New polymeric buffer materials with low driving voltage

We present excellent polymeric buffer materials based on the poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-N, N-di(phenyl)-N,N-di(3-carboethoxyphenyl)benzidine) (BFE) for highly efficient solution processed organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Doped BFE with 3,5-dinitrobenzonitrile (35DNBN), a strong electron acceptor results in significant improvement of current flow and driving voltage. Maximum current- and power-efficiency value of 7.2 cd/A and 5.5 lm/W are demonstrated from blue OLEDs with these doped polymeric anode buffer system. The 40 nm thick anode buffer material showed a similar current density-voltage (J-V) behavior to that of PEDOT:PSS based device. Results reveal a practical way to fabricate the highly efficient solution processed devices for low cost production of printing devices for the future.     

Effect of solution-processed niO thin film as a hole transport layer in poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester bulk heterojunction solar cells

In this study, solution-processed nickel oxide (NiO) thin film was investigated as a hole transport layer on anode to improve the performance of bulk heterojunction solar cell based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). We fabricated NiO thin film without any vacuum-related process. Characterization of the NiO film under this study shows that it has maximum transmittance of 93.22% and bandgap of 3.84 eV which are proper for solar cell. Insertion of the NiO layer affords to realize enhanced power conversion efficiency of 1.97% and fill factor of 52.11% showing improvement over existing cells. In addition, NiO suggests one solution of minimizing conventional problems of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) such as interfacial power losses, corrosion of indium tin oxide layer, and degradation of the devices. The value of such hole transporting and electron blocking properties is clearly demonstrated and could be applicable to other organic photovoltaics.     

Preparation of C60(O)n-ZnO nanocomposite under electric furnace and photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized sonochemically by applying ultrasonic irradiation to a mixed aqueous-alcoholic solution of zinc nitrate with sodium hydroxide at room temperature. The morphology and optical properties of the ZnO nanoparticles were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The C60(O)n nanoparticles were synthesized by heating a mixture of C60 and 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in a benzene solvent under the reflux system. The heated C60(O)n-ZnO nanocomposite was synthesized in an electric furnace at 700 degrees C for two hours. The heated C60(O)n-ZnO nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM, and examined as a catalyst in the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic effect of the heated C60(O)n-ZnO nanocomposite was evaluated by a comparison with that of unheated C60(O)n nanoparticles, heated C60(O)n nanoparticles, and unheated C60(O)n-ZnO in organic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet light at 365 nm.     

Effects of Al concentration on microstructural characteristics and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films on Si substrates by atomic layer deposition

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films with various Al concentrations were synthesized on Si(001) substrates with native oxide layers by atomic layer deposition process. The effects of the Al concentration on the microstructural characteristics of the AZO thin films grown at 250 degrees C and the correlation between their microstructural characteristics and electrical properties of the AZO thin films were investigated by AFM, XRD, HRTEM and Hall measurements. The XRD and HRTEM results revealed that the crystallinity and electrical properties of the undoped ZnO thin films were enhanced by 2.48 at% Al doping. However, 12.62 at% Al doping induced the deterioration of their crystallinity and electrical properties due to the formation of nano-sized metallic Al clusters and randomly oriented ZnO-based nano-crystals. To enhance the electrical properties of the AZO thin films while maintaining their crystallinity and electrical properties, a moderate Al concentration has to be chosen under the solubility limit of Al in ZnO.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel p-type alkyl bithiophene end-capped anthracene and naphthalene derivatives for organic thin-film transistors

New semiconductors having naphthalene and anthracene cores with hexylated bithiophene side units, 2,6-bis(5'-hexylbithiophen-2'-yl)naphthalene (HBT-NA) and 2,6-bis(5'-hexylbithiophen-2'-yl)anthracene (HBT-AN), were synthesized. HBT-AN and HBT-NA were characterized using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, Mass spectrum and elemental analysis. HBT-AN and HBT-NA showed well ordered crystalline with high thermal stabilities as evidenced by 5% weight loss at 447 degrees C for HBT-AN and 434 degrees C for HBT-NA. The closed packed structures between adjacent molecules were observed by studying UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) in solution and film. The HOMO energy levels of HBT-NA and HBT-AN were found to be 5.47 eV and 5.42 eV, respectively. HBT-NA exhibits hole mobility of 8.4 x 10(-2) cm2Ns and on/off ratio of 5.6 x 10(5). HBT-AN shows 5.2 x 10(-2) cm2Ns and on/off ratio of 1.0 x 10(5).     

Infrared conductivity and carrier mobility of large scale graphene on various substrates

It is known that low-field mobility of graphene depends largely on the substrate material on which it is transferred. We measured Drude optical conductivity of graphene on various substrates and determined the carrier density and carrier scattering rate. The carrier density varies widely depending on the substrate material. However the scattering rate is almost constant, approximately 100 cm(-1), for 5 different substrates. We calculate carrier mobility of graphene using the two quantities, i.e., carrier density and scattering rate, to find that it agrees with the mobility measured from dc transport experiment. We conclude that substrate-depent mobility of graphene originates from different carrier density but not from the scattering rate.     

Catalytic oxidation of benzene with ozone over nanoporous Mn/MCM-48 catalyst

The catalytic oxidation of a representative volatile organic compound, benzene, with ozone at a low temperature was investigated. A nanoporous MCM-48 material with a high specific surface area was used as the support for the catalytic oxidation for the first time. Mn, which has high activity at a low temperature, was used as the metal catalyst. To examine the effect of the Mn precursor, MCM-48 was impregnated with two different Mn precursors: Mn acetate and Mn nitrate. The characteristics of the synthesized catalysts were analyzed by Brunauer Emmett Teller surface area, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction. MCM-48 impregnated with Mn acetate showed higher catalytic activity than MCM-48 impregnated with Mn nitrate. This result was attributed to the better dispersion within nanoporous MCM-48 and higher oxygen mobility of Mn oxides produced by Mn acetate. The catalytic activity was also shown to depend closely on the ozone concentration.     

Novel photoactive fluorene-based terpolymers incorporating carbazole for photovoltaic application

A series of novel photoactive conjugated terpolymers based on N-alkyl carbazole, 9,9-didecylfluorene, and bis(thienyl)benzothiadiazole were synthesized by the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki polymerization method with various molar ratios of the carbazole derivatives. Electron-deficient benzothiadiazole and electron-rich carbazole moieties were incorporated into the polymer backbone to obtain the broad absorption spectrum and to improve the hole-transporting characteristics, respectively. The polymer solar cell (PSC) was fabricated with a layered structure of ITO/PEDOT: PSS/polymer:C71-PCBM (1:3)/LiF/Al. The best performance of PSC was obtained at P1:C71-PCBM whose reaches a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.62%, with a short circuit current density (J(SC)) of 8.61 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (V(OC)) of 0.82 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.37 under AM 1.5 G irradiation (100 mW/cm2).     

Preparation of gradient polyacrylate brushes in microchannels

Gradient poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) brushes were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) confined within a microfluidic system on a silicon wafer. For ATRP, surface initiator, 11-((2-bromo, 2-methyl) propionyloxy) undecyltrichlorosilane (BUC), was synthesized, and allowed to self-assemble in a monolayer on the Si wafer, as analyzed by XPS to confirm the presence of an ester group of BUC. A solution containing 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, Cu catalyst, and bipyridin was allowed to flow in a microchannel and polymerize, resulting in the brushes with a gradient of thickness on the Si wafer. Using ellipsometry and ATR-IR, we verified the gradients of well established brushes on the Si wafer. AFM and contact angle data showed that wettability of the brushes did not exhibit a linear relationship with hydrophilicity.     

Graphoepitaxy of block-copolymer self-assembly integrated with single-step ZnO nanoimprinting

A highly efficient, ultralarge-area nanolithography that integrates block-copolymer lithography with single-step ZnO nanoimprinting is introduced. The UV-assisted imprinting of a photosensitive sol-gel precursor creates large-area ZnO topographic patterns with various pattern shapes in a single-step process. This straightforward approach provides a smooth line edge and high thermal stability of the imprinted ZnO pattern; these properties are greatly advantageous for further graphoepitaxial block-copolymer assembly. According to the ZnO pattern shape and depth, the orientation and lateral ordering of self-assembled cylindrical nanodomains in block-copolymer thin films could be directed in a variety of ways. Significantly, the subtle tunability of ZnO trench depth enabled by nanoimprinting, generated complex hierarchical nanopatterns, where surface-parallel and surface-perpendicular nanocylinder arrays are alternately arranged. The stability of this complex morphology is confirmed by self-consistent field theory (SCFT) calculations. The highly ordered graphoepitaxial nanoscale assembly achieved on transparent semiconducting ZnO substrates offers enormous potential for photonics and optoelectronics.