to identify the hidden health state of each patient and worker within the healthcare facility. We conduct experiments with a four-month human tracking data set collected in a hospital, which bore a big nosocomial outbreak of the 2003 SARS in Hong Kong. The evaluation results demonstrate that our framework outperforms existing epidemic models for characterizing macro-level phenomena such as the number of infected people and epidemic threshold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hung Cheng
- Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre Limited, Unit 202, Level 2, Block B, Cyberport 4, 100 Cyberport Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yong-Hong Kuo
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Ziye Zhou
- Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Han Y, Hu J, Xin Z. In-Situ Incorporation of Alkyl-Grafted Silica into Waterborne Polyurethane with High Solid Content for Enhanced Physical Properties of Coatings. Polymers (Basel) 2018; 10:E514. [PMID: 30966548 PMCID: PMC6415436 DOI: 10.3390/polym10050514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) with high solid content (45%) was obtained by utilizing dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) and ethoxylated capped polymeric diol as complex hydrophilic groups. Alkyl-grafted silica was incorporated into polymer matrix through in situ polymerization to improve the performance of coatings casted from WPU dispersions. The addition of alkyl-grafted silica enlarged the particle size distribution whilst increased emulsion viscosity, which showed little influence on attainment of high solid content for WPU. The properties of obtained WPU/Silica coatings were investigated. Results showed that the functionalized surface of silica provides good compatibility with the WPU matrix, which promoted the homogeneous dispersion of silica particles. This facilitated the formation of nanosized silica papillae on coatings, contributing to surface roughness and hydrophobicity. Solvent resistance of WPU was enhanced with existence of alkyl-grafted silica particles. The WPU/Silica coatings also displayed improved thermal stability due to the thermal insulation ability and tortuous path effect of silica. Besides this, valid interactions between silica and WPU resulted in hybrid microphase of which the synergistic effect imparted superior mechanical properties at relatively low loadings of silica (2%). The facile technique presented here will provide an effective and promising method for preparing WPU hybrids with enhanced performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Han
- Institute of Textiles & Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jinlian Hu
- Institute of Textiles & Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Zhongyin Xin
- National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
| |
Collapse
|