Article
Polymer Science
Tomohiro Miyata, Hsiao-Fang Wang, Takafumi Suenaga, Daisuke Watanabe, Hironori Marubayashi, Hiroshi Jinnai
Summary: Double-gyroid (DG) structured materials, with their unique three-dimensional network structures, show great promise for various applications. However, defects in these structures can significantly impact material properties. In this study, structural defects in a self-assembled DG structure of polystyrene-block-polyisoprene were observed using three-dimensional transmission electron microtomography. By characterizing the crystallography of the defects, it was found that multiple defect formation mechanisms coexist in self-assembled DG structures.
Article
Polymer Science
Rocco Di Girolamo, Chiara Santillo, Anna Malafronte, Miriam Scoti, Fabio De Stefano, Giovanni Talarico, Geoffrey W. Coates, Claudio De Rosa
Summary: Isotactic polypropylene-block-polyethylene block copolymers were synthesized and their crystallization behavior was studied. It was found that polyethylene blocks crystallize first, followed by the nucleation of polypropylene blocks. The polyethylene lamellar stacks have a higher periodicity of 30 nm, while the polypropylene lamellar stacks have a lower periodicity of 11-12 nm. The crystallization of the copolymer drives microphase separation and leads to a lamellar morphology.
Article
Polymer Science
Guoxing Liao, Lei Chen, Yunjie Zhang, Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk, Paul D. Topham, Daniel T. W. Toolan, Matthew J. Derry, Jonathan R. Howse, Qianqian Yu, Guiju Feng, Linge Wang
Summary: Block copolymer-based nanoproducts have great potential in high-end applications, but there is a lack of detailed studies on the nanofabrication process and the monitoring of concomitant self-assembled structural transitions. This study utilizes time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering to track the nanostructural changes. The results provide guidelines for accessing various nanostructures from self-assembling block copolymers.
Article
Polymer Science
Yeseong Seo, Dokyung Woo, Luyang Li, Weihua Li, Jin Kon Kim
Summary: The phase behavior of polystyrene-(polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine))(3) miktoarm star copolymer was investigated, with the volume fraction of the PS block (f(PS)) and the chain asymmetry of the PS chain (t) found to significantly influence the phase behavior. Different f(PS) and t values resulted in the formation of distinct structures, consistent with theoretical predictions.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gwenaelle Pound-Lana, Philippe Bezard, Camille Petit-Etienne, Sebastien Cavalaglio, Gilles Cunge, Benjamin Cabannes-Boue, Guillaume Fleury, Xavier Chevalier, Marc Zelsmann
Summary: This study developed full dry-etching strategies for BCP nanolithography and explored the application of different plasma in the process. The analysis of different interfacial layers and their effects under different plasma conditions was conducted. Finally, these features were successfully transferred to different substrates.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Hyeongkeon Yoon, Seonghyeon Ahn, Qingshu Dong, Chungryong Choi, Eunyoung Kim, Weihua Li, Jin Kon Kim
Summary: This study investigated the formation of a multidomain double-stranded helical nanostructure, paving the way for the creation of multifunctional helical structures for various applications such as metamaterials. The experimentally observed morphology matched well with the prediction by self-consistent field theory.
Article
Polymer Science
Guokang He, Peng Wang, Ning Gao, Xianpeng Yin, Fuwei Sun, Wenyun Li, Hongwei Zhao, Chen Wang, Guangtao Li
Summary: We report a new type of brush-like triblock copolymer that can serve as a structure-directing agent for the formation of mesoporous silicates and be converted into mesostructured polymer or carbon materials. The versatile nature of this copolymer allows for the facile access to various mesostructured silica, polymer, and carbon materials. The brush-like hydrophilic segments of the copolymers can firmly anchor into the silica walls, providing a prerequisite for reliable confined chemical transformation into mesostructured materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Chen, Yujiao Fan, Nian Zhang, Sylvain Trepout, Bergam Ptissam, Annie Brulet, Ben Zhong Tang, Min-Hui Li
Summary: The study focuses on preparing fluorescent polymer cubosomes and hexosomes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) by synthesizing amphiphilic block copolymers in dioxane/water and THF/water systems. The ordered internal structures were studied using electron microscopy and X-ray scattering technique. The research not only inspires the design of novel building blocks for functional cubosomes and hexosomes, but also presents the first AIE fluorescent polymer cubosome and hexosome with potential applications in bio-related fields.
Article
Polymer Science
Katharina Nieswandt, Prokopios Georgopanos, Martin Held, Evgeni Sperling, Volker Abetz
Summary: Thermoresponsive copolymers were synthesized and their thermoresponsive properties were characterized. The copolymers showed a lower critical solution temperature in water, which depended on the molar fraction of one of the monomers. Block copolymers were also prepared using a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method, and their thermoresponsive behavior in a confined state was investigated. The nanospheres showed a linear change in hydrodynamic radius with temperature, and the addition of certain salt anions affected the collapse of the nanospheres' corona.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fang Yin, Barbara Lonetti, Jean-Daniel Marty, Nancy Lauth-de Viguerie
Summary: The properties of thermosensitive polymers can be easily altered using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a trigger. Copolymers of N,N-(diethylamino)ethyl acrylamide (DEAEAM) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, resulting in different compositions and architectures. The properties of these polymers in aqueous solution in the presence of CO2 were studied, and it was observed that both composition and architecture play a role in determining the thermoresponsive behavior.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ekaterina B. Zhulina, Ivan V. Mikhailov, Oleg V. Borisov
Summary: In this study, a theory describing the equilibrium morphology and structural properties of solvent-free mesophases of ABA triblock copolymers is developed. The effect of dead zones on the stability of different mesophases is considered by implementing a two-layer model. The predicted domain sizes and interdomain distances are compared to experimental data.
Article
Polymer Science
Ivan Mikhailov, Frans A. M. Leermakers, Anatoly A. Darinskii, Ekaterina B. Zhulina, Oleg Borisov
Summary: This study develops a theory describing lamellar mesophases in the melt of ABA triblock copolymers with strongly incompatible comblike blocks, using a combination of analytical and numerical approaches. The structural and thermodynamic properties of the lamellae are analyzed as a function of the architectural parameters of the comb-shaped blocks. The study predicts an increase in the shear modulus of the mesophase upon replacing linear ABA triblock copolymers with comblike ones of the same composition, demonstrating the impact of the comblike block parameters on the properties of the mesophase.
Editorial Material
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kevin G. Yager
Summary: The self-assembly of a triblock bottlebrush polymer at one length scale determines the organization of the self-assembly at a smaller scale, creating a hierarchical unit cell.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Marieta Nichifor, Magdalena Cristina Stanciu, Florica Doroftei
Summary: The self-assembly potential of new amphiphilic block copolymers containing dextran and a semi-rigid deoxycholic acid-oligoethyleneglycol polyester was evaluated in terms of copolymer composition and self-assembly procedure. Different morphologies and sizes of aggregates were obtained by varying the polymer composition, with longer oligoethyleneglycol leading to smaller micelles and vesicles due to enhanced flexibility of the polyester hydrophobic block. Adjusting parameters allows for obtaining desired aggregate characteristics.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Xiangming Fu, Yanqiu Wang, Liang Xu, Atsushi Narumi, Shin-ichiro Sato, Xiaoran Yang, Xiande Shen, Toyoji Kakuchi
Summary: Poly(N,N-bis(2-ethoxyethyl)acrylamide) (PEOEAm), a new thermoresponsive polyacrylamide, was studied in terms of synthesis and thermal phase transition. PEOEAm without initiator residue at the chain end was synthesized via hydrosilylation-promoted group transfer polymerization (GTP) to exclude the effect of polymer end groups on its thermoresponsive properties. By copolymerizing PEOEAm and DMAm, various block copolymer architectures were synthesized and their thermoresponsive properties were evaluated.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Chen, Yudong Zhu, Jingwei Xiu, Guocong Chen, Haoming Liang, Shunchang Liu, Hansong Xue, Erik Birgersson, Jian Wei Ho, Xinshun Qin, Jingyang Lin, Ruijie Ma, Tao Liu, Yanling He, Alan Man-Ching Ng, Xugang Guo, Zhubing He, He Yan, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Yi Hou
Summary: Perovskite/organic tandem solar cells have a promising future in thin-film photovoltaics due to the large chemical composition and tunability of their bandgap. However, their efficiency is currently limited by the open-circuit voltage loss and non-ideal interconnecting layers. In this study, the passivation of nickel oxide hole-transporting layers and the development of an optimized interconnecting layer structure led to a significant increase in efficiency, reaching a maximum of 23.60% (22.95% certified) in perovskite/organic tandem solar cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Juraj Ovcar, Tik Lun Leung, Luca Grisanti, Zeljko Skoko, Martina Vrankic, Kam-Hung Low, Shixun Wang, Pei-Ying You, Hyeyoung Ahn, Ivor Loncaric, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Jasminka Popovic
Summary: This study investigates the influence of spacer cations on the structure of two-dimensional perovskites. The results show that the branched tert-butyl ammonium spacer cation can form a stable Ruddlesden-Popper structure when the inorganic pocket is designed appropriately.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yantao Wang, Jingyang Lin, Yanling He, Yi Zhang, Qiong Liang, Fangzhou Liu, Zhiwei Zhou, Christopher C. S. Chan, Gang Li, Shien-Ping Feng, Alan Man Ching Ng, Kam Sing Wong, Jasminka Popovic, Aleksandra B. Djurisic
Summary: This study demonstrates that optimizing the exposure of the capping layer to ambient atmosphere can substantially improve the performance of perovskite solar cells. The best performing devices have improved power conversion efficiency and stability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tik Lun Leung, Zhilin Ren, Ali Asgher Syed, Luca Grisanti, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Jasminka Popovic
Summary: This study investigated temperature- and light-induced halide segregation in 2D mixed halide perovskites with a phenylpropylammonium spacer. The research found complex segregation behavior in the 2D perovskites, which showed distinct differences compared to 2D perovskites with other aromatic cations.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Racliffe Weng Seng Lai, Guang-Jie Zhou, Hye-Min Kang, Chang-Bum Jeong, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Jae-Seong Lee, Kenneth Mei Yee Leung
Summary: This study investigated the joint toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) to a rotifer, and compared it with the joint toxicity of PNPs and Zn ions. The results showed an antagonistic interaction between ZnO-NPs and PNPs, while an additive effect was observed between Zn-IONS and PNPs. The study suggests the use of the Nonparametric Response Surface method for predicting the toxicity of chemical mixtures with interacting effects.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wen Ting Sun, Zengshan Xing, Aleksandr Sergeev, Yanling He, Alan Man Ching Ng, Kam Sing Wong, Lidija Molcanov, Jasminka Popovic, Aleksandra B. B. Djurisic
Summary: Investigated the stability of a tin bromide perovskite and found that the optical properties were influenced by humidity rather than the Sn2+/Sn4+ ratio. Increase in luminescence was attributed to the hydrated 1D phase, while degradation occurred after 40 hours of exposure to humidity. Additives extended the lifetime of the samples, which was attributed to changes in phase composition rather than suppression of Sn2+ oxidation.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dongyang Li, Yulan Huang, Zhiwei Ren, Abbas Amini, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Chun Cheng, Gang Li
Summary: In recent years, inverted perovskite solar cells (IPSCs) have gained significant attention for their low-temperature and cost-effective fabrication processes, hysteresis-free properties, excellent stability, and wide application. The efficiency gap between IPSCs and regular structures has narrowed down to less than 1%. Recent improvements in the efficiency of IPSCs, including interface engineering and novel film production techniques, are reviewed, along with tandem and integrated applications of IPSCs. Prospects for further development of IPSCs, such as the development of new materials, methods, and device structures, are discussed to meet the requirements of commercialization.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shien-Ping Feng, Yuanhang Cheng, Hin-Lap Yip, Yufei Zhong, Patrick W. K. Fong, Gang Li, Annie Ng, Cong Chen, Luigi Angelo Castriotta, Fabio Matteocci, Luigi Vesce, Danila Saranin, Aldo Di Carlo, Puqun Wang, Jian Wei Ho, Yi Hou, Fen Lin, Armin G. Aberle, Zhaoning Song, Yanfa Yan, Xu Chen, Yang (Michael) Yang, Ali Asgher Syed, Ishaq Ahmad, Tiklun Leung, Yantao Wang, JingYang Lin, Alan Man Ching Ng, Yin Li, Firouzeh Ebadi, Wolfgang Tress, Giles Richardson, Chuangye Ge, Hanlin Hu, Masoud Karimipour, Fanny Baumann, Kenedy Tabah, Carlos Pereyra, Sonia R. Raga, Haibing Xie, Monica Lira-Cantu, Mark Khenkin, Iris Visoly-Fisher, Eugene A. Katz, Yana Vaynzof, Rosario Vidal, Guicheng Yu, Haoran Lin, Shuchen Weng, Shifeng Wang, Aleksandra B. Djurisic
Summary: Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are highly promising in terms of power conversion efficiency, but commercialization still faces unresolved problems and obstacles. This article provides a concise summary of outstanding issues, challenges, and progress made in addressing them, offering expert viewpoints across various topics related to PSC commercialization. It aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers in the field and facilitate discussions to overcome the outstanding challenges in this fast-developing area.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wen Ting Sun, Yanling He, Muhammad Umair Ali, Qiye Liu, Hongbo Mo, Sijia Wang, Alan Man Ching Ng, Aleksandra B. Djurisic
Summary: This study investigates the performance improvement of sky-blue perovskite light-emitting diodes through optimization of perovskite composition and device architecture. By adjusting the perovskite composition and inserting a specific layer at the hole transport layer-perovskite interface, significant enhancement in device efficiency is achieved.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Damir Aidarkhanov, Zhuldyz Yelzhanova, Zhiwei Ren, Gaukhar Nigmetova, Shu Ping Lau, Mannix P. Balanay, Hanlin Hu, Charles Surya, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Annie Ng
Summary: Interfacial engineering using black phosphorus nanoflakes improves the power conversion efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. The nanoflakes optimize critical parameters, such as enhancing perovskite crystallization and reducing defect density, resulting in improved device performance.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tik Lun Leung, Ishaq Ahmad, Ali Ashger Syed, Alan Man Ching Ng, Jasminka Popovic, Aleksandra B. Djurisic
Summary: 2D and quasi-2D perovskite materials have shown improved stability compared to their 3D counterparts. However, there is a lack of fundamental research and understanding of these materials, as well as limited structure-property studies. Research is often done through trial and error rather than design.
COMMUNICATIONS MATERIALS
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jingyang Lin, Yanling He, Wei Chen, Alan Man Ching Ng, Aleksandra B. Djurisic
Summary: Tin oxide thin films are a promising electron transport layer for perovskite solar cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of different preparation methods on the performance of tin oxide films and solar cells. We also explored the use of tin oxide bilayers to improve device performance.
OXIDE-BASED MATERIALS AND DEVICES XIII
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ishaq Ahmad, Lo Po Shan, Abdul-Khaleed, Aleksandra B. Djurisic, Yanling He, Alan Man Ching Ng
Summary: This study focuses on the development of active food packaging using mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) as oxygen scavengers for extended food shelf life. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) were successfully incorporated in the pores of MSNs for oxygen scavenging and detection to prevent food degradation. The efficiency of oxygen scavenging by the MNPs incorporated MSNs was evaluated.
OXIDE-BASED MATERIALS AND DEVICES XIII
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yantao Wang, Ishaq Ahmad, Tiklun Leung, Jingyang Lin, Wei Chen, Fangzhou Liu, Alan Man Ching Ng, Yi Zhang, Aleksandra B. Djurisicc
Summary: With the advancement of perovskite solar cells, improving their stability has become increasingly important. This Perspective discusses key factors affecting encapsulation effectiveness for outdoor and damp heat testing, as well as the requirements of the devices themselves. Additionally, it explores possible methods for accelerating encapsulation and device stability testing, and addresses future prospects and important issues.
