Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Christian L. Weindl, Christian E. Fajman, Michael A. Giebel, Kerstin S. Wienhold, Shanshan Yin, Ting Tian, Christina Geiger, Lucas P. Kreuzer, Matthias Schwartzkopf, Stephan Roth, Thomas F. Fassler, Peter Muller-Buschbaum
Summary: This study demonstrates a synthesis method that allows a change in morphology and elemental composition with minimal effort. Morphological transformation in the nanometer regime is confirmed through real space and complementary reciprocal space analysis methods. This method has the potential for chemical mass production.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Andrew Selkirk, Nadezda Prochukhan, Ross Lundy, Cian Cummins, Riley Gatensby, Rachel Kilbride, Andrew Parnell, Jhonattan Baez Vasquez, Michael Morris, Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari
Summary: This study overcomes the kinetic challenges in the self-assembly of UHMW BCPs through precision solvent annealing, resulting in highly ordered large-period lamellar domains. The research reveals that film thickness and solvent concentration significantly affect the domain morphology.
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Wooseop Lee, Jiho Kim, Seungyun Jo, Boknam Chae, Hyungju Ahn, Du Yeol Ryu
Summary: This study presents a simple and effective method to probe the chemical distribution in self-assembled block copolymer films, and reveals the impact of solvent vapor annealing and thermal annealing on the chemical distribution, which is crucial for the formation of high-contrast chemical patterns.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sajan Singh, Tandra Ghoshal, Nadezda Prochukhan, Alberto Alvarez Fernandez, Jhonattan Frank Baez Vasquez, Pravind Yadav, Sibu C. Padmanabhan, Michael A. Morris
Summary: In this study, we demonstrated the formation of oxide porous and nanodot structures from the same block copolymer (BCP) through the phase inversion of a BCP template. The effect of solvent annealing time on the ordering of the BCP was investigated. Metal ions were infiltrated into the BCP templates and oxidized to their oxides. The resulting structures were analyzed through various methods, confirming the complete elimination of the BCP template and the presence of metal oxides.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kshitij Sharma, Aman Agrawal, Ali Masud, Sushil K. Satija, John F. Ankner, Jack F. Douglas, Alamgir Karim
Summary: The kinetics and morphology of block copolymer films are influenced by the processing pathway, which affects the enthalpic and entropic forces driving the ordering processes. Understanding the free energy landscape and how processing procedures can move the system through this landscape is important for controlling the variability of block copolymer morphology. The authors demonstrate a method where a target low-energy structure can be quickly achieved by subjecting as-cast films to initial solvent annealing followed by a short period of thermal annealing.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yu-Hsuan Tseng, Yu-Liang Lin, Jhih-Hao Ho, Chun-Ting Chang, Yi-Chun Fan, Ming-Hui Shen, Jiun-Tai Chen
Summary: This study presents a clever approach to form PS-b-PEO nanorods in nanopores of AAO templates using solvent vapor annealing method, allowing for control over the internal morphologies of the nanorods by changing the annealing solvents. This technique provides a powerful tool for fabricating functional nanomaterials with unique morphologies, showing great potential for various applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Ling-Ying Shi, Zhixiong Fei, Qian Wang, Lin Weng, Chenxiao Yin, Jinrui Sun, Zhihao Shen
Summary: Bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs) are intriguing architectural polymers that can produce various anisotropic nanostructures. This study presents a method for creating ordered silicon oxide patterns and particles on substrates using solvent vapor induced thin film self-assembly of BBCPs containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polystyrene (PS) side chains. Different morphologies, including cylindrical or stripes-like, spherical, and ordered porous structures, as well as Janus particle-like structures, were achieved through solvent vapor annealing. The Janus particle-like structures were further transformed into meso-to-macroporous silicon oxide bowls after oxygen plasma etching. The study also discussed the effects of solvent vapor and backbone length on the self-assembly behavior of the thin film.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Hsuan Tseng, Yi-Chun Fan, Chun-Ting Chang, Yu-Liang Lin, Chia-Wei Chang, Chih-Wei Liao, Jiun-Tai Chen
Summary: In this study, a facile strategy called photoinduced alignment under solvent vapor annealing (PA-SVA) is proposed to form well-aligned block copolymer thin films without the need for chemically or topographically prepatterned substrates. The light-assisted self-assembly of the block copolymers is achieved by incorporating light-responsive azobenzene molecules into the polymer chains. The alignment of the block copolymer chains is induced through supramolecular interactions between the azobenzene molecules and the polymer chains. This method not only allows for manipulation of the position of light-responsive molecules in block copolymer chains, but also provides an alternative way to obtain well-ordered block copolymer thin films.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marc Gensch, Matthias Schwartzkopf, Calvin J. Brett, Simon J. Schaper, Lucas P. Kreuzer, Nian Li, Wei Chen, Suzhe Liang, Jonas Drewes, Oleksandr Polonskyi, Thomas Strunskus, Franz Faupel, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum, Stephan Roth
Summary: The study investigates the deposition process and percolation behavior of silver clusters on polymer templates, demonstrating that Ag clusters start to percolate on the network of hexagonal P3HT domains before a complete metal film covers the polymer surface. Polymer blocks and substrate effects play a crucial role in influencing the percolation behavior of Ag clusters.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Ali Masud, Melanie Longanecker, Sonal Bhadauriya, Maninderjeet Singh, Wenjie Wu, Kshitij Sharma, Tanguy Terlier, Abdullah M. Al-Enizi, Sushil Satija, Jack F. Douglas, Alamgir Karim
Summary: The use of an ionic liquid (IL) with high cohesion and low volatility can enhance the ordering and alignment in block copolymer (BCP) films while maintaining high molecular mobility. This approach has potential applications in preparing defect-free multilayer films.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marc Gensch, Matthias Schwartzkopf, Calvin J. Brett, Simon J. Schaper, Nian Li, Wei Chen, Suzhe Liang, Jonas Drewes, Oleksandr Polonskyi, Thomas Strunskus, Franz Faupel, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum, Stephan Roth
Summary: This study investigates the nanostructure formation of aluminum cluster layers on different polymer domains using a diblock copolymer template, and monitors the optical properties and chemical interaction during sputter deposition. Various characterization techniques such as UV-vis measurements, GISAXS, XPS, AFM, and FESEM are employed to study the selective wetting of aluminum on P3HT domains and embedding in PMMA domains, as well as the four distinct growth stages of aluminum nanostructure formation.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wang Zhang, Gangyao Wen, Hongfei Li
Summary: In this study, the dewetting behavior of spin-coated poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) random copolymer films was investigated for the first time. The effects of film thickness and solvent vapor annealing duration on the dewetting behavior were examined. It was found that the annealing of acetone vapor caused periodic evolutions of droplets in the SAN films due to the affinity of acetone molecules with the acrylonitrile segments and the change of surface energy.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Ian W. Hamley
Summary: Lamellar structures are common in soft materials and exhibit characteristic scattering patterns. Diffuse scattering can provide information about the fluctuations and elastic properties of lamellae, as well as insights into the nature of correlated structures.
Article
Polymer Science
Wennie Yun Lee, Dana Chapman, Fei Yu, William R. T. Tait, R. Paxton Thedford, Guillaume Freychet, Mikhail Zhernenkov, Lara A. Estroff, Ulrich B. Wiesner
Summary: Self-assembled block copolymer thin films and their nanocomposites have diverse applications due to their nanostructures. Optical super-resolution microscopy (OSRM) has emerged as an alternative method for characterizing nanoscopic polymer morphology. This study focuses on self-assembled triblock terpolymer thin films with all three blocks exposed at the top surface, and demonstrates the use of OSRM for multicolor characterization of chemically distinct nanodomains.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yangjin Zhang, Mingshuang Qian, Weiguo Hu, Yuci Xu
Summary: This study increases the stability region of three-dimensional multi-continuous nanostructures by controlling the block ratio of an ABC triblock copolymer, which provides a new way for the applications in smart sensors, gas separation membranes, and photonic materials.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xue Yin, Jianqi Zhang, Le Yang, Wende Xiao, Lei Zhou, Yujing Tang, Wen Yang
Summary: A new approach is proposed to improve the efficiency of electric double-layer capacitors by creating AC with an ionophobic surface. The study characterizes the polar C-F bonds formed in the AC material and extensively investigates the ionophobic characteristic of YP-F60s in an organic electrolyte. The constructed EDLC shows high specific capacitance and excellent cycling stability, demonstrating the importance of the interfacial microenvironment of AC and its confined electrolyte to the electrochemical performance of EDLCs.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Cheng Li, Huawen Huang, Fuhong Xiao, Bin Zhao, Guo-Jun Deng
Summary: The study describes a practical strategy for skeletal diversification through combining selective C-H cleavage with C-C cleavage in a tandem reaction. Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed redox-neutral reaction of aryl oximes and internal alkynes generates novel N-(2-cyanoaryl) indanone imines with good yields, regioselectivities and atom economy, producing water as the only by-product. Experimental and theoretical studies offer mechanistic insights into this transformation, achieving an attractive integration of C-H activation with C-C activation in oxime transformation.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xuning Zhang, Chao Li, Jianqiu Xu, Rui Wang, Jiali Song, Hong Zhang, Yanxun Li, Ya-Nan Jing, Shilin Li, Guangbao Wu, Jin Zhou, Xing Li, Yingying Zhang, Xiong Li, Jianqi Zhang, Chunfeng Zhang, Huiqiong Zhou, Yanming Sun, Yuan Zhang
Summary: This study reveals the impact of dielectric properties on the fill factor and photovoltaic efficiency of organic solar cells. By increasing the molecular packing density and dielectric constant, the fill factor and efficiency can be improved.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hong Zhang, Xuning Zhang, Yanxun Li, Gaosheng Huang, Wenna Du, Jianwei Shi, Boxin Wang, Shilin Li, Tianze Jiang, Jianqi Zhang, Qian Cheng, Jieyi Chen, Bing Han, Xinfeng Liu, Yuan Zhang, Huiqiong Zhou
Summary: Molecular doping is an effective method to tune the optoelectronic properties of organic semiconductors. Sequential interfacial doping in bilayer devices can improve the device performance by enhancing carrier mobility and charge transfer between the donor and the acceptor.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Muhammad Abdullah Adil, Waqar Ali Memon, Jianqi Zhang, Muhammad Junaid Iqbal, Chen Yang, Yuheng Wang, Wenjun Zou, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: This study demonstrates a relatively simple approach to overcome the batch-to-batch variation problem associated with polymers for organic solar cells by adding tetraphenylethylene (TPE) component in PM6:Y6 blends. By controlling the donor molecular weight and incorporating TPE, the power conversion efficiency and morphology of the devices are improved, achieving high-performance attributes.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dounya Barrit, Ming-Chun Tang, Rahim Munir, Ruipeng Li, Kui Zhao, Detlef-M Smilgies
Summary: This study provides a systematic overview of the influence of different solution-based processing routes of lead halide perovskites on their phase transformation and conversion. The experiments reveal important information about the mechanism, kinetics, and microstructure of the thin film.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuchuan Xiao, Linxiu Cheng, Xinyu Sui, Qi Wang, Jie Chen, Dan Deng, Jianqi Zhang, Xuan Peng, Xiaokang Li, Xunwen Xiao, Ke Deng, Xinfeng Liu, Zhixiang Wei, Qingdao Zeng
Summary: The morphology, co-assembly behavior, interaction sites, and charge transfer of the BTID-nF (n = 1, 2)/PC71BM donor-acceptor system in the active layer of organic solar cells were studied. The results showed that the co-assembled ridge-like structures formed by BTID-nF (n = 1, 2)/PC71BM were more stable and exhibited charge transfer.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lixuan Liu, Yang Yang, Lingyun Zhu, Jianqi Zhang, Kun Chen, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: This study presents the successful development of high-performing direct near-infrared circularly polarized light photodetectors with high dissymmetry factor, responsivity, detectivity, and response speed. Introducing supramolecular chirality achieved an optimal balance between optoelectronic performance and chiroptical properties, enabling the photodetector to exhibit excellent performance in the NIR region.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yanan Shi, Yilin Chang, Kun Lu, Zhihao Chen, Jianqi Zhang, Yangjun Yan, Dingding Qiu, Yanan Liu, Muhammad Abdullah Adil, Wei Ma, Xiaotao Hao, Lingyun Zhu, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: This study reveals the relationship between reorganization energy and energy losses by designing and synthesizing two acceptors with smaller reorganization energies, providing direction for achieving high-performance organic solar cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lili Zhang, Ziqi Zhang, Dan Deng, Huiqiong Zhou, Jianqi Zhang, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: A novel N-pi-N type oligomeric acceptor, 2BTP-2F-T, with high absorption coefficient and high electron mobility, is reported. The device based on 2BTP-2F-T exhibits higher efficiency and improved stability compared to corresponding monomer and polymeric acceptor devices.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Detlef-M. Smilgies, Ruipeng Li
Summary: Coating organic molecules can lead to directional crystal growth under certain conditions, even without substrate preparation. Matching the coating speed with the growth speed of the fastest growing crystal plane is crucial for achieving a high degree of directional crystallization.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pengqi Li, Xianyi Meng, Ke Jin, Zhiwei Xu, Jianqi Zhang, Lixiu Zhang, Chuang Niu, Furui Tan, Chenyi Yi, Zuo Xiao, Yaqing Feng, Guan-Wu Wang, Liming Ding
Summary: The emergence of Y6-type nonfullerene acceptors has greatly improved the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells. However, the impact of different structural features on the excellent photovoltaic performance is still debated. In this study, two new Y6-like acceptors were designed, and it was found that the banana-shaped molecular structure is likely to be the determining factor for achieving high photovoltaic performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tian Zhang, Haopeng Chen, Chuanfu Li, Kun Lu, Liting Zhang, Ahmad Shokrieh, Jianqi Zhang, Guanghao Lu, Shengbin Lei, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: The introduction of trifluoro alkyl side chains to the pyrrole unit of the BTP core can optimize the morphology of NFA-based OSCs and improve their performance.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meiling Xie, Yanan Shi, Hao Zhang, Junxiu Pan, Jianqi Zhang, Zhixiang Wei, Kun Lu
Summary: Three nonfullerene acceptors with different aryl-substituted terminal groups were designed and synthesized, achieving high efficiency in photovoltaic conversion and reducing nonradiative energy loss.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lixuan Liu, Yang Yang, Yuheng Wang, Muhammad Abdullah Adil, Yingjie Zhao, Jianqi Zhang, Kun Chen, Dan Deng, Hao Zhang, Kamran Amin, Yuchen Wu, Yajie Zhang, Zhixiang Wei
Summary: Chiral supramolecular architectures provide desired properties and functions to artificial systems. Through organic solar cells, we achieved accurate detection of circularly polarized light by amplifying the photocurrent dissymmetry using supramolecular chirality.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2022)