High‐Strain Shape‐Memory Polymers

Shape‐memory polymers (SMPs) are self‐adjusting, smart materials in which shape changes can be accurately controlled at specific, tailored temperatures. In this study, the glass transition temperature (T_g) is adjusted between 28 and 55 °C through synthesis of copolymers of methyl acrylate (MA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and isobornyl acrylate (IBoA). Acrylate compositions with both crosslinker densities and photoinitiator concentrations optimized at fractions of a mole percent demonstrate fully recoverable strains at 807% for a T_g of 28 °C, at 663% for a T_g of 37 °C, and at 553% for a T_g of 55 °C. A new compound, 4,4′‐di(acryloyloxy)benzil (referred to hereafter as Xini) in which both polymerizable and initiating functionalities are incorporated in the same molecule, was synthesized and polymerized into acrylate shape‐memory polymers, which were thermomechanically characterized yielding fully recoverable strains above 500%. The materials synthesized in this work were compared to an industry standard thermoplastic SMP, Mitsubishi's MM5510, which showed failure strains of similar magnitude, but without full shape recovery: residual strain after a single shape‐memory cycle caused large‐scale disfiguration. The materials in this study are intended to enable future applications where both recoverable high‐strain capacity and the ability to accurately and independently position T_g are required.     

Competing Crystal Growth in Ge–Sb Phase‐Change Films

Analysis of crystal growth in thin films of phase‐change materials can provide deeper insights in the extraordinary phase transformation kinetics of these materials excellently suited for data storage applications. In the present work crystal growth in Ge_xSb_100‐x thin films with x = 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 is studied in detail, demonstrating that the crystallization temperature increases from ～80 °C for Ge₆Sb₉₄ to ～200 °C for Ge₁₀Sb₉₀ and simultaneously the activation energy for crystal growth also significantly increases from 1.7 eV to 5.5 eV. The most interesting new finding is that in the thin films containing 8, 9, and 10 at% Ge two competing growth modes occur which can have several orders of magnitude difference in growth rate at a single external temperature: an initial mode with isotropic slow growth producing circular crystals with smooth surfaces and growth fronts and a fast growth mode producing crystals with triangular shape having rough surfaces and growth fronts indicative of dendritic‐like growth. The slow‐growth mode becomes increasingly dominant for crystallization at low temperatures when the Ge concentration is increased from 8 to 10 at% Ge. For a certain Ge concentration, the slow growth mode becomes increasingly dominant at lower temperatures and the fast growth mode at higher temperatures. Latent heat produced during crystallization is considered a principal factor explaining the observations. The fast growth mode is associated with (eutectic) decomposition generating more latent heat and instable growth fronts and the slow growth mode is associated with thermodynamically less stable homogeneously alloyed crystals generating less latent heat, but stable growth fronts.     

Understanding the Meniscus‐Guided Coating Parameters in Organic Field‐Effect‐Transistor Fabrications

Meniscus‐guided coating (MGC) is mainly applicable on the soluble organic semiconductors with strong π–π overlap for achieving single‐crystalline organic thin films and high‐performance organic field‐effect‐transistors (OFETs). In this work, four elementary factors including shearing speed (v), solute concentration (c), deposition temperature (T), and solvent boiling point (T_b) are unified to analyze crystal growth behavior in the meniscus‐guided coating. By carefully varying and studying these four key factors, it is confirmed that v is the thickness regulation factor, while c is proportional to crystal growth rate. The MGC crystal growth rate is also correlated to latent heat (L) of solvents and deposition temperature in an Arrhenius form. The latent heat of solvents is proportional to T_b. The OFET channels grown by the optimized MGC parameters show uniform crystal morphology (Roughness R_q < 0.25 nm) with decent carrier mobilities (average µ = 5.88 cm² V^?1 s^?1 and highest µ = 7.68 cm² V^?1 s^?1). The studies provide a generalized formula to estimate the effects of these fabrication parameters, which can serve as crystal growth guidelines for the MGC approach. It is also an important cornerstone towards scaling up the OFETs for the sophisticated organic circuits or mass production.     

Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Based Conjugated Polymers Synthesized via Direct Arylation Polycondensation for High Mobility Pure n‐Channel Organic Field‐Effect Transistors

High‐performance unipolar n‐type conjugated polymers (CPs) are critical for the development of organic electronics. In the current paper, four “weak donor–strong acceptor” n‐type CPs based on pyridine flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (PyDPP), namely PPyDPP1‐4FBT, PPyDPP2‐4FBT, PPyDPP1‐4FTVT, and PPyDPP2‐4FTVT, are synthesized via direct arylation polycondensation by using 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrafluoro‐2,2′‐bithiophene (4FBT) or (E)‐1,2‐bis(3,4‐difluorothien‐2‐yl)ethene (4FTVT) as weak donor unit. All four polymers exhibit low‐lying highest occupied molecular orbital (≈ ?5.90 eV) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels (≈ ?3.70 eV). Top‐gate/bottom‐contact organic field‐effect transistors based on all four polymers display unipolar n‐channel characteristics with electron mobility (µ_e) above 1 cm² V^?1 s^?1 in air, and presented linear |I_SD|^1/2 ?V_GS plots and weak dependence of the extracted moblity on gate voltage (V_GS), indicative of the reliability of the extracted mobility values. Importantly, the devices based on PPyDPP1‐4FBT and PPyDPP2‐4FBT show a pure unipolar n‐channel transistor behavior as revealed by the typical unipolar n‐channel output characteristics and clear off‐regimes in transfer characteristics. Attributed to its high crystallinity and favorable thin film morphology, PPyDPP2‐4FBT shows the highest µ_e of 2.45 cm² V^?1 s^?1, which is among the highest for unipolar n‐type CPs reported to date. This is also the first report for DPP based pure n‐type CPs with µ_e greater than 1 cm² V^?1 s^?1.     

Template‐Assisted Synthesis of Metallic 1T′‐Sn0.3W0.7S2 Nanosheets for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Crystal phase control still remains a challenge for the precise synthesis of 2D layered metal dichalcogenide (LMD) materials. The T′ phase structure has profound influences on enhancing electrical conductivity, increasing active sites, and improving intrinsic catalytic activity, which are urgently needed for enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Theoretical calculations suggest that metastable T′ phase 2D Sn_1?xW_xS₂ alloys can be formed by combining W with 1T tin disulfide (SnS₂) as a template to achieve a semiconductor‐to‐metallic transition. Herein, 2D Sn_1?xW_xS₂ alloys with varying x are prepared by adjusting the molar ratio of reactants via hydrothermal synthesis, among which Sn_0.3W_0.7S₂ displays a maximum of concentration of 81% in the metallic phase and features a distorted octahedral‐coordinated metastable 1T′ phase structure. The obtained 1T′‐Sn_0.3W_0.7S₂ has high intrinsic electrical conductivity, lattice distortion, and defects, showing a prominently improved HER catalytic performance. Metallic Sn_0.3W_0.7S₂ coupled with carbon black exhibits at least a 215‐fold improvement compared to pristine SnS₂. It has excellent long‐term durability and HER activity. This work reveals a general phase transition strategy by using T phase materials as templates and merging heteroatoms to achieve synthetic metastable phase 2D LMDs that have a significantly improved HER catalytic performance.     

High‐Performance,Air‐Stable,Top‐Gate,p‐Channel WSe2 Field‐Effect Transistor with Fluoropolymer Buffer Layer

High‐performance, air‐stable, p‐channel WSe₂ top‐gate field‐effect transistors (FETs) using a bilayer gate dielectric composed of high‐ and low‐k dielectrics are reported. Using only a high‐k Al₂O₃ as the top‐gate dielectric generally degrades the electrical properties of p‐channel WSe₂, therefore, a thin fluoropolymer (Cytop) as a buffer layer to protect the 2D channel from high‐k oxide forming is deposited. As a result, a top‐gate‐patterned 2D WSe₂ FET is realized. The top‐gate p‐channel WSe₂ FET demonstrates a high hole mobility of 100 cm²_­ V^?1 s^?1 and a I_ON/I_OFF ratio > 10⁷ at low gate voltages (V_GS ca. ?4 V) and a drain voltage (V_DS) of ?1 V on a glass substrate. Furthermore, the top‐gate FET shows a very good stability in ambient air with a relative humidity of 45% for 7 days after device fabrication. Our approach of creating a high‐k oxide/low‐k organic bilayer dielectric is advantageous over single‐layer high‐k dielectrics for top‐gate p‐channel WSe₂ FETs, which will lead the way toward future electronic nanodevices and their integration.     

Low‐Temperature,Nontoxic Water‐Induced Metal‐Oxide Thin Films and Their Application in Thin‐Film Transistors

Here, a simple, nontoxic, and inexpensive “water‐inducement” technique for the fabrication of oxide thin films at low annealing temperatures is reported. For water‐induced (WI) precursor solution, the solvent is composed of water without additional organic additives and catalysts. The thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the annealing temperature can be lowered by prolonging the annealing time. A systematic study is carried out to reveal the annealing condition dependence on the performance of the thin‐film transistors (TFTs). The WI indium‐zinc oxide (IZO) TFT integrated on SiO₂ dielectric, annealed at 300 °C for 2 h, exhibits a saturation mobility of 3.35 cm² V^?1 s^?1 and an on‐to‐off current ratio of ≈10⁸. Interestingly, through prolonging the annealing time to 4 h, the electrical parameters of IZO TFTs annealed at 230 °C are comparable with the TFTs annealed at 300 °C. Finally, fully WI IZO TFT based on YO_x dielectric is integrated and investigated. This TFT device can be regarded as “green electronics” in a true sense, because no organic‐related additives are used during the whole device fabrication process. The as‐fabricated IZO/YO_x TFT exhibits excellent electron transport characteristics with low operating voltage (≈1.5 V), small subthreshold swing voltage of 65 mV dec^?1 and the mobility in excess of 25 cm² V^?1 s^?1.     

Poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole‐benzothiadiazole) with Ambipolarity Approaching 100% Equivalency

As a characteristic feature of conventional conjugated polymers, it has been generally agreed that conjugated polymers exhibit either high hole transport property (p‐type) or high electron transport property (n‐type). Although ambipolar properties have been demonstrated from specially designed conjugated polymers, only a few examples have exhibited ambipolar transport properties under limited conditions. Furthermore, there is, as yet, no example with ‘equivalent’ hole and electron transport properties. We describe the realization of an equivalent ambipolar organic field‐effect transistor (FET) by using a single‐component visible–near infrared absorbing diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)‐benzothiadiazole (BTZ) copolymer, namely poly[3,6‐dithiene‐2‐yl‐2,5‐di(2‐decyltetradecyl)‐pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐dione‐5’,5’’‐diyl‐alt‐benzo‐2,1, 3‐thiadiazol‐4,7‐diyl] ( PDTDPP‐alt‐BTZ ). PDTDPP‐alt‐BTZ shows not only ideally balanced charge carrier mobilities for both electrons (?_e = 0.09 cm²V^?1s^?1) and holes (?_h = 0.1 cm²V^?1s^?1) but also its inverter constructed with the combination of two identical ambipolar FETs exhibits a gain of ～35 that is much higher than usually obtained values for unipolar logic.     

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance in 18‐Electron Nb0.8CoSb Half‐Heusler Compound with Intrinsic Nb Vacancies

Typical 18‐electron half‐Heusler compounds, ZrNiSn and NbFeSb, are identified as promising high‐temperature thermoelectric materials. NbCoSb with nominal 19 valence electrons, which is supposed to be metallic, is recently reported to also exhibit thermoelectric properties of a heavily doped n‐type semiconductor. Here for the first time, it is experimentally demonstrated that the nominal 19‐electron NbCoSb is actually the composite of 18‐electron Nb_0.8+δCoSb (0 ≤ δ < 0.05) and impurity phases. Single‐phase Nb_0.8+δCoSb with intrinsic Nb vacancies, following the 18‐electron rule, possesses improved thermoelectric performance, and the slight change in the content of Nb vacancies has a profound effect on the thermoelectric properties. The carrier concentration can be controlled by varying the Nb deficiency, and the optimization of the thermoelectric properties can be realized within the narrow pure phase region. Benefiting from the elimination of impurity phases and the optimization of carrier concentration, thermoelectric performance is remarkably enhanced by ≈100% and a maximum zT of 0.9 is achieved in Nb_0.83CoSb at 1123 K. This work expands the family of half‐Heusler thermoelectric materials and opens a new avenue for searching for nominal 19‐electron half‐Heusler compounds with intrinsic vacancies as promising thermoelectric materials.     

Design of High‐Performance Disordered Half‐Heusler Thermoelectric Materials Using 18‐Electron Rule

Ternary half‐Heusler (HH) alloys display intriguing functionalities ranging from thermoelectric to magnetic and topological properties. For thermoelectric applications, stable HH alloys with a nominal valence electron count (VEC) of 18 per formula or defective HH alloys with a VEC of 17 or 19 are assumed to be promising candidates. Inspired by the pioneering efforts to design a TiFe_0.5Ni_0.5Sb double HH alloy by combining 17‐electron TiFeSb and 19‐electron TiNiSb HH alloys, both high‐performance n‐type and p‐type materials based on the same parent TiFe_0.5Ni_0.5Sb are developed. First‐principles calculation results demonstrate their beneficial band structure having a high band degeneracy that contributes to their large effective mass and thereby maintains their high Seebeck coefficient values. Due to the strong Fe/Ni disorder effect, TiFe_0.5Ni_0.5Sb exhibits a much lower lattice thermal conductivity than does TiCoSb, consistent with very recently reported results. Furthermore, tuning the ratio of Fe and Ni leads to achieving both p‐ and n‐types, and alloying Ti by Hf further enhances the thermoelectric performance significantly. A peak ZT of ≈1 and ≈0.7 at 973 K are achieved in the p‐type and n‐type based on the same parent, respectively, which are beneficial and promising for real applications.     

High‐Mobility n‐Type Organic Transistors Based on a Crystallized Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivative

A new high‐performing small molecule n‐channel semiconductor based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), 2,2′‐(5,5′‐(2,5‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐3,6‐dioxo‐2,3,5,6‐tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐diyl)bis(thiophene‐5,2‐diyl))bis(methan‐1‐yl‐1‐ylidene)dimalononitrile (DPP‐T‐DCV), is successfully synthesized. The frontier molecular orbitals in this designed structure are elaborately tuned by introducing a strong electron‐accepting functionality (dicyanovinyl). The well‐defined lamellar structures of the crystals display a uniform terrace step height corresponding to a molecular monolayer in the solid‐state. As a result of this tuning and the remarkable crystallinity derived from the conformational planarity, organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) based on dense‐packed solution‐processed single‐crystals of DPP‐T‐DCV exhibit an electron mobility (μ_e) up to 0.96 cm² V^?1 s^?1, one of the highest values yet obtained for DPP derivative‐based n‐channel OFETs. Polycrystalline OFETs show promise (with an μ_e up to 0.64 cm² V^?1 s^?1) for practical utility in organic device applications.     

Temperature‐Dependent Charge‐Carrier Dynamics in CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Thin Films

The photoluminescence, transmittance, charge‐carrier recombination dynamics, mobility, and diffusion length of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ are investigated in the temperature range from 8 to 370 K. Profound changes in the optoelectronic properties of this prototypical photovoltaic material are observed across the two structural phase transitions occurring at 160 and 310 K. Drude‐like terahertz photoconductivity spectra at all temperatures above 80 K suggest that charge localization effects are absent in this range. The monomolecular charge‐carrier recombination rate generally increases with rising temperature, indicating a mechanism dominated by ionized impurity mediated recombination. Deduced activation energies E_a associated with ionization are found to increase markedly from the room‐temperature tetragonal (E_a ≈ 20 meV) to the higher‐temperature cubic (E_a ≈ 200 meV) phase adopted above 310 K. Conversely, the bimolecular rate constant decreases with rising temperature as charge‐carrier mobility declines, while the Auger rate constant is highly phase specific, suggesting a strong dependence on electronic band structure. The charge‐carrier diffusion length gradually decreases with rising temperature from about 3 μm at ?93 °C to 1.2 μm at 67 °C but remains well above the optical absorption depth in the visible spectrum. These results demonstrate that there are no fundamental obstacles to the operation of cells based on CH₃NH₃PbI₃ under typical field conditions.     

Low‐Temperature‐Processed Printed Metal Oxide Transistors Based on Pure Aqueous Inks

Additive patterning of transparent conducting metal oxides at low temperatures is a critical step in realizing low‐cost transparent electronics for display technology and photovoltaics. In this work, inkjet‐printed metal oxide transistors based on pure aqueous chemistries are presented. These inks readily convert to functional thin films at lower processing temperatures (T ≤ 250 °C) relative to organic solvent‐based oxide inks, facilitating the fabrication of high‐performance transistors with both inkjet‐printed transparent electrodes of aluminum‐doped cadmium oxide (ACO) and semiconductor (InO_x ). The intrinsic fluid properties of these water‐based solutions enable the printing of fine features with coffee‐ring free line profiles and smoother line edges than those formed from organic solvent‐based inks. The influence of low‐temperature annealing on the optical, electrical, and crystallographic properties of the ACO electrodes is investigated, as well as the role of aluminum doping in improving these properties. Finally, the all‐aqueous‐printed thin film transistors (TFTs) with inkjet‐patterned semiconductor (InO_x ) and source/drain (ACO) layers are characterized, which show ideal low contact resistance (R _c < 160 Ω cm) and competitive transistor performance (µ _lin up to 19 cm² V^?1 s^?1, Subthreshold Slope (SS) ≤150 mV dec^?1) with only low‐temperature processing (T ≤ 250 °C).     

Highly Stretchable,High‐Mobility,Free‐Standing All‐Organic Transistors Modulated by Solid‐State Elastomer Electrolytes

Highly stretchable, high‐mobility, and free‐standing coplanar‐type all‐organic transistors based on deformable solid‐state elastomer electrolytes are demonstrated using ionic thermoplastic polyurethane (i‐TPU), thereby showing high reliability under mechanical stimuli as well as low‐voltage operation. Unlike conventional ionic dielectrics, the i‐TPU electrolyte prepared herein has remarkable characteristics, i.e., a large specific capacitance of 5.5 µF cm^?2, despite the low weight ratio (20 wt%) of the ionic liquid, high transparency, and even stretchability. These i‐TPU‐based organic transistors exhibit a mobility as high as 7.9 cm² V^?1 s^?1, high bendability (R_c, radius of curvature: 7.2 mm), and good stretchability (60% tensile strain). Moreover, they are suitable for low‐voltage operation (V_DS = ?1.0 V, V_GS = ?2.5 V). In addition, the electrical characteristics such as mobility, on‐current, and threshold voltage are maintained even in the concave and convex bending state (bending tensile strain of ≈3.4%), respectively. Finally, free‐standing, fully stretchable, and semi‐transparent coplanar‐type all‐organic transistors can be fabricated by introducing a poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonic acid layer as source/drain and gate electrodes, thus achieving low‐voltage operation (V_DS = ?1.5 V, V_GS = ?2.5 V) and an even higher mobility of up to 17.8 cm² V^?1 s^?1. Moreover, these devices withstand stretching up to 80% tensile strain.     

Magnetic Field‐Induced Phase Transformation in NiMnCoIn Magnetic Shape‐Memory Alloys—A New Actuation Mechanism with Large Work Output

Magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) have recently been developed into a new class of functional materials that are capable of magnetic‐field‐induced actuation, mechanical sensing, magnetic refrigeration, and energy harvesting. In the present work, the magnetic &!hyphen;field‐induced martensitic phase transformation (FIPT) in Ni₄₅Mn_36.5Co₅In_13.5 MSMA single crystals is characterized as a new actuation mechanism with potential to result in ultra‐high actuation work outputs. The effects of the applied magnetic field on the transformation temperatures, magnetization, and superelastic response are investigated. The magnetic work output of NiMnCoIn alloys is determined to be more than 1 MJ m^?3 per Tesla, which is one order of magnitude higher than that of the most well‐known MSMAs, i.e., NiMnGa alloys. In addition, the work output of NiMnCoIn alloys is orientation independent, potentially surpassing the need for single crystals, and not limited by a saturation magnetic field, as opposed to NiMnGa MSMAs. Experimental and theoretical transformation strains and magnetostress levels are determined as a function of crystal orientation. It is found that [111]‐oriented crystals can demonstrate a magnetostress level of 140 MPa T^?1 with 1.2% axial strain under compression. These field‐induced stress and strain levels are significantly higher than those from existing piezoelectric and magnetostrictive actuators. A thermodynamical framework is introduced to comprehend the magnetic energy contributions during FIPT. The present work reveals that the magnetic FIPT mechanism is promising for magnetic actuation applications and provides new opportunities for applications requiring high actuation work‐outputs with relatively large actuation frequencies. One potential issue is the requirement for relatively high critical magnetic fields and field intervals (1.5–3 T) for the onset of FIPT and for reversible FIPT, respectively.     

Layer‐by‐Layer Conjugated Extension of a Semiconducting Polymer for High‐Performance Organic Field‐Effect Transistor

A donor–acceptor (D–A) semiconducting copolymer, PDPP‐TVT‐29, comprising a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) derivative with long, linear, space‐separated alkyl side‐chains and thiophene vinylene thiophene (TVT) for organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) can form highly π‐conjugated structures with an edge‐on molecular orientation in an as‐spun film. In particular, the layer‐like conjugated film morphologies can be developed via short‐term thermal annealing above 150 °C for 10 min. The strong intermolecular interaction, originating from the fused DPP and D–A interaction, leads to the spontaneous self‐assembly of polymer chains within close proximity (with π‐overlap distance of 3.55 Å) and forms unexpectedly long‐range π‐conjugation, which is favorable for both intra‐ and intermolecular charge transport. Unlike intergranular nanorods in the as‐spun film, well‐conjugated layers in the 200 °C‐annealed film can yield more efficient charge‐transport pathways. The granular morphology of the as‐spun PDPP‐TVT‐29 film produces a field‐effect mobility (μ _FET) of 1.39 cm² V^?1 s^?1 in an OFET based on a polymer‐treated SiO₂ dielectric, while the 27‐Å‐step layered morphology in the 200 °C‐annealed films shows high μ _FET values of up to 3.7 cm² V^?1 s^?1.     

Li‐CO2 Batteries Efficiently Working at Ultra‐Low Temperatures

Lithium‐carbon dioxide (Li‐CO₂) batteries are considered promising energy‐storage systems in extreme environments with ultra‐high CO₂ concentrations, such as Mars with 96% CO₂ in the atmosphere, due to their potentially high specific energy densities. However, besides having ultra‐high CO₂ concentration, another vital but seemingly overlooked fact lies in that Mars is an extremely cold planet with an average temperature of approximately ?60 °C. The existing Li‐CO₂ batteries could work at room temperature or higher, but they will face severe performance degradation or even a complete failure once the ambient temperature falls below 0 °C. Herein, ultra‐low‐temperature Li‐CO₂ batteries are demonstrated by designing 1,3‐dioxolane‐based electrolyte and iridium‐based cathode, which show both a high deep discharge capacity of 8976 mAh g^?1 and a long lifespan of 150 cycles (1500 h) with a fixed 500 mAh g^?1 capacity per cycle at ?60 °C. The easy‐to‐decompose discharge products in small size on the cathode and the suppressed parasitic reactions both in the electrolyte and on the Li anode at low temperatures together contribute to the above high electrochemical performances.     

Photoresponsive Ferroelectric Liquid‐Crystalline Polymers

The photoresponse of ferroelectric smectic side‐chain liquid‐crystalline (LC) polymers containing a photoisomerizable azobenzene derivative as a covalently linked photochromic side group is investigated. By static measurements in different photostationary states, the effect of trans–cis isomerization on the material's phase‐transition temperatures and its ferroelectric properties (spontaneous electric polarization P_S and director tilt angle θ) are analyzed. It turns out that the Curie temperature (transition S_C* to S_A) can be reversibly shifted by up to 17 °C. The molecular mechanism of this “photoferroelectric effect” is studied in detail using time‐resolved measurements of the dye's optical absorbance, the director tilt angle, and the spontaneous polarization, which show a direct response of the ferroelectric parameters to the molecular isomerization. The kinetics of the thermal reisomerization of the azo dye in the LC matrix are evaluated. A comparison to the reisomerization reaction in isotropic solution (toluene) reveals a faster thermal relaxation of the dye in the LC phase.     

Nanostructured Titanium Oxynitride Porous Thin Films as Efficient Visible‐Active Photocatalysts

Nanocrystalline mesoporous N‐doped titania films have been prepared for the first time. The introduction of nitrogen into the anatase structure starts at 500 °C, with N bonding to titanium via oxygen substitution. Increasing the treatment temperature leads to the formation of TiN (TiN_1–xO_x) and N‐doped rutile showing mixed‐valence Ti states. Microstructural characterization shows that the ordered mesoporosity is maintained until 700 °C, where TiN (TiN_1–xO_x) begins to form. Optical characterization shows that the discrete introduction of N is able to shift the titania absorption edge. The photocatalytic tests give the best results under visible light excitation for the film nitrided at 500 °C. At this temperature the concentration of nitrogen in the structure is optimal since oxygen vacancies are still not important enough to promote the recombination of the photogenerated electrons and holes.     

Fluorinated Polyimide as a Novel High‐Voltage Binder for High‐Capacity Cathode of Lithium‐Ion Batteries

An increase in the energy density of lithium‐ion batteries has long been a competitive advantage for advanced wireless devices and long‐driving electric vehicles. Li‐rich layered oxide, xLi₂MnO₃?(1?x)LiMn_1?y?zNi_yCo_zO₂, is a promising high‐capacity cathode material for high‐energy batteries, whose capacity increases by increasing charge voltage to above 4.6 V versus Li. Li‐rich layered oxide cathode however suffers from a rapid capacity fade during the high‐voltage cycling because of instable cathode–electrolyte interface, and the occurrence of metal dissolution, particle cracking, and structural degradation, particularly, at elevated temperatures. Herein, this study reports the development of fluorinated polyimide as a novel high‐voltage binder, which mitigates the cathode degradation problems through superior binding ability to conventional polyvinylidenefluoride binder and the formation of robust surface structure at the cathode. A full‐cell consisting of fluorinated polyimide binder‐assisted Li‐rich layered oxide cathode and conventional electrolyte without any electrolyte additive exhibits significantly improved capacity retention to 89% at the 100th cycle and discharge capacity to 223–198 mA h g^?1 even under the harsh condition of 55 °C and high charge voltage of 4.7 V, in contrast to a rapid performance fade of the cathode coated with polyvinylidenefluoride binder.