Time-resolved studies of electronic transport in Si and Ge polymer dielectrics

Time of flight drift mobility studies of alkyl- and aryl-substituted Si and Ge polymers are described. Three key results are emphasized: (1) elucidation of the mechanism of electronic transport in the glassy state; (2) identification of the attribute of a given chemical impurity which governs its activity as a trap for transiting charge carriers—this is intimately related to the mechanism of chemical modification of drift mobility by doping; and (3) delineation of the impact on transport behavior of thermal transitions including that underlying thermochromism in certain aliphatic polysilylenes.This review was presented at the Second International Topical Workshop, Advances in Silicon-Based Polymer Science.     

Recent development and applications of an optical method for measurements of thermophysical properties

The experimental determination of thermophysical properties has been greatly improved by the introduction of laser technology. The laser beam is used for sensing and also for heating (or exciting) the specimen. The advantage of using a laser beam is most strongly felt in the measurement of the thermal conductivity or the thermal diffusivity, which are some of the most difficult properties to measure. Interesting features of new techniques for investigating various aspects of thermal conductivity in fluids and solids are reviewed. An optical method, the so-called forced Rayleigh scattering method, or the laser-induced optical-grating method, has been developed and used extensively by the present author's group. The method is a high-speed remote-sensing method which can also quantitatively detect anisotropy, namely, direction dependence of heat conduction in the material. It was used for determination of the thermal diffusivity and its anisotropic behavior for high-temperature materials such as molten salts, liquid crystals, extended polymer samples, and flowing polymer melts under shear. Interesting applications of the method were demonstrated also for thermal diffusivity mapping and microscale measurement.Invited paper presented at the Twelfth symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

A 2.20 eV Bandgap Polymer Donor for Efficient Colorful Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells

Semitransparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) have attracted increasing attention due to their promising prospect in building-integrated photovoltaics. Generally, efficient ST-OSCs with good average visible transmittance (AVT) can be realized by developing active layer materials with light absorption far from the visible light range. Herein, the development of ultrawide bandgap polymer donors with near-ultraviolet absorption, paired with near-infrared acceptors, is proposed to achieve high-performance ST-OSCs. The key points for the design of ultrawide bandgap polymers include constructing donor–donor type conjugated skeleton, suppressing the quinoidal resonance effect, and minimizing the twist of conjugated skeleton via noncovalent conformational locks. As a proof of concept, a polymer named PBOF with an optical bandgap of 2.20 eV is synthesized, which exhibited largely reduced overlap with the human eye photopic response spectrum and afforded a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.40% in opaque device. As a result, ST-OSCs with a PCE over 10% and an AVT over 30% are achieved without optical modulation. Moreover, colorful ST-OSCs with visual aesthetics can be achieved by tuning the donor/acceptor weight ratio in active layer benefiting from the ultrawide bandgap nature of PBOF. This study demonstrates the great potential of ultrawide bandgap polymers for efficient colorful ST-OSCs.     

Environmental Fatigue and Static Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened with Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer

Many countries around the world have tremendous needs to repair and strengthen their transportation infrastructure. Almost everywhere, traffic loads have reached levels largely exceeding design expectations. Northern countries also experience severe winter conditions that are combined with an extensive use of deicing salts and accelerate structural deterioration. In Canada, the extent of deterioration has prompted many authorities, including the federal and provincial governments, to investigate the potential use of fiber-reinforced polymer products to extend the life of their existing structures. However, it is widely recognized that the large-scale implementation of these products is often impaired by the lack of data on their durability. This paper presents an experimental project undertaken in order to assess the durability of reinforced concrete beams externally strengthened with two types of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The beams were first exposed to either wet-dry cycles or continuous immersion in water and then were loaded in fatigue. Finally, they were tested quasi-statically under four-point bending up to failure. The test results presented here provide some insights on the potential long-term performance of CFRP-strengthened beams exposed to severe environmental conditions.     

Metal‐containing Polymers via Electropolymerization

Electropolymerization represents a suitable and well‐established approach for the assembly of polymer structures, in particular with regard to the formation of thin, insoluble films. Utilization of monomers that are functionalized with metal complex units allows the combination of structural and functional benefits of polymers and metal moieties. Since a broad range of both electropolymerizable monomers and metal complexes are available, various structures and, thus, applications are possible. Recent developments in the field of synthesis and potential applications of metal‐functionalized polymers obtained via electropolymerization are presented, highlighting the significant advances in this field of research.