Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jonghee Yang, Ashish Sharma, Jung Won Yoon, Watcharaphol Paritmongkol, Seungjin Lee, Hyungju Ahn, Wooseop Lee, Hochan Song, Woo Hyeon Jeong, Bo Ram Lee, Seo-Jin Ko, Mahshid Ahmadi, Edward H. H. Sargent, Hyosung Choi
Summary: Researchers have discovered that randomly-oriented, but closer-packed crystalline structures in bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) can significantly improve charge conduction and restrict diffusion-driven charge transfer process, allowing for ultrafast hole extraction from colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) to BHJs. This finding not only provides key principles to control the packing structures of organic hole transport layers (HTLs), but also opens up a new avenue to enhance optoelectronic performance.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yeongkwon Kang, Jung Won Yoon, Seok Woo Lee, Hyungju Ahn, Siwon Yun, Jongchul Lim, Jihoon Lee, Dong Wook Chang, Hyosung Choi, Bong-Gi Kim
Summary: To investigate the effect of miscibility between conjugated polymers (CPs) and Y6 on the morphology of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) structures, three different CPs with similar chemical structures but varying miscibility with Y6 were studied. The interface morphology and interlocked dimensions were compared quantitatively using a square-wave model after selectively removing Y6 from the CP/Y6 blend films. It was found that as CP-Y6 miscibility increases, a higher intermixed interface is formed, while a decrease in miscibility leads to a decrease in the dimensions formed by phase separation and an increase in width.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qingshan Fan, Qi Xiao, Hanqing Zhang, Jinzi Heng, Meiling Xie, Zihao Wei, Xiaowei Jia, Xiaodong Liu, Zhangli Kang, Chang-Zhi Li, Shibin Li, Ting Zhang, Yu Zhou, Jiang Huang, Zhong'an Li
Summary: This work demonstrates that the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells can be improved by optimizing the film morphology using a squaraine-based doping strategy. The resulting solar cells show high efficiency and stability, making them promising for practical applications in wearable electronics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Linge Xiao, Yanxun Li, Hong Zhang, Gaosheng Huang, Qian Cheng, Shilin Li, Yuan Zhang, Huiqiong Zhou
Summary: Semitransparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs) have attracted attention for their high power generation, thermal insulation, and aesthetic features. However, traditional optical evaluation only focuses on transmission properties and ignores reflection behaviors. In this study, an optical microcavity architecture was introduced into ST-OPVs to achieve high transmittance homogeneity and controllable reflection by tuning the thickness of individual layers. A set of parameters was proposed to quantitatively describe the optical characteristics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiangjun Zheng, Lijian Zuo, Feng Zhao, Yaokai Li, Tianyi Chen, Shiqi Shan, Kangrong Yan, Youwen Pan, Bowei Xu, Chang-Zhi Li, Minmin Shi, Jianhui Hou, Hongzheng Chen
Summary: This study develops an advanced device structure for flexible organic photovoltaics (OPVs) without indium-tin-oxide (ITO), using ultrathin Ag as the transparent electrode. The designed device achieves high efficiency, low cost, superior flexibility, and upscaling capacity, making it a potential candidate for future commercialization of OPVs.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hailin Pan, Jie Wang, Zhi Chen, Ziqi Su, Zheng Tang, Zaifei Ma
Summary: The impact of surface modification by insulating polymers on the ultraviolet-enhanced conductivity of non-atomically doped ZnO films is investigated. Polymer modifiers rich in amino and hydroxyl groups are effective in increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies and the conductivity of the films. The highest conductivity achieved is over 1000 S cm(-1) using polyethylenimine ethoxylated as the modifier for NAD-ZnO films. Replacement of ITO in organic photovoltaic devices with a ZnO/PEIE electrode is successfully realized, and the devices exhibit comparable or better performance than ITO-based devices.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Muller, Ershuai Jiang, Laura Campos Guzman, Paula Rivas Lazaro, Clemens Baretzky, Shankar Bogati, Birger Zimmermann, Uli Wurfel
Summary: Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) is a promising technology for powering IoT devices with artificial illumination. OPVs can achieve efficiencies as high as 30.2% under warm white LED light and show remarkable stability under indoor illumination. A study on cost-effective ITO-free cell stack with absorber materials processed from non-halogenated solvents has achieved efficiencies up to 21% with outstanding stabilities. Further efficiency increase can be expected with a wide range of potential organic semiconducting materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yixiong Ji, Wangxian Chen, Di Yan, James Bullock, Yang Xu, Zhenghua Su, Wentong Yang, Jamie Stuart Laird, Tian Zheng, Na Wu, Wusong Zha, Qun Luo, Chang-Qi Ma, Trevor A. Smith, Fangyang Liu, Paul Mulvaney
Summary: Photovoltaic thin film solar cells based on CZTSSe have limited efficiency due to the deficit in open circuit voltage. The proposed ZAZA window structure offers improved optoelectronic properties and carrier collection efficiency, resulting in a significant enhancement of VOC. These advances enable the fabrication of high-efficiency CZTSSe solar cells without the need for an anti-reflective coating.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Yuan, Chujun Zhang, Beibei Qiu, Wei Liu, Shu Kong So, Mathieu Mainville, Mario Leclerc, Safa Shoaee, Dieter Neher, Yingping Zou
Summary: Organic solar cells (OSCs) have made rapid progress in recent years through the development of novel organic photoactive materials, particularly non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs). However, the understanding of the interplay between molecular structure and optoelectronic properties lags significantly behind. The potential role of energetic disorder in OSCs has received little attention, but recent studies have shown that state-of-the-art NFA-based devices can achieve both low energetic disorder and high power conversion efficiency (PCE).
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Olivier J. J. Ronsin, Jens Harting
Summary: This study uses a coupled phase-field-fluid mechanics framework to simulate the formation process of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) morphology in organic solar cells. The simulation results match well with experimental results and can be used to optimize the cell's performance and develop physical design rules for ink formulation and processing conditions.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Feng Zhao, Xiangjun Zheng, Shuixing Li, Kangrong Yan, Weifei Fu, Lijian Zuo, Hongzheng Chen
Summary: Organic solar cells (OSCs) have the potential for low-cost and greener solar energy utilization. This study presents high-performance OSC devices using non-halogen solvents and additives, demonstrating the advantages of green processing, flexibility, and upscaling.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yatzil Alejandra Avalos-Quiroz, Olivier Bardagot, Yann Kervella, Cyril Aumaitre, Lydia Cabau, Agnes Rivaton, Olivier Margeat, Christine Videlot-Ackermann, Uyxing Vongsaysy, Jorg Ackermann, Renaud Demadrille
Summary: Four non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) with extended electron-donating cores and varying solubilizing groups and fluorine atoms were synthesized. The solubilizing groups had minimal impact on optoelectronic properties but influenced organization in the solid state, while the presence of fluorine atoms enhanced optoelectronics properties and increased photo-stability in thin films. Compared to a reference material, the NFAs showed improved absorption across the visible range and higher energy levels. With PM6 as the donating polymer, the NFAs achieved high power conversion efficiencies in solar cells without the need for thermal post-treatment or halogenated additives, making them suitable for industrial applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hong Nhan Tran, Duc Quang Dao, Yung Jin Yoon, Yun Seop Shin, Jin San Choi, Jin Young Kim, Shinuk Cho
Summary: A solution-processable method for NiO deposition without annealing has been developed to address wettability issues, improving its potential application in solar cells. By using a mixed solvent and a unique nanoparticle suspension, NiO can be successfully deposited on hydrophobic surfaces. The high efficiency of inverted non-fullerene solar cells with NiO HTL demonstrates its competitiveness compared to traditional devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hyunjung Jin, Kyuyeon Kim, Sungmin Park, JinHyeong Rhee, Hyungju Ahn, Dong Jun Kim, Kyeongmin Kim, Jun Hong Noh, Taek-Soo Kim, Eul-Yong Shin, Hae Jung Son
Summary: Recyclable conjugated polymers play a crucial role in eco-friendly electronics due to their solution processability and flexibility. A recyclable conjugated polymer, PY-TIP, has been developed, in which a key monomer is extracted and reused for synthesizing new conjugated polymers. A one-shot preparation method using the recycled monomer has been demonstrated for the first time, resulting in a bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) film with optimal nanoscale morphology for efficient charge generation and transport. Solar cells prepared with the BHJ film exhibit a higher efficiency of 13.08% and improved thermal and mechanical stability compared to those based on small molecular acceptors. These results highlight the potential of solid-state polymer synthesis from recycled monomers and the importance of improving both stability and photovoltaic performance in BHJ films. PY-TIP serves as an exemplary model for reproducing monomers and synthesizing conjugated polymers with novel properties. This work provides valuable insights for developing recyclable conjugated polymers with dynamic covalent bonds.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Emilio Palomares, Laurent Billon, Aurelien Viterisi
Summary: Crystallinity plays a significant role in organic solar cells, particularly in small molecule bulk-heterojunction structures. The crystallinity and packing of small molecules have been found to greatly influence the power conversion efficiency. This review highlights the shift towards a liquid crystalline-like packing in the history of small molecule bulk-heterojunction structures, which is associated with an increase in overall power conversion efficiency.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Seoung Rak Lee, Bum Soo Lee, Jae Sik Yu, Heesun Kang, Min Jeong Yoo, Sang Ah Yi, Jeung-Whan Han, Sil Kim, Jung Kyu Kim, Jin-Chul Kim, Ki Hyun Kim
Summary: This study identifies withasilolides from Indian ginseng as potential anti-adipogenic compounds for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases.
JOURNAL OF GINSENG RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gnanaprakasam Janani, Subramani Surendran, Hyeonuk Choi, Tae-Yong An, Mi-Kyung Han, Sun-Ju Song, Woosung Park, Jung Kyu Kim, Uk Sim
Summary: This study introduces single-phase metal-rich nickel phosphide (Ni12P5)-incorporated carbon composites for a highly efficient water-splitting system. The optimized composites show superior activity in both oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions, achieving high current density at a stable potential, which can contribute to the development of enhanced electrochemical energy systems.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yoongu Lim, Song Yeul Lee, Dohun Kim, Mi-Kyung Han, Hyun Soo Han, Soon Hyung Kang, Jung Kyu Kim, Uk Sim, Yong Il Park
Summary: The key to increasing photocatalytic activity is to maximize solar spectrum utilization and minimize the recombination of photosynthetic carriers. In this study, a novel heterojunction photoelectrode utilizing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and ZnFe2O4 was designed to improve solar absorption efficiency. The combination of UCNPs and ZFO demonstrated a significant enhancement in photoelectrochemical performance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuankai Li, Minyeong Je, Jaekyum Kim, Chengkai Xia, Seung Hun Roh, Won So, Hanleem Lee, Dong-Hwan Kim, Sung Min Cho, Jong Wook Bae, Heechae Choi, Jung Kyu Kim
Summary: Surface defect engineering is a promising approach to enhance the efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting. This study demonstrates a facile surface defect engineering method to position amorphous nanoparticles on the surface of crystalline metal oxide, resulting in significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dohun Kim, Subramani Surendran, Gnanaprakasam Janani, Yoongu Lim, Hyeonuk Choi, Mi-Kyung Han, Subramanian Yuvaraj, Tae-Hoon Kim, Jung Kyu Kim, Uk Sim
Summary: In this study, a nitrogen-impregnated carbon coating strategy was proposed to enhance the activity of titanium dioxide-based catalysts for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR). The results showed that the nitrogen-impregnated carbon coating increased the ammonia yield rate and Faradaic efficiency, as well as improving electron conductivity and electrocatalytic activity, indicating better performance of the eNRR.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ji Won Ha, Jae Sik Yu, Bum Soo Lee, Dong-Min Kang, Mi-Jeong Ahn, Jung Kyu Kim, Ki Hyun Kim
Summary: This study found that Withania somnifera root is rich in withanolides, which exhibit antioxidant activity and weak anti-Helicobacter pylori activity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Se Yun Jeong, Myung Woo Na, Eon Chung Park, Jin-Chul Kim, Dong-Min Kang, Hamed Hamishehkar, Mi-Jeong Ahn, Jung Kyu Kim, Ki Hyun Kim
Summary: In this study, a phytochemical analysis of Pinus eldarica needles collected in Iran was conducted, resulting in the isolation and identification of three labdane-type diterpenes, including a new norlabdane-type diterpene. These diterpenes exhibited antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori, highlighting their potential as novel antibiotics for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chengang Pei, Min-Cheol Kim, Yuankai Li, Chengkai Xia, Jaekyum Kim, Won So, Xu Yu, Ho Seok Park, Jung Kyu Kim
Summary: This study demonstrates an efficient and stable pH-universal electrocatalyst NiCo2S4/ReS2 for hydrogen evolution reaction. The chemically coupled NiCo2S4 and ReS2 layers induce electron transfer and spin crossover, leading to enhanced water dissociation kinetics and superior alkaline HER activity.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Unbeom Baeck, Duong Nguyen Nguyen, Minsup Choi, Jaekyum Kim, Woo-Seok Choe, Jun Young Lee, Young-Seok Kim, Jung Kyu Kim
Summary: The use of oxygen-functionalized graphene as a hole interfacial layer can significantly improve the hole-transport properties and long-term stability of PEDOT:PSS, leading to improved performance in organic optoelectronic devices.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Moon Choi, Seung Hun Roh, Eujin Kwak, Dae-Geun Choi, Seok Joon Kwon, Jung Kyu Kim, Jong Hyeok Park
Summary: The introduction of plasmon induced energy transfer (PIET) is a promising approach to improve the photo-electrochemical (PEC) responses on metal-oxide based photoelectrodes. This study demonstrates effective localization of a plasmon-induced near-field on a photoelectrode via patterned Au NP assemblies (Au-PAT) that enhances the PEC responses for oxidation reactions. The optimized grating pitch of Au-PAT enhances the light absorption efficiency and increases the interband transition rate via PIET.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chanmin Jo, Subramani Surendran, Min-Cheol Kim, Tae-Yong An, Yoongu Lim, Hyeonuk Choi, Gnanaprakasam Janani, Sebastian Cyril Jesudass, Dae Jun Moon, Jaekyum Kim, Joon Young Kim, Chang Hyuck Choi, Myeongjin kIM, Jung Kyu Kim, U. K. Sim
Summary: Nickel phosphide supported on nitrogen-doped carbon (Ni2P@N-C) is a bifunctional electrocatalyst that can efficiently decompose ammonia and produce hydrogen in an electrolysis cell with low energy consumption.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dohun Kim, Khurshed Alam, Mi-Kyung Han, Subramani Surendran, Jaehyoung Lim, Joon Young Kim, Dae Jun Moon, Geonwoo Jeong, Myeong Gon Kim, Gibum Kwon, Sangsun Yang, Tae Gon Kang, Jung Kyu Kim, Seon Yeop Jung, Hoonsung Cho, Uk Sim
Summary: This study presents a method for improving the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) by controlling the wettability of the catalyst surface to suppress hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and facilitate N2 adsorption. It was found that increasing the hydrophobicity of the surface led to higher ammonia yield and Faradaic efficiency. Computational fluid dynamics simulation confirmed that improving the hydrophobicity of the catalytic surface increased the amount of time N2 gas stayed on the surface.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tae-Yong An, Subramani Surendran, Sebastian Cyril Jesudass, Hyunjung Lee, Dae Jun Moon, Jung Kyu Kim, Uk Sim
Summary: Hydrogen has become essential for sustainable energy resources due to the depletion of fossil fuels and increased pollution. Green ammonia is considered an efficient carrier for hydrogen storage and transport. This study focuses on controlling the nitrogen reduction performance of Mo2C-Mo2N heterostructure electrocatalyst and reveals the improved activity achieved by the combination of Mo2C and Mo2N0.92 phases. The study suggests the importance of precisely tuning the electrocatalyst using heterostructure strategy to achieve higher nitrogen reduction activity.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinhui Ser, Hyunjung Lee, Subramani Surendran, Jung Kyu Kim, Uk Sim, Hoonsung Cho
Summary: Sensors incorporating nanomaterials are being studied for their high sensitivity and accuracy in diagnostics, especially for early cancer detection through the isolation and detection of biomarkers. This review explores cutting-edge nanomaterials used in biosensing platforms to introduce transducer platforms for the recognition and detection of specific cancer biomarkers. The development of these biosensing systems paves the way for highly precise cancer detection and monitoring of different biopsy samples.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Seonghun Jeong, Yuankai Li, Woo Hyeong Sim, Junyoung Mun, Jung Kyu Kim, Hyung Mo Jeong
Summary: All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are attracting considerable attention due to their safety and high energy density, which meet the requirements of emerging battery applications. Current research focuses on utilizing high-energy negative electrode materials and reducing the amount of electrolyte to achieve high energy density in ASSBs. Sulfide-based ASSBs with high ionic conductivity and low physical contact resistance are gaining interest. This review summarizes various anode materials for ASSBs operating under electrochemically reducing conditions, and discusses strategies for mitigating interfacial failures through interlayer and electrode design.