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The authors are grateful to Mr. Mohammed Balamesh for his important contributions to the operational readiness of the Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics Laboratory at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, where most of this work was performed. Part of this work was supported by KAUST's Office of Competitive Research Funds under award number FIC/2010/04. The authors acknowledge use of the D1 beam line at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF DMR-0225180) and NIH-NIGMS.

3′-methyl-(5,5′′-bis[3-ethyl-3-(6-phenyl-hexyloxymethyl)-oxetane])-2,2′:5′,2′′-terthiophene (5T(Me)Ox) is a solution processable small molecule semiconductor displaying smectic-C and nematic liquid crystal phases. The pendant oxetane group can be polymerized in situ in the presence of a suitable photoacid at concentrations ≥1% by weight. Spin-coated films of pure 5T(Me)Ox and 5T(Me)Ox doped with the soluble photoacid were characterized by absorption and photoluminescent spectroscopy. Thick pristine films showed absorption and emission from a crystalline phase. Thin monolayer (

Using phase-separated organic semiconducting blends containing a small molecule, as the hole transporting material, and a conjugated amorphous polymer, as the binder material, we demonstrate solution-processed organic thin-film transistors with superior performance characteristics that include; hole mobility >5 cm(2) /Vs, current on/off ratio ≥10(6) and narrow transistor parameter spread. These exceptional characteristics are attributed to the electronic properties of the binder polymer and the advantageous nanomorphology of the blend film.

The latest advances in colloidal-quantum-dot material processing are combined with a double-sided junction architecture, which is done by efficiently incorporating indium ions in the ZnO eletrode. This platform allows the collection of all photogenerated carriers even at the maximum power point. The increased depletion width in the device facilitates full carrier collection, leading to a record 10.8% power conversion efficiency.

Colloidal-quantum-dot (CQD) optoelectronics offer a compelling combination of solution processing and spectral tunability through quantum size effects. So far, CQD solar cells have relied on the use of organic ligands to passivate the surface of the semiconductor nanoparticles. Although inorganic metal chalcogenide ligands have led to record electronic transport parameters in CQD films, no photovoltaic device has been reported based on such compounds. Here we establish an atomic ligand strategy that makes use of monovalent halide anions to enhance electronic transport and successfully passivate surface defects in PbS CQD films. Both time-resolved infrared spectroscopy and transient device characterization indicate that the scheme leads to a shallower trap state distribution than the best organic ligands. Solar cells fabricated following this strategy show up to 6% solar AM1.5G power-conversion efficiency. The CQD films are deposited at room temperature and under ambient atmosphere, rendering the process amenable to low-cost, roll-by-roll fabrication.

The electronic structure of methylammonium lead bromide (CH3NH3PbBr3) single crystals has been investigated through a combination of resonant photoemission and theoretical modeling. There are Pb spectral contributions throughout the valence band. Importantly, the electronic structure at the top of the valence band is found to be dominated by the hybridized Pb-Br bands, not methylammonium bromide. The results line up with the partial density of states obtained from density functional theory and confirm that much of the valence band has some Pb spectral weight.

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have risen rapidly in performance; however, their low-cost fabrication under realistic ambient conditions remains elusive. This study uncovers that humid environments curtail the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells by preventing the needed oxygen doping of the hole transporter during ambient fabrication. A simple oxygen-doping step enabling ambient manufacturing irrespective of seasonal humidity variations is devised. Solar cells with PCE > 10% are printed under high humidity at industrially viable speeds. The devices use a tiny fraction of the ink typically needed and are air stable over a year. The humidity-resilient fabrication of efficient CQD solar cells breaks a long-standing compromise, which should accelerate commercialization.

The work reported here was supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Ruddlesden-Popper reduced-dimensional hybrid perovskite (RDP) semiconductors have attracted significant attention recently due to their promising stability and excellent optoelectronic properties. Here, the RDP crystallization mechanism in real time from liquid precursors to the solid film is investigated, and how the phase transition kinetics influences phase purity, quantum well orientation, and photovoltaic performance is revealed. An important template-induced nucleation and growth of the desired (BA)2 (MA)3 Pb4 I13 phase, which is achieved only via direct crystallization without formation of intermediate phases, is observed. As such, the thermodynamically preferred perpendicular crystal orientation and high phase purity are obtained. At low temperature, the formation of intermediate phases, including PbI2 crystals and solvate complexes, slows down intercalation of ions and increases nucleation barrier, leading to formation of multiple RDP phases and orientation randomness. These insights enable to obtain high quality (BA)2 (MA)3 Pb4 I13 films with preferentially perpendicular quantum well orientation, high phase purity, smooth film surface, and improved optoelectronic properties. The resulting devices exhibit high power conversion efficiency of 12.17%. This work should help guide the perovskite community to better control Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite structure and further improve optoelectronic and solar cell devices.

The trap states at grain boundaries (GBs) within polycrystalline perovskite films deteriorate their optoelectronic properties, making GB engineering particularly important for stable high-performance optoelectronic devices. It is demonstrated that trap states within bulk films can be effectively passivated by semiconducting molecules with Lewis acid or base functional groups. The perovskite crystallization kinetics are studied using in situ synchrotron-based grazing-incidence X-ray scattering to explore the film formation mechanism. A model of the passivation mechanism is proposed to understand how the molecules simultaneously passivate the Pb-I antisite defects and vacancies created by under-coordinated Pb atoms. In addition, it also explains how the energy offset between the semiconducting molecules and the perovskite influences trap states and intergrain carrier transport. The superior optoelectronic properties are attained by optimizing the molecular passivation treatments. These benefits are translated into significant enhancements of the power conversion efficiencies to 19.3%, as well as improved environmental and thermal stability of solar cells. The passivated devices without encapsulation degrade only by ≈13% after 40 d of exposure in 50% relative humidity at room temperature, and only ≈10% after 24 h at 80 °C in controlled environment.

E.K.B., J.L., and A.L.B. acknowledge the National Science Foundation (DMR-1508627) for support of this work. This work is based upon research conducted at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), which is supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-1332208.

In this article we discuss the effect of constituents on structure, flow, and thermal properties of nanoscale ionic materials (NIMs). NIMs are a new class of nanohybrids consisting of a nanometer-sized core, a charged corona covalently attached to the core, and an oppositely charged canopy. The hybrid nature of NIMs allows for their properties to be engineered by selectively varying their components. The unique properties associated with these systems can help overcome some of the issues facing the implementation of nanohybrids to various commercial applications, including carbon dioxide capture, water desalinization and as lubricants. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

T.D.A. and A.F.P acknowledge financial support from Cambridge Display Technology (Company No. 2672530). O.S. acknowledges the support of the Center for Absorption in Science of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption under the framework of the KAMEA Program.

Top-contact organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) of pentacene have been fabricated on bare SiO2 and SiO2 modified with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). The pentacene films were deposited from a supersonic molecular beam source with kinetic energy of incident molecules ranging from 1.5 to 6.7 eV. The field-effect mobility of OTFTs was found to increase systematically with increasing kinetic energy of the molecular beam. The improvements are more important on HMDS- and OTS-treated surfaces than on bare SiO2. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy images reveal that pentacene thin films deposited at high kinetic energy form with significantly larger grains—independent of surface treatment—than films deposited using low-energy beams.

Solution-printed organic semiconductors have emerged in recent years as promising contenders for roll-to-roll manufacturing of electronic and optoelectronic circuits. The stringent performance requirements for organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) in terms of carrier mobility, switching speed, turn-on voltage and uniformity over large areas require performance currently achieved by organic single-crystal devices, but these suffer from scale-up challenges. Here we present a new method based on blade coating of a blend of conjugated small molecules and amorphous insulating polymers to produce OTFTs with consistently excellent performance characteristics (carrier mobility as high as 6.7 cm2 V−1 s−1, low threshold voltages of, There continues to be interest in solution processed organic semiconductor thin films exhibiting transport properties on par with single crystals. Here, Niazi et al. combine solution-printing of a small molecule organic semiconductor with insulating polymer blending and solvent mixtures to demonstrate hole mobility up to 6.7 cm2 V−1 s−1.

The present work details a facile and low-temperature (125C) solution-processed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) buffer layer functioning very effectively as electron accepting/hole blocking layer for a wide range of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction systems, and yielding power conversion efficiency in excess of 10% (8%) on glass (plastic) substrates. We show that ammonia addition to the aqueous AZO nanoparticle solution is a critically important step toward producing compact and smooth thin films which partially retain the aluminum doping and crystalline order of the starting AZO nanocrystals. The ammonia treatment appears to reduce the native defects via nitrogen incorporation, making the AZO film a very good electron transporter and energetically matched with the fullerene acceptor. Importantly, highly efficient solar cells are achieved without the need for additional surface chemical passivation or modification, which has become an increasingly common route to improving the performance of evaporated or solution-processed ZnO ETLs in solar cells.

The high optical transmittance, electrical conductivity, flexibility and chemical stability of graphene have triggered great interest in its application as a transparent conducting electrode material and as a potential replacement for indium doped tin oxide. However, currently available large scale production methods such as chemical vapor deposition produce polycrystalline graphene, and require additional transfer process which further introduces defects and impurities resulting in a significant increase in its sheet resistance. Doping of graphene with foreign atoms has been a popular route for reducing its sheet resistance which typically comes at a significant loss in optical transmission. Herein, we report the successful bromine doping of graphene resulting in air-stable transparent conducting electrodes with up to 80% reduction of sheet resistance reaching ~180 Ω/ at the cost of 2-3% loss of optical transmission in case of few layer graphene and 0.8% in case of single layer graphene. The remarkably low tradeoff in optical transparency leads to the highest enhancements in figure of merit reported thus far. Furthermore, our results show a controlled increase in the workfunction up to 0.3 eV with the bromine content. These results should help pave the way for further development of graphene as potentially a highly transparent substitute to other transparent conducting electrodes in optoelectronic devices.

The ease with which small-molecule donors crystallize during solution processing is directly linked to the need for solvent additives. Donor molecules that get trapped in disordered (H1) or liquid crystalline (T1) mesophases require additive processing to promote crystallization, phase separation, and efficient light harvesting. A donor material (X2) that crystallizes directly from solution yields additive-free solar cells with an efficiency of 7.6%.

To achieve highly efficient mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the structure and properties of an electron transport layer (ETL) or material (ETM) have been shown to be of supreme importance. Particularly, the core–shell heterostructured mesoscopic ETM architecture has been recognized as a successful electrode design, because of its large internal surface area, superior light-harvesting efficiency and its ability to achieve fast charge transport. Here we report the successful fabrication of a hysteresis-free, 15.3% efficient PSC using vertically aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO2 shell (ZNR/TS) core–shell heterostructured ETMs for the first time. We have also added a conjugated polyelectrolyte polymer into the growth solution to promote the growth of high aspect ratio (AR) ZNRs and substantially improve the infiltration of the perovskite light absorber into the ETM. The PSCs based on the as-synthesized core–shell ZnO/TiO2 heterostructured ETMs exhibited excellent performance enhancement credited to the superior light harvesting capability, larger surface area, prolonged charge-transport pathways and lower recombination rate. The unique ETM design together with minimal hysteresis introduces core–shell ZnO/TiO2 heterostructures as a promising mesoscopic electrode approach for the fabrication of efficient PSCs.

An alternative doping approach that exploits the use of organic donor/acceptor molecules for the effective tuning of the free electron concentration in quasi-2D ZnO transistor channel layers is reported. The method relies on the deposition of molecular dopants/formulations directly onto the ultrathin ZnO channels. Through careful choice of materials combinations, electron transfer from the dopant molecule to ZnO and vice versa is demonstrated.

High mobility thin‐film transistor technologies that can be implemented using simple and inexpensive fabrication methods are in great demand because of their applicability in a wide range of emerging optoelectronics. Here, a novel concept of thin‐film transistors is reported that exploits the enhanced electron transport properties of low‐dimensional polycrystalline heterojunctions and quasi‐superlattices (QSLs) consisting of alternating layers of In2O3, Ga2O3, and ZnO grown by sequential spin casting of different precursors in air at low temperatures (180–200 °C). Optimized prototype QSL transistors exhibit band‐like transport with electron mobilities approximately a tenfold greater (25–45 cm2 V−1 s−1) than single oxide devices (typically 2–5 cm2 V−1 s−1). Based on temperature‐dependent electron transport and capacitance‐voltage measurements, it is argued that the enhanced performance arises from the presence of quasi 2D electron gas‐like systems formed at the carefully engineered oxide heterointerfaces. The QSL transistor concept proposed here can in principle extend to a range of other oxide material systems and deposition methods (sputtering, atomic layer deposition, spray pyrolysis, roll‐to‐roll, etc.) and can be seen as an extremely promising technology for application in next‐generation large area optoelectronics such as ultrahigh definition optical displays and large‐area microelectronics where high performance is a key requirement.

In this work, we compare the effect of incorporating selenophene versus thienothiophene spacers into pentacyclic lactam-based conjugated polymers for organic solar cells. The two cyclic lactam-based copolymers were obtained via a new synthetic method for the lactam moiety. Selenophene incorporation results in a broader and red-shifted optical absorption while retaining a deep highest occupied molecular orbital level, whereas thienothienophene incorporation results in a blue-shifted optical absorption. Additionally, grazing-incidence wide angle X-ray scattering data indicates edge- and face-on solid state order for the selenophene-based polymer as compared to the thienothiophene-based polymer, which orders predominantly edge-on with respect to the substrate. In polymer : PC71BM bulk heterojunction solar cells both materials show a similar open-circuit voltage of similar to 0.80-0.84 V, however the selenophene-based polymer displays a higher fill factor of similar to 0.70 vs. similar to 0.65. This is due to the partial face-on backbone orientation of the selenophene-based polymer, leading to a higher hole mobility, as confirmed by single-carrier diode measurements, and a concomitantly higher fill factor. Combined with improved spectral coverage of the selenophene-based polymer, as confirmed by quantum efficiency experiments, it offers a larger short-circuit current density of similar to 12 mA cm(-2). Despite the relatively low molecular weight of both materials, a very robust power conversion efficiency similar to 7% is achieved for the selenophene-based polymer, while the thienothiophene-based polymer demonstrates only a moderate maximum PCE of similar to 5.5%. Hence, the favorable effects of selenophene incorporation on the photovoltaic performance of pentacyclic lactam-based conjugated polymers are clearly demonstrated. Funding Agencies|Chalmers Areas of Advance Materials Science, Energy and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Swedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation; Swedish Energy Agency; South Australian government; NSF; NIH/NIGMS via NSF [DMR-1332208]

The use of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is demonstrated for the growth of polycrystalline, highly uniform indium oxide films at temperatures in the range of 200-300 °C in air using an aqueous In(NO3)3 precursor solution. Electrical characterization of as-deposited films by field-effect measurements reveals a strong dependence of the electron mobility on deposition temperature. Transistors fabricated at ∼250 °C exhibit optimum performance with maximum electron mobility values in the range of 15-20 cm(2) V (-1) s(-1) and current on/off ratio in excess of 10(6). Structural and compositional analysis of as-grown films by means of X-ray diffraction, diffuse scattering, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that layers deposited at 250 °C are denser and contain a reduced amount of hydroxyl groups as compared to films grown at either lower or higher temperatures. Microstructural analysis of semiconducting films deposited at 250 °C by high resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals that as-grown layers are extremely thin (∼7 nm) and composed of laterally large (30-60 nm) highly crystalline In2O3 domains. These unique characteristics of the In2O3 films are believed to be responsible for the high electron mobilities obtained from transistors fabricated at 250 °C. Our work demonstrates the ability to grow high quality low-dimensional In2O3 films and devices via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis over large area substrates while at the same time it provides guidelines for further material and device improvements.

We investigate the initial stages of growth of TiO2 films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on plasma pre-oxidized c-Si, using in situ real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical properties of TiO2 films were parameterized from 245 to 1000 nm using the Tauc–Lorentz oscillator and the effective medium approximation. For thin films grown at low substrate temperature (Ts=75 °C) and deposition rate (0.3

Novel amorphous SiCN coatings are becoming increasingly attractive because of their mechanical, optical and electronic properties. In the present work, SiCN films were fabricated by PECVD from SiH4/CH4/N2/Ar gas mixtures at a temperature of 400 °C. Mechanical properties such as hardness, Young's modulus, friction coefficient and stress were evaluated, respectively, by depth-sensing indentation, pin-on-disk, micro-scratch and curvature methods. Films deposited under optimized conditions exhibited a hardness >30 GPa, Young's modulus >190 GPa, elastic rebound of 85% and a compressive stress of approximately 1 GPa. A friction coefficient against Al2O3, ranging from 0.75 to 0.25 and a low surface roughness of approximately 1 nm were found to be accompanied by a refractive index ranging from 1.85 to 2.10 (at 550 nm) and an extinction coefficient between 1.0×10−4 and 4.5×10−2. The film behavior is correlated with the microstructure and composition determined by SEM, XPS, AFM and broad-range UV–VIS–NIR–IR spectroscopic ellipsometry.

High-speed solution shearing, in which a drop of dissolved material is spread by a coating knife onto the substrate, has emerged as a versatile, yet simple coating technique to prepare high-mobility organic thin film transistors. Solution shearing and subsequent drying and crystallization of a thin film of conjugated molecules is probed in situ using microbeam grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (μGIWAXS). We demonstrate the advantages of this approach to study solution based crystal nucleation and growth, and identify casting parameter combinations to cast highly ordered and laterally aligned molecular thin films. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Solution deposition of organic optoelectronic materials enables fast roll-to-roll manufacturing of photonic and electronic devices on any type of substrate and at low cost. But controlling the film microstructure when it crystallizes from solution can be challenging. This represents a major limitation of this technology, since the microstructure, in turn, governs the charge transport properties of the material. Further, the solvents typically used are hazardous, which precludes their incorporation in large-scale manufacturing processes. Here, the first ever organic thin-film transistor fabricated with an electrophotographic laser printing process using a standard office laser printer is reported. This completely solvent-free additive manufacturing method allows for simultaneous deposition, purification, and patterning of the organic semiconductor layer. Laser-printed transistors using triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene as the semiconductor layer are realized on flexible substrates and characterized, making this a successful first demonstration of the potential of laser printing of organic semiconductors.

“Nonfullerene” acceptors are proving effective in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells when paired with selected polymer donors. However, the principles that guide the selection of adequate polymer donors for high-efficiency BHJ solar cells with nonfullerene acceptors remain a matter of some debate and, while polymer main-chain substitutions may have a direct influence on the donor–acceptor interplay, those effects should be examined and correlated with BHJ device performance patterns. This report examines a set of wide-bandgap polymer donor analogues composed of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT), and thienyl ([2H]T) or 3,4-difluorothiophene ([2F]T) motifs, and their BHJ device performance pattern with the nonfullerene acceptor “ITIC”. Studies show that the fluorine- and ring-substituted derivative PBDT(T)[2F]T largely outperforms its other two polymer donor counterparts, reaching power conversion efficiencies as high as 9.8%. Combining several characterization techniques, the gradual device performance improvements observed on swapping PBDT[2H]T for PBDT[2F]T, and then for PBDT(T)[2F]T, are found to result from (i) notably improved charge generation and collection efficiencies (estimated as ≈60%, 80%, and 90%, respectively), and (ii) reduced geminate recombination (being suppressed from ≈30%, 25% to 10%) and bimolecular recombination (inferred from recombination rate constant comparisons). These examinations will have broader implications for further studies on the optimization of BHJ solar cell efficiencies with polymer donors and a wider range of nonfullerene acceptors.

J.L. and Y.L. contributed equally to this work. This work was supported by the fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (GK201603055 and GK01010), the Innovation Funds of Graduate Programs, SNNU (2015CXS047), the National University Research Fund (GK261001009 and GK201603107), the Changjiang Scholar and Innovative Research Team (IRT_14R33), the 111 Project (B14041), the National Key Research Program of China (2016YFA0202403), and the Chinese National 1000-talent-plan program (1110010341).

In organic solar cells (OSCs), the energy of the charge-transfer (CT) complexes at the donor–acceptor interface, E CT, determines the maximum open-circuit voltage (V OC). The coexistence of phases with different degrees of order in the donor or the acceptor, as in blends of semi-crystalline donors and fullerenes in bulk heterojunction layers, influences the distribution of CT states and the V OC enormously. Yet, the question of how structural heterogeneities alter CT states and the V OC is seldom addressed systematically. In this work, we combine experimental measurements of vacuum-deposited rubrene/C60 bilayer OSCs, with varying microstructure and texture, with density functional theory calculations to determine how relative molecular orientations and extents of structural order influence E CT and V OC. We find that varying the microstructure of rubrene gives rise to CT bands with varying energies. The CT band that originates from crystalline rubrene lies up to ≈0.4 eV lower in energy compared to the one that arises from amorphous rubrene. These low-lying CT states contribute strongly to V OC losses and result mainly from hole delocalization in aggregated rubrene. This work points to the importance of realizing interfacial structural control that prevents the formation of low E CT configurations and maximizes V OC.

Doping of graphene is a viable route toward enhancing its electrical conductivity and modulating its work function for a wide range of technological applications. In this work, the authors demonstrate facile, solution-based, noncovalent surface doping of few-layer graphene (FLG) using a series of molecular metal-organic and organic species of varying n- and p-type doping strengths. In doing so, the authors tune the electronic, optical, and transport properties of FLG. The authors modulate the work function of graphene over a range of 2.4 eV (from 2.9 to 5.3 eV)—unprecedented for solution-based doping—via surface electron transfer. A substantial improvement of the conductivity of FLG is attributed to increasing carrier density, slightly offset by a minor reduction of mobility via Coulomb scattering. The mobility of single layer graphene has been reported to decrease significantly more via similar surface doping than FLG, which has the ability to screen buried layers. The dopant dosage influences the properties of FLG and reveals an optimal window of dopant coverage for the best transport properties, wherein dopant molecules aggregate into small and isolated clusters on the surface of FLG. This study shows how soluble molecular dopants can easily and effectively tune the work function and improve the optoelectronic properties of graphene.

Objective: Every year about 400 people die in submersed vehicles in North America and this number increases to 2,000–5,000 in all industrialized nations. The best way to survive is to quickly exit through the windows. An Automatic Window Opening System (AWOS; patent protected) was designed to sense when a vehicle is in water and to open the electric windows, but only when the vehicle is upright. Methods: The AWOS consists of a Detection Module (DM), in the engine compartment, and a Power Window Control Module (PWCM) inside the driver’s door. The DM contains a Water Sensor, a Level Sensor and a Microcontroller Unit (MCU). The Level Sensor provides the angular orientation of the car using a 3-axis acceleration sensor and prevents automatic window opening if the car is outside the orientation range (±20° in the roll axis, ±30° in the pitch axis, with a 2 s delay). Systems were installed on two cars and one SUV. A crane lowered vehicles in water either straight down (static tests) or by swinging the vehicles to produce forward movement (dynamic tests). Results: In all tests, when the vehicles landed upright, windows opened immediately and effectively. When vehicles landed inverted, or at a very steep angle, the system did not engage until an upright and level position was attained. Conclusions: This system may help decrease drowning deaths in sinking vehicles. If occupants do not know, or forget, what to do, the open window could hopefully prompt them to exit safely through that window.

To date, a single layer of TiO2 or ZnO has been the most successful implementations of any electron transport layer (ETL) in solution-processed perovskite solar cells. In a quest to improve the ETL, we explore a new nanostructured double-layer ZnO film for mesoscopic perovskite-based thin film photovoltaics. This approach yields a maximum power conversion efficiency of 10.35%, which we attribute to the morphology of oxide layer and to faster electron transport. The successful implementation of the low-temperature hydrothermally processed double-layer ZnO film as ETL in perovskite solar cells highlights the opportunities to further improve the efficiencies by focusing on the ETL in this rapidly developing field.

Blending fullerenes with a donor polymer for the fabrication of organic solar cells often leads to at least partial vitrification of one, if not both, components. For prototypical poly(3-hexylthiophene):fullerene blend, we show that the addition of a commercial nucleating agent, di(3,4-dimethyl benzylidene)sorbitol, to such binary blends accelerates the crystallization of the donor, resulting in an increase in its degree of crystallinity in as-cast structures. This allows manipulation of the extent of intermixing/ phase separation of the donor and acceptor directly from solution, offering a tool to improve device characteristics such as power conversion efficiency.

Molecular orientation plays a significant role in determining the performance of small molecule solar cells. Key photovoltaic processes in these cells are strongly dependent on how the molecules are oriented in the active layer. We isolate contributions arising from the bulk molecular orientations vs. those from interfacial orientations in ZnPc/C60 bilayer systems and we probe these contributions by comparing device pairs in which only the bulk or the interface differ. By controlling the orientation in the bulk the current can be strongly modulated, whereas controlling the interfacial molecular orientation and degree of intermixing mediate the voltage.

Theoretical and experimental studies suggest that energetic offsets between the charge transport energy levels in different morphological phases of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunctions may improve charge separation and reduce recombination in polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this work, we use cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis absorption, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy to characterize hole energy levels in the polymer phases of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunctions. We observe an energetic offset of up to 150 meV between amorphous and crystalline polymer due to bandgap widening associated primarily with changes in polymer conjugation length. We also observe an energetic offset of up to 350 meV associated with polymer:fullerene intermolecular interactions. The first effect has been widely observed, but the second effect is not always considered despite being larger in magnitude for some systems. These energy level shifts may play a major role in PSC performance and must be thoroughly characterized for a complete understanding of PSC function.

A colloidal quantum dot solar cell is fabricated by spray-coating under ambient conditions. By developing a room-temperature spray-coating technique and implementing a fully automated process with near monolayer control-an approach termed as sprayLD-an electronic defect is eliminated resulting in solar cell performance and statistical distribution superior to prior batch-processed methods along with a hero performance of 8.1%.

International audience; The performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) material systems are hypothesized to depend strongly on the intermolecular arrangements at the donor:fullerene interfaces. A review of some of the most efficient polymers utilized in polymer:fullerene PV devices, combined with an analysis of reported polymer donor materials wherein the same conjugated backbone was used with varying alkyl substituents, supports this hypothesis. Specifically, the literature shows that higher-performing donor–acceptor type polymers generally have acceptor moieties that are sterically accessible for interactions with the fullerene derivative, whereas the corresponding donor moieties tend to have branched alkyl substituents that sterically hinder interactions with the fullerene. To further explore the idea that the most beneficial polymer:fullerene arrangement involves the fullerene docking with the acceptor moiety, a family of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene–thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione polymers (PBDTTPD derivatives) was synthesized and tested in a variety of PV device types with vastly different aggregation states of the polymer. In agreement with our hypothesis, the PBDTTPD derivative with a more sterically accessible acceptor moiety and a more sterically hindered donor moiety shows the highest performance in bulk-heterojunction, bilayer, and low-polymer concentration PV devices where fullerene derivatives serve as the electron-accepting materials. Furthermore, external quantum efficiency measurements of the charge-transfer state and solid-state two-dimensional (2D) 13C{1H} heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR analyses support that a specific polymer:fullerene arrangement is present for the highest performing PBDTTPD derivative, in which the fullerene is in closer proximity to the acceptor moiety of the polymer. This work demonstrates that the polymer:fullerene arrangement and resulting intermolecular interactions may be key factors in determining the performance of OPV material systems.

The absorbing layer in state-of-the-art colloidal quantum-dot solar cells is fabricated using a tedious layer-by-layer process repeated ten times. It is now shown that methanol, a common exchange solvent, is the main culprit, as extended exposure leaches off the surface halide passivant, creating carrier trap states. Use of a high-dipole-moment aprotic solvent eliminates this problem and is shown to produce state-of-the-art devices in far fewer steps.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are receiving significant attention due to their ability to efficiently transduce biological signals. A major limitation of this technology is that only p-type materials have been reported, which precludes the development of complementary circuits, and limits sensor technologies. Here, we report the first ever n-type OECT, with relatively balanced ambipolar charge transport characteristics based on a polymer that supports both hole and electron transport along its backbone when doped through an aqueous electrolyte and in the presence of oxygen. This new semiconducting polymer is designed specifically to facilitate ion transport and promote electrochemical doping. Stability measurements in water show no degradation when tested for 2 h under continuous cycling. This demonstration opens the possibility to develop complementary circuits based on OECTs and to improve the sophistication of bioelectronic devices., Organic electrochemical transistors transduce ionic to electronic signals in aqueous solutions, holding promise for biological sensing applications. Here, Giovannitti et al. report an ambipolar organic electrochemical transistor, based on a conjugated copolymer, which has a high stability in water.

An elemental-sulfur-based synthesis is reported, which, combined with processing to improve the size dispersion and passivation, results in a low-cost high-quality platform for small-bandgap PbS-CQD-based devices. Size-selective precipitation and cadmium chloride passivation are used to improve the power conversion efficiency of 1 eV bandgap CQD photovoltaic devices dramatically, which leads to record power conversion efficiency for a 1 eV PbS CQD solar cell of 5.4%.

A crystal's structure has significant impact on its resulting biological, physical, optical and electronic properties. In organic electronics, 6,13(bis-triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), a small-molecule organic semiconductor, adopts metastable polymorphs possessing significantly faster charge transport than the equilibrium crystal when deposited using the solution-shearing method. Here, we use a combination of high-speed polarized optical microscopy, in situ microbeam grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray-scattering and molecular simulations to understand the mechanism behind formation of metastable TIPS-pentacene polymorphs. We observe that thin-film crystallization occurs first at the air-solution interface, and nanoscale vertical spatial confinement of the solution results in formation of metastable polymorphs, a one-dimensional and large-area analogy to crystallization of polymorphs in nanoporous matrices. We demonstrate that metastable polymorphism can be tuned with unprecedented control and produced over large areas by either varying physical confinement conditions or by tuning energetic conditions during crystallization through use of solvent molecules of various sizes.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) offer promise in flexible electronics, light sensing and energy conversion. These applications rely on rectifying junctions that require the creation of high-quality CQD solids that are controllably n-type (electron-rich) or p-type (hole-rich). Unfortunately, n-type semiconductors made using soft matter are notoriously prone to oxidation within minutes of air exposure. Here we report high-performance, air-stable n-type CQD solids. Using density functional theory we identify inorganic passivants that bind strongly to the CQD surface and repel oxidative attack. A materials processing strategy that wards off strong protic attack by polar solvents enabled the synthesis of an air-stable n-type PbS CQD solid. This material was used to build an air-processed inverted quantum junction device, which shows the highest current density from any CQD solar cell and a solar power conversion efficiency as high as 8%. We also feature the n-type CQD solid in the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of atmospheric NO2. This work paves the way for new families of electronic devices that leverage air-stable quantum-tuned materials.

The direct observation of the complete electronic band structure of a family of PbS CQD solids via photoelectron spectroscopy is reported. We investigate how materials processing strategies, such as the latest passivation methods that produce record-performance photovoltaics, achieve their performance advances. Halide passivated films show a drastic reduction in states in the midgap, contributing to a marked improvement in the device performance.