Research on the Optical, Electrical, and Thermal Properties and Applications of Hybrid Nanomaterials

Dear Colleagues,

Organic semiconductors are widely used in organic electronics, including photovoltaic devices such as organic solar cells (OSCs) and organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), in which they act as components of the active layers. Polymer–fullerene single-layer bulk-heterojunction-based OSCs have been studied the most. Polythiophenes (P3HT) and fullerene derivatives (PC60BM and PC70BM) are examples of electron and donor organic semiconductors that have been extensively researched and described in the literature. However, OSCs based on non-fullerene acceptor bulk heterojunctions have received less attention. They were established in 2015 as an alternative to commercialized OSCs due to their better performance and thermal stability than those with a fullerene acceptor. The stability and efficiency of organic solar cells predicated on such heterojunctions, both polymer–fullerene and polymer–non-fullerene, depend on many factors, including the technological parameters of their preparation or thermal treatment, with the morphology of the active layer and its electronic, optical, and thermal properties being the most influential. The efficiency of fullerene-based OSC devices can be increased via the addition of various P3HT and PCBM derivatives and nanoparticle additives to the active layers. Recently published results prove that adding metallic and oxide nanoparticles to the active layer of OSCs comprising an organic donor/acceptor blend can improve their performance. This raises important questions about the effect of inorganic nanoparticles in the active layer of organic electronic devices on their internal microstructure and thermal stability and electronic, optical, and thermal properties.

Aim and Scope

Inorganic–organic hybrid materials have been widely researched; polymer–metal/metal oxide nanocomposites have particularly garnered interest due to their excellent optical and electrical properties.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Research on the Optical, Electrical, and Thermal Properties and Applications of Hybrid Nanomaterials”, is to compile original articles that cover the physical properties of these materials and their synthesis and applications as active layers in hybrid solar cells.

This Special Issue will be focused on the unique physical properties (optical and electrical), crystallization, phase transitions, thermal stability, and degradation of these materials, including the thermal stability of prepared organic electronic devices. We also seek submissions that discuss the changes in and stability of internal and surface morphology.

Keywords

polymer/metal and metal oxide nanoparticle composites; optical properties; electrical properties; thermal properties (phase transitions); surface morphology; internal morphology; thermal stability; degradation of investigated materials; organic electronic devices; thin films; methods of physical property characterization; thermal stability of the active films; stability of hybrid solar cells

In last few years, scientific research has demonstrated that hybrid inorganic–organic materials are used in various areas of optoelectronics, including medicine, catalysis, mechanics, and the environment. They are used in devices such as luminescent diodes, solar cells, and lasers. Polymer/nanoparticle hybrids have different potential applications, enabled by varying material parameters, such as the concentration of nanoparticles and the way that they are placed inside a material. This particularly affects thermal transitions, such as the glass transition temperature, T_g, a basic parameter that determines the thermal stability of these materials, and the cold crystallization temperature, T_cc. The addition of nanoparticles also impacts conductivity or the value of the energy gap, E_g. Recent research has shown that adding metal nanoparticles or their oxides to a polymer matrix improves its properties significantly, lowering E_g and enhancing the conductivity of the material).

We welcome the following:

• Review works.
• Regular research papers.
• Communications.

Dr. Barbara Hajduk
Dr. Pallavi Kumari
Dr. Pawel Jarka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• semiconducting polymers
• conjugated polymers
• organic electronics
• organic solar cells
• OFETs
• polymer composites
• thin films