Doped/Undoped A1-A2 Typed Copolymers as ETLs for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells

The electron transport layer (ETL) is a critical component in achieving high device performance and stability in organic solar cells. Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have become an attractive alternative due to film-forming properties and ease of preparation. However, p-type CPEs generally exhibit poor charge mobility and conductivity, incorporation of electron-withdrawing units forming alternated D-A conjugated backbone can make up for these deficiencies. Herein, the ratio of electron withdrawing moieties are further increased and two poly(A1-alt-A2) typed PIIDNDI-Br and PDPPNDI-Br based on the combination of naphthalene diimide (NDI) with isoindigo (IID) or diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) via direct arylation polycondensation are synthesized. These CPEs possess excellent alcohol solubility, a suitable lowest unocuppied molecular orbital energy level, and work function tunability. Surprisingly, the incorporation of IID and DPP units generate distinct self-doping behaviors, which are confirmed by UV–vis absorption and ESR spectra. However, no matter doped or undoped, both CPEs present better charge-transporting properties and conductivity when utilized as ETLs. The PIIDNDI-Br and PDPPNDI-Br display good universal compatibility with the blend of PM6:Y6 and PM6:L8-BO, and PCEs of 18.32% and 18.36% are obtained, respectively, which also present excellent storage stability. In short, the combination of two different acceptors demonstrates an efficient strategy to design highly efficient ETLs for high performance photovoltaic devices.     

Bifunctional Edge-Rich Nitrogen Doped Porous Carbon for Activating Oxygen and Sulfur

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) play key roles in advanced batteries. However, they both suffer from sluggish reaction kinetics. Here, an interesting nitrogen doped porous carbon material that can simultaneously activate oxygen and sulfur is reported. The carbon precursor is a nitrogen containing covalent organic framework (COF), constituting periodically stacked 2D sheets. The COF structure is well preserved upon pyrolysis, resulting in the formation of edge-rich porous carbon with structure resembling stacked holey graphene. The nitrogen containing groups in the COF are decomposed into graphitic and pyridinic nitrogen during pyrolysis. These edge sites and uniform nitrogen doping endow the carbon product with high intrinsic catalytic activities toward ORR and SRR. The COF derived carbon delivers outstanding performances when assembling as cathodes in the Li-S and Li-O₂ batteries. Simultaneous activation of oxygen and sulfur also enables a new battery chemistry. A proof-of-concept Li-S/O₂ hybrid battery is assembled, delivering a large specific capacity of 2,013 mAh g⁻¹. This study may inspire novel battery designs based on oxygen and sulfur chemistry.     

Reducing Hysteresis and Enhancing Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells Using Low‐Temperature Processed Y‐Doped SnO2 Nanosheets as Electron Selective Layers

Despite the rapid increase of efficiency, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) still face some challenges, one of which is the current–voltage hysteresis. Herein, it is reported that yttrium‐doped tin dioxide (Y‐SnO₂) electron selective layer (ESL) synthesized by an in situ hydrothermal growth process at 95 °C can significantly reduce the hysteresis and improve the performance of PSCs. Comparison studies reveal two main effects of Y doping of SnO₂ ESLs: (1) it promotes the formation of well‐aligned and more homogeneous distribution of SnO₂ nanosheet arrays (NSAs), which allows better perovskite infiltration, better contacts of perovskite with SnO₂ nanosheets, and improves electron transfer from perovskite to ESL; (2) it enlarges the band gap and upshifts the band energy levels, resulting in better energy level alignment with perovskite and reduced charge recombination at NSA/perovskite interfaces. As a result, PSCs using Y‐SnO₂ NSA ESLs exhibit much less hysteresis and better performance compared with the cells using pristine SnO₂ NSA ESLs. The champion cell using Y‐SnO₂ NSA ESL achieves a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 17.29% (16.97%) when measured under reverse (forward) voltage scanning and a steady‐state efficiency of 16.25%. The results suggest that low‐temperature hydrothermal‐synthesized Y‐SnO₂ NSA is a promising ESL for fabricating efficient and hysteresis‐less PSC.     

Graphene Composites with Cobalt Sulfide: Efficient Trifunctional Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reversible Catalysis and Hydrogen Production in the Same Electrolyte

Nitrogen and sulfur‐codoped graphene composites with Co₉S₈ (NS/rGO‐Co) are synthesized by facile thermal annealing of graphene oxides with cobalt nitrate and thiourea in an ammonium atmosphere. Significantly, in 0.1 m KOH aqueous solution the best sample exhibits an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity that is superior to that of benchmark RuO₂ catalysts, an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity that is comparable to that of commercial Pt/C, and an overpotential of only ?0.193 V to reach 10 mA cm^?2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). With this single catalyst for oxygen reversible electrocatalysis, a potential difference of only 0.700 V is observed in 0.1 m KOH solution between the half‐wave potential in ORR and the potential to reach 10 mA cm^?2 in OER; in addition, an overpotential of only 450 mV is needed to reach 10 mA cm^?2 for full water splitting in the same electrolyte. The present trifunctional catalytic activities are markedly better than leading results reported in recent literature, where the remarkable trifunctional activity is attributed to the synergetic effects between N,S‐codoped rGO, and Co₉S₈ nanoparticles. These results highlight the significance of deliberate structural engineering in the preparation of multifunctional electrocatalysts for versatile electrochemical reactions.     

Determination of lysozyme at the nanogram level in chicken egg white using Resonance Rayleigh-scattering method with Cd-doped ZnSe quantum dots as probe

A new method for the determination of lysozyme with high sensitivity based on Resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) by using Cd doped ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) as a probe was proposed in this experiment. Cd doped ZnSe QDs capped with glutathione were prepared in the water phase. Further, the RRS spectrum, transmission electron microscope, and absorption spectrum of the QDs-lysozyme system have been characterized. In addition, the effects of several factors on scattering intensities were investigated, including pH value of solution, amount of QDs, mixing sequence of each reagent and the coexisting substances. Moreover, the possible mechanism for the RRS enhancement of Cd doped ZnSe QDs-lysozyme system was preliminary discussed. The RRS method for the determination of lysozyme has good sensitivity with the detection limits 6.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ g mL⁻¹. The contents of lysozyme were determined with recoveries of 97.1-101.6% and relativity standard deviation of 2.5-3.1%, respectively. It proved that the method established in our study is very sensitive, rapid, convenient and tolerant for the determination of lysozyme in synthetically and chicken egg white.     

Enhanced charge generation in doped organic/organic p–n heterojunction for improving the performance of tandem organic light emitting diode

The doped organic/organic p–n heterojunctions have been applied as charge generation structure (CGS) in tandem organic light emitting diodes (TOLEDs). It is found that the field‐induced charge generation takes place more efficiently at the interface between Li₂CO₃ n‐doped bathocuproine (BCP:Li₂CO₃) and MoO₃ p‐doped 4,4′‐N ,N′‐dicarbazole‐biphenyl (CBP:MoO₃) than at the interface between BCP:Li₂CO₃ and MoO₃ p‐doped 4,4‐bis[N‐1‐naphthyl‐N‐phenylamino]biphenyl (NPB:MoO₃). It is because the process of electrons tunneling through the depletion zone from the highest occupied molecular orbit (HOMO) of CBP:MoO₃ to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbit (LUMO) of BCP:Li₂CO₃ is more efficient than that from the HOMO of NPB:MoO₃ to the LUMO of BCP:Li₂CO₃. Compared to the TOLED using the conventional CGS of 10‐nm BCP:Li₂CO₃/20‐nm NPB:MoO₃, the one using the CGS of 10‐nm BCP:Li₂CO₃/10‐nm CBP:MoO₃/10‐nm NPB:MoO₃ shows increased device performance. In addition, the interconnecting property of CGS of 10‐nm BCP:Li₂CO₃/x nm CBP:MoO₃/20 ? x nm NPB:MoO₃ shows a strong dependence on the thickness of CBP:MoO₃. We provide a new insight on optimizing Ohmic loss in the CGSs, useful for improving the performance of TOLEDs.