Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Nieto-Castro, Felipe A. Garces-Pineda, Andrea Moneo-Corcuera, Irene Sanchez-Molina, Jose Ramon Galan-Mascaros
Summary: Bistable multifunctional materials have great potential in various devices, but the direct use of spin crossover materials in electronic devices is limited. Incorporating SCO spin crossover materials as probes in conducting organic polymer matrices can lead to low-resistance conductors with memory effect.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Azhar Fakharuddin, Maria Vasilopoulou, Anastasia Soultati, Muhammad Irfan Haider, Joe Briscoe, Vasileios Fotopoulos, Diego Di Girolamo, Dimitris Davazoglou, Alexander Chroneos, Abd Rashid bin Mohd Yusoff, Antonio Abate, Lukas Schmidt-Mende, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
Summary: Interfaces in perovskite and organic solar cells are crucial for enhancing efficiency and durability by improving charge transport and suppressing recombination. Exploring robust alternatives, such as inorganic materials, requires a comprehensive understanding of their synthesis, electronic properties, and device performance metrics.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Silki Sardana, Anjli Gupta, Kuldeep Singh, A. S. Maan, Anil Ohlan
Summary: Conducting polymer hydrogels (CPHs) have gained significant interest in supercapacitors due to their unique features, such as large pseudocapacitance, interconnected 3D porous nanostructure, excellent conductivity, and high flexibility. The hierarchical 3D porous structure enables fast electron transfer and ion diffusion, leading to improved electrical and electrochemical properties of supercapacitors.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
B. F. Spencer, S. Maniyarasu, B. P. Reed, D. J. H. Cant, R. Ahumada-Lazo, A. G. Thomas, C. A. Muryn, M. Maschek, S. K. Eriksson, T. Wiell, T-L Lee, S. Tougaard, A. G. Shard, W. R. Flavell
Summary: Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) allows minimally destructive depth profiling into deeply buried layers, with inelastic background analysis enabling detection beyond the elastic limit. Results from both synchrotron and laboratory-based HAXPES measurements consistently showed reliable thickness measurements and relative sensitivity factors. This method demonstrates potential for characterizing deeply buried layers with reasonable agreement in stoichiometry calculations.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ambrose Ashwin Melvin, Bhavana Gupta, Kostiantyn Tieriekhov, Wojciech Nogala, Patrick Garrigue, Stephane Reculusa, Alexander Kuhn
Summary: An actuator controlled by light and electric field in a synergistic manner was reported, allowing for better control and a wider range of potential applications, especially in soft robotics. The actuator demonstrated reversible actuation in an aqueous solution through electrochemical reactions, leading to controlled motion based on logic gate operations. Such synergistic switching enables the development of original actuation schemes for complex mechanical tasks triggered by multiple stimuli.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xin Chen, Chengcheng Zhao, Kai Yang, Shiyi Sun, Jinxin Bi, Ningrui Zhu, Qiong Cai, Jianan Wang, Wei Yan
Summary: Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have received increasing interest due to their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Conducting polymers (CPs) show great potential in Li-S batteries as they can facilitate electron transfer, buffer volumetric changes, and adsorb polysulfides (LiPSs) when doped with heteroatoms. This review introduces various CPs and their application potential, summarizes the research progress in different components of Li-S batteries, and comprehensively discusses the application perspective of CPs in Li-S batteries.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kenichi Ozawa, Susumu Yamamoto, Tetsuya Miyazawa, Keita Yano, Koji Okudaira, Kazuhiko Mase, Iwao Matsuda
Summary: In this study, time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of stacking order of CuPc and C-60 in organic photovoltaics on photoexcited carrier dynamics. The results show that electron transfer is facilitated in CuPc/C-60/TiO2 stacking, while fast electron transfer is suppressed in C-60/CuPc/TiO2 stacking.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chunli Zuo, Yao Xiao, Xiaoji Pan, Fangyu Xiong, Wenwei Zhang, Juncai Long, Shijie Dong, Qinyou An, Ping Luo
Summary: By assembling superlattices of V2O5 and polyaniline with expanded interlayer spacing, this study significantly enhances the reversible capacities, Mg2+ diffusion kinetics, and cycling performance of the PVO cathode, demonstrating that designing organic-inorganic superlattices is an efficient strategy for developing high-performance cathode materials for rechargeable magnesium batteries.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liangyou Lin, Timothy W. Jones, Terry Chien-Jen Yang, Noel W. Duffy, Jinhua Li, Li Zhao, Bo Chi, Xianbao Wang, Gregory J. Wilson
Summary: Over the past decade, there has been significant progress in the development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with improvements in power conversion efficiency and long-term stability making them competitive candidates for next-generation photovoltaics. This review focuses on the advancements in inorganic electron transport materials (ETMs) for PSCs, particularly the three most prevalent materials (TiO2, SnO2, and ZnO) and their applications in tandem devices. Strategies to optimize the performance of the electron transport layer (ETL) in PSCs and the impact of ETL on device stability and efficiency are also discussed.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Cui, Xiao Yu, Yihong Shen, Binbin Sun, Wanxin Guo, Mingyue Liu, Yujie Chen, Li Wang, Xingping Zhou, Muhammad Shafiq, Xiumei Mo
Summary: Tissue engineering has gained widespread attention as a method of producing patient-specific tissue constructs for tissue repair. Different types of scaffold materials have been developed, and the choice of materials should consider their mechanical properties, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and bioresorbability. Inorganic materials, with their broad range of physico-chemical properties, can be used as scaffold fillers and offer a good alternative for tissue engineering. This review focuses on the use of inorganic components in electrospun membranes and emphasizes the biological advantages of incorporating inorganic materials in tissue repair.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dong Young Kim, Geonhee Lee, Gil Yong Lee, Jungpil Kim, Kwangu Jeon, Keun Soo Kim
Summary: This study developed a flexible nanocomposite based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), incorporating highly conductive carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide, for high-performance wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes. The optimized nanocomposite demonstrated uniform surface characteristics and low contact resistance, making it a promising material for expanding the application scope of wearable electronic devices and personal health monitoring systems.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Takeyuki Sekimoto, Ryusuke Uchida, Maki Hiraoka, Taisuke Matsui, Ryosuke Kikuchi, Toru Nakamura, Teruaki Yamamoto, Kenji Kawano, Takayuki Negami, Yukihiro Kaneko
Summary: Lead halide perovskite is a promising material for the next generation of solar cells. Improving photovoltaic conversion efficiency and cell durability, as well as addressing light-induced degradation, are crucial for practical use. The introduction of a buffer layer at the interfaces can effectively suppress degradation and improve the performance of perovskite solar cells.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingquan Liu, Feng Wu, Yuteng Gong, Yu Li, Ying Li, Xin Feng, Qiaojun Li, Chuan Wu, Ying Bai
Summary: Constructing a homogenous and inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) can significantly enhance the sodium-storage performance of hard carbon (HC) anodes. By implementing an innovative interfacial catalysis mechanism, a favorable SEI with a homogenous, layered, and inorganic-rich structure can be designed in ester electrolytes. The optimized SEI promotes interfacial Na+ transfer and structural stability, resulting in outstanding reversible capacity, high initial Coulombic efficiency, improved rate capability, and excellent cycling performance for HC anodes in sodium storage applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Peng You, Guanqi Tang, Jiupeng Cao, Dong Shen, Tsz-Wai Ng, Zafer Hawash, Naixiang Wang, Chun-Ki Liu, Wei Lu, Qidong Tai, Yabing Qi, Chun-Sing Lee, Feng Yan
Summary: A unique approach of modifying the edges of perovskite grain boundaries with high-mobility 2D materials can significantly enhance the performance of PSCs by conducting holes from the grain boundaries to the hole transport layers, forming hole channels in the devices. This cost-effective strategy presents a synergistic effect between the 2D flakes and perovskite grain boundaries for improving the photovoltaic performance of PSCs.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Subin Kaladi Chondath, Mini Mol Menamparambath
Summary: The interface-assisted polymerization technique is a powerful emerging tool for controlling nanostructures in a two-dimensional space, offering advantages over traditional polymerization techniques. The review discusses different types of interfaces, their mechanisms, and advantages compared to conventional polymerization methods.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andreas Siebert, Xinwei Dou, Raul Garcia-Diez, Daniel Buchholz, Roberto Felix, Evelyn Handick, Giorgia Greco, Ivana Hasa, Regan G. Wilks, Stefano Passerini, Marcus Baer
Summary: This study utilizes operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) to investigate the sodium insertion and extraction process in anatase TiO2 nanoparticles, revealing the reversible and irreversible sodium insertion as well as the change in titanium coordination. These results provide crucial insights for a more comprehensive understanding of the sodiation mechanism of TiO2-based anodes under realistic operating conditions.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rui Mu, Yujie Zheng, Andreas Lambertz, Regan G. Wilks, Marcus Bar, Yufeng Zhang
Summary: The study proposes a method based on grey relational analysis for analyzing and extracting information from X-ray spectroscopic data, which shows smaller uncertainty in chemical compositions compared to traditional methods. It provides more reliable and accurate results, particularly for data with significant noise contributions or inconsistent data pre-processing. The method offers a novel approach for automated data analysis, which is particularly useful for studying combinatorial material "libraries".
RESULTS IN PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xiaxia Liao, Severin N. Habisreutinger, Sven Wiesner, Golnaz Sadoughi, Daniel Abou-Ras, Marc A. Gluba, Regan G. Wilks, Roberto Felix, Marin Rusu, Robin J. Nicholas, Henry J. Snaith, Marcus Baer
Summary: The study reveals significant chemical interaction at the MoO3/MAPbI(3-x)Cl(x) interface, leading to decomposition of the perovskite and accumulation of PbI2 on the MoO3 cover layer. New compounds such as PbMoO4, PbN2O2, and PbO are formed as a result of the decomposition, suggesting that the direct MoO3/MAPbI(3-x)Cl(x) interface may be inherently unstable. These findings help explain the low power conversion efficiencies of metal halide perovskite solar cells using MoO3 as a hole-transport material with direct contact to perovskite.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mohit Sood, Jakob Bombsch, Alberto Lomuscio, Sudhanshu Shukla, Claudia Hartmann, Johannes Frisch, Wolfgang Bremsteller, Shigenori Ueda, Regan G. Wilks, Marcus Baer, Susanne Siebentritt
Summary: In devices based on Zn(O,S)/CuInS2, interface recombination is mainly caused by defects near the interface rather than unfavorable energy-level alignment or Fermi-level pinning. Research has shown that the dominant recombination channel is present at the Zn(O,S)/CuInS2 interface.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kirill Gubanov, Manuel Johnson, Melda Akay, Benedikt C. C. Wolz, Dan Shen, Xing Cheng, Silke Christiansen, Rainer H. H. Fink
Summary: Advances in organic materials manufacturing have enabled the creation of electronic devices using solution-processing techniques. This study demonstrates the use of micro-contact for high-quality structured electrodes in top-contact organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) by depositing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) polymer ink. The optimized solution-processing fabrication of OFETs shows promising potential for simple and cost-effective roll-to-roll manufacturing processes, with comparable electrical performance to transistors with gold electrodes and lower contact resistance (R-c) due to carbon-based organic electrodes.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rodrigo Rubio-Govea, Roberto Felix, Regan G. Wilks, Marcus Baer, Katherine A. Mazzio
Summary: Hybrid organic/inorganic materials are promising thermoelectric materials due to their combination of individual strengths and ability to enhance performance through rational materials design. This study investigates the effects of different doping methods on the thin film thermoelectric performance of hybrid Te/PEDOT:PSS and Ag2Te/PEDOT:PSS materials. The results provide insights into the impact of post-treatments on hybrid materials and highlight the need for a better understanding of their behavior compared to pure PEDOT:PSS. These findings can contribute to the further enhancement of hybrid materials as electronic and thermoelectric materials.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lamborghini Sotelo, Tommaso Fontanot, Sanjana Vig, Patrick Herre, Peyman Yousefi, Maria Helena Fernandes, George Sarau, Gerd Leuchs, Silke Christiansen
Summary: This study investigates the effect of the initial surface roughness of TiAl6V4 samples on laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), surface wettability, and chemistry. Different polishing grain sizes were used to adjust the surface roughness of the samples. Laser irradiation was performed with varying laser power and distance. The resulting structures were characterized by SEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. The study also explores the bone implant viability of the generated structures. The results demonstrate that initial surface roughness affects the wettability and orientation of the resulting LIPSS, and structures with higher integrated fluence enhance cell differentiation and reduce bacterial activity, making them promising for bone implant compatibility and durability.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Tzung-En Hsieh, Johannes Frisch, Regan G. Wilks, Marcus Baer
Summary: This study investigates the surface properties of gallium and gallium oxide, as well as the evolution of the surface structure during oxidation and reduction at high temperature. The formation of a substoichiometric Ga2O3-delta layer on the surface of gallium nanoparticles is found to be dependent on oxidation time. Furthermore, annealing at elevated temperatures can efficiently remove the Ga2O3-delta layer.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lucia H. Prado, David Boehringer, Anca Mazare, Lamborghini Sotelo, George Sarau, Silke Christiansen, Ben Fabry, Patrik Schmuki, Sannakaisa Virtanen, Wolfgang H. Goldmann, Alexander B. Tesler
Summary: Researchers have developed a convenient UV-grafting technique to covalently attach silicone-based coatings to solid substrates. The short-time exposure to UV light results in the formation of lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LISS), while longer exposure leads to the formation of semi-rigid cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings. These coatings exhibit excellent resistance to corrosion and biofouling in aquatic environments. Due to its simple fabrication, low cost, rapid binding kinetics, eco-friendliness, non-toxicity to aquatic life, and excellent wetting-repellent characteristics, this technology has great potential for implementation in aquatic environments.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Romualdus Enggar Wibowo, Raul Garcia-Diez, Marianne Van der Merwe, Daniel Duarte-Ruiz, Yang Ha, Roberto Felix, Anna Efimenko, Tomas Bystron, Martin Prokop, Regan G. Wilks, Karel Bouzek, Wanli Yang, Caterina Cocchi, Marcus Bar
Summary: The electronic properties of solid phosphorus compounds with varying oxidation states and chemical environments were investigated using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The experiments revealed shifts in absorption-edge positions correlated with the ligands surrounding the phosphorus atom. The XANES spectra calculations provided insights into the excitonic nature of the observed spectral features and their impact on the electronic structure. Furthermore, the XANES measurements on aqueous phosphorus-containing acids showed similar spectra to their solid counterparts, with slight red shifts and fewer spectral features, indicating potential for speciation and quantification through fingerprinting.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tzung-En Hsieh, Sven Maisel, Haiko Wittkaemper, Johannes Frisch, Julien Steffen, Regan G. Wilks, Christian Papp, Andreas Goerling, Marcus Baer
Summary: This study reports the electronic and chemical structure of supported GaRh alloys as model systems for the active phase in supported catalytically active liquid metal solutions. Through photoemission spectroscopy, ab initio calculations, and electron microscopy, the characteristic shifts and narrowing of Rh core levels and derived bands are observed, which can be explained by the coexistence of isolated Rh atoms in random GaRh alloys and GaRh intermetallic compounds.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marianne van der Merwe, Raul Garcia-Diez, Leopold Lahn, R. Enggar Wibowo, Johannes Frisch, Mihaela Gorgoi, Wanli Yang, Shigenori Ueda, Regan G. Wilks, Olga Kasian, Marcus Baer
Summary: This study investigates the correlation between the catalytic performance of mixed Ir-TiOx catalysts and the electronic structure of the surface layers. It is found that the degree of titanium oxidation strongly depends on the titanium content, with lower content leading to less oxidation. The addition of titanium stabilizes the catalyst while maintaining high OER activity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. Hartmann, R. E. Brandt, L. L. Baranowski, L. Koehler, E. Handick, R. Felix, R. G. Wilks, A. Zakutayev, T. Buonassisi, M. Baer
Summary: The interface formation, chemical, and electronic structure of the (Cd,Zn)S:Ga/CuSbS2 thin-film solar cell heterojunction were studied using HAXPES. A heavily intermixed interface was found, involving Cu, Zn, Cd, Ga, and Cu profiles in the buffer. The effect of the complex interface structure on the performance of the solar cells and possible mitigation strategies were discussed.
FARADAY DISCUSSIONS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Benedikt Christopher Wolz, Christian Jaremenko, Florian Vollnhals, Lasse Kling, Jan Wrege, Silke Christiansen
Summary: Through silicon vias (TSVs) are a key enabling technology for interconnection and realization of complex three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) components. X-ray microscopy (XRM) is a rising method for analyzing the internal structure of samples without destructive sample preparation. However, there is a lack of evaluated scan recipes or best practices for studying TSVs using XRM. In recent years, there has been increased interest in automated machine learning and deep learning approaches for qualitative and quantitative inspection processes.
ENGINEERING REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lucas C. W. Bodenstein-Dresler, Adi Kama, Johannes Frisch, Claudia Hartmann, Anat Itzhak, Regan G. Wilks, David Cahen, Marcus Baer
Summary: Combinatorial material science relies heavily on high-throughput characterization methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is evaluated as a potential method for combinatorial studies. It is found that a simple integration approach is suitable for fast evaluation of the [Cu]/([Cu]+[Ni]) ratio, while the time-consuming peak fit approach provides additional insights into chemical speciation and oxidation state changes. These findings suggest the use of the integration approach for real-time analysis and pave the way for detailed XPS characterization.
