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In organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors (OMIECs), it is critical to understand the motion of ions in the electrolyte and OMIEC. Generally, the focus is on the movement of net charge during gating, and the motion of neutral anion–cation pairs is seldom considered. Uptake of mobile ion pairs by the semiconductor before electrochemical gating (passive uptake) can be advantageous as this can improve device speed, and both ions can participate in charge compensation during gating. Here, such passive ion pair uptake in high‐speed solid‐state devices is demonstrated using an ion gel electrolyte. This is compared to a polymerized ionic liquid (PIL) electrolyte to understand how ion pair uptake affects device characteristics. Using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the passive uptake of ion pairs from the ion gel into the OMIEC is detected, whereas no uptake is observed with a PIL electrolyte. This is corroborated by X‐ray scattering, which reveals morphological changes to the OMIEC from the uptake of ion pairs. With in situ Raman, a reorganization of both anions and cations is then observed during gating. Finally, the speed and retention of OMIEC‐based neuromorphic devices are tuned by controlling the freedom of charge motion in the electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computational study of Distributed Bragg Reflectors (DBR) and Optical Microcavities (OMC) was conducted to ascertain their potential as time-resolved mesoscale sensors due to their unique structure-driven spectral characteristics. Shock wave propagation simulations of polymer-based DBRs and glass/ceramic-based OMCs were coupled with spectral response calculations to demonstrate the combined dynamic mechanical and spectral response of the structures. Clear spectral shifts in both structures are predicted as a function of dynamic loading magnitude. Potential applications of the structures include high spatial and temporal resolution surface maps of material states, and in-situ probing of material interfaces during dynamic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of nonfullerene‐based organic solar cells is largely dependent on the donor:acceptor blend morphology, which is initially tuned by composition. However, morphological design rules are difficult to identify due to the complex relationship between composition‐dependent phase behavior and performance properties. In this study, the authors are able to establish a direct link between PM6:Y6 film morphology and device properties by combining grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering with highly sensitive Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy. By analyzing properties across the full composition range, interfacial microstructure and the corresponding charge transfer (CT) states are identified and direct structure–property relationships are established. The results indicate that open‐circuit voltage is controlled by the CT state at amorphous‐PM6:crystalline‐Y6 interfaces. Crystalline Y6 is found to increase both transport and non‐radiative recombination, suggesting that morphological tradeoffs may be necessary for overall device optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconducting conjugated polymers bearing glycol side chains can simultaneously transport both electronic and ionic charges with high charge mobilities, making them ideal electrode materials for a range of bioelectronic devices. However, heavily glycolated conjugated polymer films have been observed to swell irreversibly when subjected to an electrochemical bias in an aqueous electrolyte. The excessive swelling can lead to the degradation of their microstructure, and subsequently reduced device performance. An effective strategy to control polymer film swelling is to copolymerize glycolated repeat units with a fraction of monomers bearing alkyl side chains, although the microscopic mechanism that constrains swelling is unknown. Here we investigate, experimentally and computationally, a series of archetypal mixed transporting copolymers with varying ratios of glycolated and alkylated repeat units. Experimentally we observe that exchanging 10% of the glycol side chains for alkyl leads to significantly reduced film swelling and an increase in electrochemical stability. Through molecular dynamics simulation of the amorphous phase of the materials, we observe the formation of polymer networks mediated by alkyl side-chain interactions. When in the presence of water, the network becomes increasingly connected, counteracting the volumetric expansion of the polymer film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]