Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jinghai Li, Adara Babuji, Lamiaa Fijahi, Ann Maria James, Roland Resel, Tommaso Salzillo, Raphael Pfattner, Carmen Ocal, Esther Barrena, Marta Mas-Torrent
Summary: In this study, it was found that contact resistance and charge trapping are two key obstacles that negatively affect the performance of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). By using CH3CN vapor annealing and doping procedures, the interfacial shallow traps and deeper traps in the organic semiconductor (OSC) film can be effectively reduced, resulting in a significant reduction of contact resistance. Moreover, the devices treated with I2/CH3CN demonstrate ideal electrical characteristics with negligible levels of shallow/deep traps and highly gate-independent mobility. Therefore, this work highlights the promising synergistic effects of simultaneous solvent vapor annealing and doping, which can effectively eliminate contact resistance problems in OSC films.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
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
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Virginia Cuesta, Rahul Singhal, Pilar de la Cruz, Ganesh D. Sharma, Fernando Langa
Summary: The research showed that a new molecule with a Ni-porphyrin central donor core, VC9, exhibited higher overall power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells, mainly due to its higher open circuit voltage and reduced energy loss.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Pawel Dabczynski, Gabriela Wojtowicz, Jakub Rysz
Summary: The fabrication of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells relies on the phase separation during solution deposition. However, this study reveals that interdiffusion of the same molecules is possible when bilayers of donors and acceptors are exposed to solvent vapor, providing a new method for mixing incompatible components.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yiwen Hou, Qiuning Wang, Ciyuan Huang, Tao Yang, Shasha Shi, Shangfei Yao, Donglou Ren, Tao Liu, Guangye Zhang, Bingsuo Zou
Summary: This work systematically compares the effects of different durations of solvent vapor annealing (SVA) treatment on state-of-the-art PM6:SY1 blend film. The study investigates the impact of insufficient, appropriate, and over-treatment on the active layer, and achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 17.57% in the optimized system, surpassing previous counterparts. The research highlights the importance of post-treatment delicacy, thin-film morphology, and device performance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kuibao Yu, Wei Song, Jinfeng Ge, Kanghui Zheng, Lin Xie, Zhenyu Chen, Yi Qiu, Ling Hong, Cuirong Liu, Ziyi Ge
Summary: Optimizing the morphology of the photoactive layer is a simple yet promising approach to improve the power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells. Different post-processing treatments, including thermal annealing and solvent annealing, were compared to investigate their effects on device performances. The results showed that solvent annealing effectively improved the distribution and aggregation of polymer donors and small molecule acceptors, leading to an optimized active layer film morphology and higher conversion efficiency. In addition, a relatively high light utilization efficiency was achieved by utilizing a transparent electrode, resulting in a remarkable power conversion efficiency and visible-light transmittance.
SCIENCE CHINA-CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hong Zhao, Le Wang, Yufei Wang, Wenyan Su, Dongxu Lin, Wanzhu Cai, Jian Qing, Zibang Zhang, Jingang Zhong, Lintao Hou
Summary: The simplified one-step spraying of OSCs can be achieved successfully with the assistance of solvent vapor annealing (SVA), making it attractive for future photovoltaic module manufacturing while maintaining high photovoltaic performance. The sprayed self-assembly interfacial molecules can enhance charge separation and transport capability, comparable to conventional two-step spraying OSCs.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Seo Young Shin, Mingu Jang, Hyeong Jun Cheon, Seongmoon Go, Hyeonseok Yoon, Mincheol Chang
Summary: Controlling charge transport properties and morphologies of CP films is crucial for the practical application of CP-based OFET sensors. A processing strategy involving SVA and PNs significantly enhanced charge transport and surface-to-volume ratio of CP thin films. The PN2-P3HT films showed improved charge transport and surface-to-volume ratio after SVA, resulting in excellent responsivities and rapid response/recovery times in VOC detection by OFET sensors.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Mikhail Y. Efremov, Paul F. Nealey
Summary: Residual solvent in polymer coatings caused by solvent vapor annealing (SVA) can be analyzed using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) technique. The TPD curves show distinct desorption peaks, with one peak related to the coating's glass transition temperature and another peak appearing at lower temperatures. The desorption effect is more pronounced in thinner films.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sihui Hou, Xinming Zhuang, Huidong Fan, Junsheng Yu
Summary: The use of a simple SVA process successfully controlled the morphology of TIPS-pentacene OSC films, improving the sensitivity of nitrogen-based OTFT sensors. The large density grain boundaries formed by the SVA process enhanced the capability for gas molecule adsorption, resulting in high sensitivity to NO2.
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
Engineering, Environmental
Yanqiong Zheng, Wei'an Chen, Yuhuan Chen, Juncong Chen, Bingjia Zhao, Qingyu Zhang, Xifeng Li
Summary: In this study, the solution-processed PEDOT:PSS hole injection layer was optimized for carrier transport and light extraction through polar solvent vapor annealing (PSVA). The processing time and PEDOT:PSS film thickness were found to significantly affect device performance. Treatment with DMSO and DMF vapor for 45 minutes resulted in the highest device performance, with an increase in EQE from 15.93% to 18.06% (by DMSO) and 20.02% (by DMF), as well as an increase in maximum luminance from 2150 cd/m2 to 3920 cd/m2 (by DMSO) and 5250 cd/m2 (by DMF). AFM images and water contact angles revealed higher roughness after PSVA treatment, contributing to enhanced light extraction efficiency through light scattering. Furthermore, GIXRD analysis showed a more orderly molecular arrangement in DMF PSVA treated PEDOT: PSS, leading to improved carrier transport in the film. Overall, DMF SVA demonstrated higher device performance compared to DMSO SVA, as validated by FDTD simulations showing increased radiation flux and more uniform distribution of the light field after PSVA treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jie Wu, Hong Zhu, Changqing Wu, Lijian Chen, Run Li, Zhongqin Wei, Fujian Ju, Chee Leong Tan, Zhihao Yu, Huabin Sun, Yong Xu
Summary: This study found that using MEK solvent vapor annealing in pentacene organic field-effect transistors can significantly improve device performance and interpret such improvement through reshaping the density of states.
SOLID-STATE ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tongle Xu, Jie Lv, Zhanxiang Chen, Zhenghui Luo, Guangye Zhang, Heng Liu, Hui Huang, Dingqin Hu, Xinhui Lu, Shirong Lu, Chuluo Yang
Summary: The fibrous interpenetrating network structure morphology is crucial for achieving high power conversion efficiency in all-small-molecule organic solar cells. This study demonstrates that rational molecular design and suitable posttreatment can significantly improve the efficiency of ASM-OSCs.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
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
Energy & Fuels
Dounya Barrit, Yalan Zhang, Tinghuan Yang, Ming-Chun Tang, Ruipeng Li, Detlef-M. Smilgies, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu, Thomas D. Anthopoulos, Aram Amassian, Kui Zhao
Summary: The study suggests that solvation of the lead halide precursor phases, together with bromide incorporation, can significantly improve the microstructure, morphology, and optoelectronic properties of the inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite films.
Article
Polymer Science
Sarah A. Hesse, Peter A. Beaucage, Detlef-M Smilgies, Ulrich Wiesner
Summary: The study reports a one-pot synthesis method for obtaining carbon materials with asymmetric pore structures, demonstrating a combination of asymmetric, hierarchical pore structures and well-defined mesoporosity throughout the material. The materials show potential for various applications in energy conversion and storage, separations, and catalysis.
Article
Polymer Science
Detle-M Smilgies
Summary: Over the past two decades, grazing incidence small-angle scattering (GISAXS) has become a powerful tool for determining the structure and self-assembly kinetics of block copolymer thin films. This review provides an overview of the scattering process, interpretation of GISAXS data, and experimental requirements, and illustrates the application of GISAXS technique in characterizing block copolymer thin films with selected examples.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Corzo, Tonghui Wang, Murali Gedda, Emre Yengel, Jafar Khan, Ruipeng Li, Muhammad Rizwan Niazi, Zhengjie Huang, Taesoo Kim, Derya Baran, Dali Sun, Frederic Laquai, Thomas D. Anthopoulos, Aram Amassian
Summary: This article presents a universal cosolvent evaporation strategy for the fabrication of metal halide perovskite single crystals and arrays at room temperature. The strategy controls the drying process of droplets to produce consistent single crystals of various types of perovskites. It works with commonly used precursors and solvents, enabling large-scale production of single crystal arrays. The approach also demonstrates the fabrication of perovskite photodetector devices on chips.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Stephanie M. Guthrie, Natalie Smith, Ashley M. Conley, Detlef-M. Smilgies, Gaurav Giri
Summary: This study adjusted MGC processing conditions to achieve three distinct film morphologies of acetaminophen and identified a set of conditions that result in uniform microcrystal formation. The study provides new insights into processing techniques that may be relevant to continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing efforts.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yufei Zhong, Ahmad R. Kirmani, Xinzheng Lan, Joshua Carpenter, Annabel Rong-Hui Chew, Omar Awartani, Liyang Yu, Muhammad R. Niazi, Oleksandr Voznyy, Hanlin Hu, Guy Olivier Ngongang Ndjawa, Max L. Tietze, Alberto Salleo, Harald Ade, Edward H. Sargent, Aram Amassian
Summary: Conjugated polymers exhibit significant variations in interfacial ionization energy due to differences in terminal molecular ordering between top and bottom surfaces, impacting the performance of organic and hybrid photovoltaic devices. Wet and dry lamination strategies can be utilized to form planar heterojunction devices, allowing for meaningful influence over open circuit voltage. Controlled intermixing approach leveraging disordered interface and donor aggregation can lead to superior device performance compared to conventional bulk heterojunction devices. Proper control over polymer surface properties is essential for improving charge extraction in photovoltaic devices.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Emilie Dauzon, Xavier Sallenave, Cedric Plesse, Fabrice Goubard, Aram Amassian, Thomas D. Anthopoulos
Summary: This study develops and evaluates two techniques to enhance the mechanical resistance and stretchability of bulk heterojunction active layers in organic solar cells without compromising photovoltaic performance. The addition of a cross-linker improves the power conversion efficiency by inducing increased aggregation of P3HT. On the other hand, the addition of elastomers acts as a mechanical softener, with SEBS elastomer showing excellent compatibility with various blend systems. The versatility and scalability of these approaches highlight their potential in manufacturing high-performance solar cells.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Pravini S. Fernando, Jeremy S. Mehta, Detlef-M Smilgies, Jeffrey M. Mativetsky
Summary: This study introduces a method based on conductive atomic force microscopy to quantify lateral current spreading during out-of-plane charge transport in organic solar cells. The results show that BHJ phase separation, composition, and molecule type play important roles in lateral spreading.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2022)
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
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qi Dong, Xiangyu Fu, Dovletgeldi Seyitliyev, Kasra Darabi, Juliana Mendes, Lei Lei, Yi-An Chen, Chih-Hao Chang, Aram Amassian, Kenan Gundogdu, Franky So
Summary: Perovskite distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are attracting attention due to their solution processability, band gap tunability, single-mode operation, and low threshold. This study presents a facile approach to fabricate and design the cavities of perovskite surface-emitting DFB lasers. By adding polyvinylpyrrolidone into the perovskite precursor solutions, the cavity fabrication is simplified, and the effective index of the waveguide mode can be manipulated by varying the solution concentration. The fabricated perovskite DBF lasers achieved an optimized optical resonance and low threshold.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ain Uddin, Seth R. Allen, Adrian K. Rylski, Connor J. O'Dea, Jack T. Ly, Tod A. Grusenmeyer, Sean T. Roberts, Zachariah A. Page
Summary: The use of visible light in polymerizations without heavy-atoms is shown using spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing from BODIPY dyads. Twisted BODIPYs exhibit a significant increase in polymerization rate and improved photostability compared to controls. The effect of monomer polarity on the polymerization rate is attributed to charge transfer stabilization.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew H. Comstock, Chung-Tao Chou, Zhiyu Wang, Tonghui Wang, Ruyi Song, Joseph Sklenar, Aram Amassian, Wei Zhang, Haipeng Lu, Luqiao Liu, Matthew C. Beard, Dali Sun
Summary: Recently there has been interest in exploring the coupling between magnons for use in information processing, however, this is hampered by the fact that such coupling is forbidden due to the different parity of the acoustic and optical magnons. Here, Comstock et al show that the interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya-Interaction in a layered hybrid antiferromagnet can allow for strong coupling between the acoustic and optical magnons, offering a pathway for magnon coherent information processing.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
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.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Behnam Garakani, K. Udara S. Somarathna, Riadh Al-haidari, Firas W. Alshatnavi, Detlef-Matthias Smilgies, Mark D. Poliks
Summary: In this study, commercially available stretchable hybrid conductors were screen printed on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and encapsulated with a stretchable dielectric. The test showed that increasing the strain amplitude resulted in an increase in electrical resistance. The serpentine traces had a lower rate of damage accumulation compared to straight traces.
IEEE 72ND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE (ECTC 2022)
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pravini S. Fernando, Detlef-M. Smilgies, Jeffrey M. Mativetsky
Summary: By varying the molecular orientation of the polymer in bulk heterojunctions, it has been found that a mixed texture can enhance out-of-plane charge flow in solution processed organic solar cells. This highlights the importance of balancing in-plane and out-of-plane pathways for efficient charge percolation in bulk heterojunctions.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
