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Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications

by

Ju-Hyung Kim

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4647; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164647 - 18 Aug 2021

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Abstract

In last few decades, organic materials (or carbon-based materials in a broad sense) including polymers have received much attention for their potential applications in electronics, because they have outstanding advantages such as high processibility, mechanical flexibility, and low weight [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Flexible and Stretchable Liquid Metal Electrodes Working at Sub-Zero Temperature and Their Applications

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Peng Xiao

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Ju-Hyung Kim

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Soonmin Seo

Materials 2021, 14(15), 4313; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154313 - 02 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1807

Abstract

We investigated characteristics of highly flexible and stretchable electrodes consisting of Galinstan (i.e., a gallium-based liquid metal alloy) under various conditions including sub-zero temperature (i.e., <0 °C) and demonstrated solar-blind photodetection via the spontaneous oxidation of Galinstan. For this work, a simple and [...] Read more.

We investigated characteristics of highly flexible and stretchable electrodes consisting of Galinstan (i.e., a gallium-based liquid metal alloy) under various conditions including sub-zero temperature (i.e., <0 °C) and demonstrated solar-blind photodetection via the spontaneous oxidation of Galinstan. For this work, a simple and rapid method was introduced to fabricate the Galinstan electrodes with precise patterns and to exfoliate their surface oxide layers. Thin conductive films possessing flexibility and stretchability can be easily prepared on flexible substrates with large areas through compression of a dried suspension of Galinstan microdroplets. Furthermore, a laser marking machine was employed to facilitate patterning of the Galinstan films at a high resolution of 20 μm. The patterned Galinstan films were used as flexible and stretchable electrodes. The electrical conductivity of these electrodes was measured to be ~1.3 × 10⁶ S m⁻¹, which were still electrically conductive even if the stretching ratio increased up to 130% below 0 °C. In addition, the surface oxide (i.e., Ga₂O₃) layers possessing photo-responsive properties were spontaneously formed on the Galinstan surfaces under ambient conditions, which could be solely exfoliated using elastomeric stamps. By combining Galinstan and its surface oxide layers, solar-blind photodetectors were successfully fabricated on flexible substrates, exhibiting a distinct increase of up to 14.7% in output current under deep ultraviolet irradiation (254 nm wavelength) with an extremely low light intensity of 0.1 mW cm⁻², whereas no significant change was observed under visible light irradiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Sigmoidal Dependence of Electrical Conductivity of Thin PEDOT:PSS Films on Concentration of Linear Glycols as a Processing Additive

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Materials 2021, 14(8), 1975; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081975 - 15 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1228

Abstract

We investigate the sigmoidal concentration dependence of electrical conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) processed with linear glycol-based additives such as ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG), triethylene glycol (TEG), hexaethylene glycol (HEG), and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME). We observe that a sharp [...] Read more.

We investigate the sigmoidal concentration dependence of electrical conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) processed with linear glycol-based additives such as ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG), triethylene glycol (TEG), hexaethylene glycol (HEG), and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME). We observe that a sharp transition of conductivity occurs at the additive concentration of ~0.6 wt.%. EG, DEG, and TEG are effective in conductivity enhancement, showing the saturation conductivities of 271.8, 325.4, and 326.2 S/cm, respectively. Optical transmittance and photoelectron spectroscopic features are rather invariant when the glycols are used as an additive. Two different figures of merit, calculated from both sheet resistance and optical transmittance to describe the performance of the transparent electrodes, indicate that both DEG and TEG are two most effective additives among the series in fabrication of transparent electrodes based on PEDOT:PSS films with a thickness of ~50–60 nm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Thermogelling Behaviors of Aqueous Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Microgel–Silica Nanoparticle Composite Dispersions

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Materials 2021, 14(5), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051212 - 04 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1193

Abstract

Gelation behaviors of hydrogels have provided an outlook for the development of stimuli-responsive functional materials. Of these materials, the thermogelling behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (p(NiPAm))-based microgels exhibits a unique, reverse sol–gel transition by bulk aggregation of microgels at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). [...] Read more.

Gelation behaviors of hydrogels have provided an outlook for the development of stimuli-responsive functional materials. Of these materials, the thermogelling behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (p(NiPAm))-based microgels exhibits a unique, reverse sol–gel transition by bulk aggregation of microgels at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Despite its unique phase transition behaviors, the application of this material has been largely limited to the biomedical field, and the bulk gelation behavior of microgels in the presence of colloidal additives is still open for scrutinization. Here, we provide an in-depth investigation of the unique thermogelling behaviors of p(NiPAm)-based microgels through poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) microgel (p(NiPAm-co-HEMA))–silica nanoparticle composite to expand the application possibilities of the microgel system. Thermogelling behaviors of p(NiPAm-co-HEMA) microgel with different molar ratios of N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPAm) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), their colloidal stability under various microgel concentrations, and the ionic strength of these aqueous solutions were investigated. In addition, sol–gel transition behaviors of various p(NiPAm-co-HEMA) microgel systems were compared by analyzing their rheological properties. Finally, we incorporated silica nanoparticles to the microgel system and investigated the thermogelling behaviors of the microgel–nanoparticle composite system. The composite system exhibited consistent thermogelling behaviors in moderate conditions, which was confirmed by an optical microscope. The composite demonstrated enhanced mechanical strength at gel state, which was confirmed by analyzing rheological properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Cesium Doping for Performance Improvement of Lead(II)-acetate-Based Perovskite Solar Cells

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Materials 2021, 14(2), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020363 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1789

Abstract

Lead(II)-acetate (Pb(Ac)₂) is a promising lead source for the preparation of organolead trihalide perovskite materials, which avoids the use of inconvenient anti-solvent treatment. In this study, we investigated the effect of cesium doping on the performance of Pb(Ac)₂-based perovskite [...] Read more.

Lead(II)-acetate (Pb(Ac)₂) is a promising lead source for the preparation of organolead trihalide perovskite materials, which avoids the use of inconvenient anti-solvent treatment. In this study, we investigated the effect of cesium doping on the performance of Pb(Ac)₂-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We demonstrate that the quality of the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite film was improved with increased crystallinity and reduced pinholes by doping the perovskite with 5 mol% cesium. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs was improved from 14.1% to 15.57% (on average), which was mainly induced by the significant enhancements in short-circuit current density and fill factor. A PCE of 18.02% was achieved for the champion device of cesium-doped Pb(Ac)₂-based PSCs with negligible hysteresis and a stable output. Our results indicate that cesium doping is an effective approach for improving the performance of Pb(Ac)₂-based PSCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of a Flexible Photodetector Based on a Liquid Eutectic Gallium Indium

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Peng Xiao

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Hyun-Jong Gwak

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Soonmin Seo

Materials 2020, 13(22), 5210; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13225210 - 18 Nov 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2229

Abstract

A fluidic gallium-based liquid metal (LM) is an interesting material for producing flexible and stretchable electronics. A simple and reliable method developed to facilitate the fabrication of a photodetector based on an LM is presented. A large and thin conductive eutectic gallium indium [...] Read more.

A fluidic gallium-based liquid metal (LM) is an interesting material for producing flexible and stretchable electronics. A simple and reliable method developed to facilitate the fabrication of a photodetector based on an LM is presented. A large and thin conductive eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) film can be fabricated with compressed EGaIn microdroplets. A solution of LM microdroplets can be synthesized by ultrasonication after mixing with EGaIn and ethanol and then dried on a PDMS substrate. In this study, a conductive LM film was obtained after pressing with another substrate. The film was sufficiently conductive and stretchable, and its electrical conductivity was 2.2 × 10⁶ S/m. The thin film was patterned by a fiber laser marker, and the minimum line width of the pattern was approximately 20 μm. Using a sticky PDMS film, a Ga₂O₃ photo-responsive layer was exfoliated from the fabricated LM film. With the patterned LM electrode and the transparent photo-responsive film, a flexible photodetector was fabricated, which yielded photo-response-current ratios of 30.3%, 14.7%, and 16.1% under 254 nm ultraviolet, 365 nm ultraviolet, and visible light, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Crack-Assisted Charge Injection into Solvent-Free Liquid Organic Semiconductors via Local Electric Field Enhancement

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Kyoung-Hwan Kim

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Myung-June Park

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Ju-Hyung Kim

Materials 2020, 13(15), 3349; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13153349 - 28 Jul 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1518

Abstract

Non-volatile liquid organic semiconducting materials have received much attention as emerging functional materials for organic electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their remarkable advantages. However, charge injection and transport processes are significantly impeded at interfaces between electrodes and liquid organic semiconductors, resulting in [...] Read more.

Non-volatile liquid organic semiconducting materials have received much attention as emerging functional materials for organic electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their remarkable advantages. However, charge injection and transport processes are significantly impeded at interfaces between electrodes and liquid organic semiconductors, resulting in overall lower performance compared to conventional solid-state electronic devices. Here we successfully demonstrate efficient charge injection into solvent-free liquid organic semiconductors via cracked metal structures with a large number of edges leading to local electric field enhancement. For this work, thin metal films on deformable polymer substrates were mechanically stretched to generate cracks on the metal surfaces in a controlled manner, and charge injection properties into a typical non-volatile liquid organic semiconducting material, (9-2-ethylhexyl)carbazole (EHCz), were investigated in low bias region (i.e., ohmic current region). It was found that the cracked structures significantly increased the current density at a fixed external bias voltage via the local electric field enhancement, which was strongly supported by field intensity calculation using COMSOL Multiphysics software. We anticipate that these results will significantly contribute to the development and further refinement of various organic electronic and optoelectronic devices based on non-volatile liquid organic semiconducting materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

The Methods and Experiments of Shape Measurement for Off-Axis Conic Aspheric Surface

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Materials 2020, 13(9), 2101; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13092101 - 01 May 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1705

Abstract

The off-axis conic aspheric surface is widely used as a component in modern optical systems. It is critical for this kind of surface to obtain the real accuracy of the shape during optical processing. As is widely known, the null test is an [...] Read more.

The off-axis conic aspheric surface is widely used as a component in modern optical systems. It is critical for this kind of surface to obtain the real accuracy of the shape during optical processing. As is widely known, the null test is an effective method to measure the shape accuracy with high precision. Therefore, three shape measurement methods of null test including auto-collimation, single computer-generated hologram (CGH), and hybrid compensation are presented in detail in this research. Although the various methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, all methods need a special auxiliary component to accomplish the measurement. In the paper, an off-axis paraboloid (OAP) was chosen to be measured using the three methods along with auxiliary components of their own and it was shown that the experimental results involved in peak-to-valley (PV), root-mean-square (RMS), and shape distribution from three methods were consistent. As a result, the correctness and effectiveness of these three measurement methods were confirmed, which are very useful in engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Adsorption-Interaction Mechanism of Pb(II) at Surface of Silk Fibroin Protein-Derived Hybrid Nanoflower Adsorbent

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Materials 2020, 13(5), 1241; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13051241 - 09 Mar 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2371

Abstract

For further the understanding of the adsorption mechanism of heavy metal ions on the surface of protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers, a novel protein-derived hybrid nanoflower was prepared to investigate the adsorption behavior and reveal the function of organic and inorganic parts on the surface [...] Read more.

For further the understanding of the adsorption mechanism of heavy metal ions on the surface of protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers, a novel protein-derived hybrid nanoflower was prepared to investigate the adsorption behavior and reveal the function of organic and inorganic parts on the surface of nanoflowers in the adsorption process in this study. Silk fibroin (SF)-derived and copper-based protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers of [email protected] were prepared through self-assembly. The product was characterized and applied to adsorption of heavy metal ion of Pb(II). With Chinese peony flower-like morphology, the prepared [email protected] showed ordered three-dimensional structure and exhibited excellent efficiency for Pb(II) removal. On one hand, the adsorption performance of [email protected] for Pb(II) removal was evaluated through systematical thermodynamic and adsorption kinetics investigation. The good fittings of Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models indicated the monolayer adsorption and high capacity of about 2000 mg g⁻¹ of Pb(II) on [email protected] Meanwhile, the negative values of

Δ_{r} G_{m (T)}^{θ}

and

Δ_{r} H_{m}^{θ}

proved the spontaneous and exothermic process of Pb(II) adsorption. On the other hand, the adsorption mechanism of [email protected] for Pb(II) removal was revealed with respect to its individual organic and inorganic component. Organic SF protein was designated as responsible ‘stamen’ adsorption site for fast adsorption of Pb(II), which was originated from multiple coordinative interaction by numerous amide groups; inorganic Cu₃(PO₄)₂ crystal was designated as responsible ‘petal’ adsorption site for slow adsorption of Pb(II), which was restricted from weak coordinative interaction by strong ion bond of Cu(II). With only about 10% weight content, SF protein was proven to play a key factor for [email protected] formation and have a significant effect on Pb(II) treatment. By fabricating [email protected] hybrid nanoflowers derived from SF protein, this work not only successfully provides insights on its adsorption performance and interaction mechanism for Pb(II) removal, but also provides a new idea for the preparation of adsorption materials for heavy metal ions in environmental sewage in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface and Interface Engineering for Organic Device Applications)

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