Search Results (33)

Organic semiconductor materials are interesting due to their application in various organic electronics devices. [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) is a widely used building block for the creation of such materials. In this work, three novel solution-processable regioisomeric derivatives of BTBT—2,7-bis(3-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (1), 2,7-bis(4-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (2), and 2,7-bis(5-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (3)—were synthesized and investigated. Their optoelectronic properties were characterized experimentally by ultraviolet–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorimetry, and cyclic voltammetry and studied theoretically by Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory calculations. Their thermal properties were investigated by a thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, and in situ small-/wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements. It was shown that the introduction of alkyl substituents at different positions (3, 4, or 5) of thiophene moieties attached to a BTBT fragment significantly influences the optoelectronic properties, thermal stability, and phase behavior of the materials. Thin films of each compound were obtained by drop-casting, spin-coating and doctor blade techniques and used as active layers for organic field-effect transistors. All the OFETs exhibited p-channel characteristics under ambient conditions, while compound 3 showed the best electrical performance with a charge carrier mobility up to 1.1 cm²·V⁻¹s⁻¹ and current on/off ratio above 10⁷. Full article

In this article, the particle concentration of finely dispersed copper(II) oxide nanosuspensions as precursors for reductive laser sintering (RLS) is optimized on the basis of rheological investigations. For this metallization process, a smooth, homogeneous and defect-free precursor layer is a prerequisite for adherent and reproducible copper structures. The knowledge of the rheological properties of an ink is crucial for the selection of a suitable coating technology as well as for the adjustment of the ink formulation. Different dilutions of the nanosuspension were examined for their rheological behavior by recording flow curves. A strong shear thinning behavior was found and the viscosity decreases exponentially with increasing dilution. The viscoelastic behavior was investigated by a simulated doctor blade coating process using three-interval thixotropy tests. An overshoot in viscosity is observed, which decreases with increasing thinning of the precursor. As a comparison to these results, doctor blade coating of planar glass and polymer substrates was performed to prepare precursor layers for reductive laser sintering. Surface morphology measurements of the resulting coatings using laser scanning microscopy and rheological tests show that homogeneous precursor layers with constant thickness can be produced at a particle–solvent ratio of 1.33. A too-high particle content results in an irregular coating layer with deep grooves and a peak-to-valley height ${\mathrm{S}}_z$ of up to $7.8$ μm. Precise dilution control allows the fabrication of smooth surfaces with a ${\mathrm{S}}_z$ down to $1.5$ μm. Full article

The acid etching mechanism of FTO film using zinc powders has been explored, and sulfuric and hydrochloric acid solutions of different concentrations were tested as etching agents. Compact and mesoporous films of titanium dioxide were prepared by spin-coating and doctor blade techniques on FTO glass. Tin sulfide films were formed through a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process using different numbers of deposition cycles, and TiO₂/SnS nanocomposites were synthesized. The thin films and the prepared composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. In this study, the principal characteristics of deposited tin sulfide films on two different types of TiO₂ films are shown. Full article

This contribution demonstrates and discusses the preparation of finely dispersed copper(II) oxide nanosuspensions as precursors for reductive laser sintering (RLS). Since the presence of agglomerates interferes with the various RLS sub-processes, fine dispersion is required, and oversized particles must be identified by a measurement methodology. Aside from the established method of scanning electron microscopy for imaging individual dried particles, this work applies the holistic and statistically more significant laser diffraction in combination with dynamic image analysis in wet dispersion. In addition to direct ultrasonic homogenization, high-energy ball milling is introduced for RLS, to produce stable nanosuspensions with a high fine fraction, and, above all, the absence of oversize particles. Whereas ultrasonic dispersion stagnates at particle sizes between 500 $\mathrm{n}$$\mathrm{m}$ and 20 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$, even after 8 h, milled suspension contains a high proportion of finest particles with diameters below 100 $\mathrm{n}$$\mathrm{m}$, no agglomerates larger than 1 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ and a trimodal particle size distribution with the median at 50 $\mathrm{n}$$\mathrm{m}$ already, after 100 $\min$ of milling. The precursor layers produced by doctor blade coating are examined for their quality by laser scanning microscopy. The surface roughness of such a dry film can be reduced from 1.26 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ to 88 $\mathrm{n}$$\mathrm{m}$ by milling. Finally, the novel precursor is used for femtosecond RLS, to produce homogeneous, high-quality copper layers with a sheet resistance of $0.28$$\mathsf{\Omega }$/sq and a copper mass concentration of 94.2%. Full article

This study investigates fully printed methylamine vapour-treated methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) hole transport layer (HTL)-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a carbon electrode. We describe a method that can be used to deposit MAPbI₃ films in an ambient environment with doctor blading that is entirely free of spin coating and has precise morphology control, in which the varying input N₂ pressure affects the film morphology. Consequently, a fully printed perovskite solar cell with an ITO/SnO₂/MAPbI₃/carbon structure was fabricated using a doctor-blading SnO₂ electron transport layer and a screen-printed carbon counter electrode. The low-temperature-derived PSCs exhibited a superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.17% with an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 1.02 V on a small-active-area device and the highest efficiency of >8% for an illumination exposure area of 1.0 cm², with high reproducibility. This work highlights the potential of doctor blading and methylamine vapour treatment as promising methods for fabricating high-performance perovskite solar cells. A doctor-blading approach offers a wide processing window for versatile high-performance perovskite optoelectronics in the context of large-scale production. Full article

Development of reliable energy storage technologies is the key for the consistent energy supply based on alternate energy sources. Among energy storage systems, the electrochemical storage devices are the most robust. Consistent energy storage systems such as lithium ion (Li ion) based energy storage has become an ultimate system utilized for both domestic and industrial scales due to its advantages over the other energy storage systems. Considering the factors related to Li ion-based energy storage system, in the present review, we discuss various electrode fabrication techniques including electrodeposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), stereolithography, pressing, roll to roll, dip coating, doctor blade, drop casting, nanorod growing, brush coating, stamping, inkjet printing (IJP), fused deposition modelling (FDM) and direct ink writing (DIW). Additionally, we analyze the statistics of publications on these fabrication techniques and outline challenges and future prospects for the Li ion battery market. Full article

The photocatalytic proprieties of TiO₂/FeO₃ and TiO₂/WO₃ nanocomposites have been investigated using methylene blue as a pollutant. We propose a non-conventional approach for material preparation, i.e., the Doctor Blade technique, which is an easy and inexpensive method for coating materials. Several drawbacks related to the use of powders can be alleviated by using solid substrates, and this deposition method allows us to take advantage of the high surface area of nanoparticles, avoiding dispersion in the solution. The possibility of coating a material with a photoactive molecule with an easy and inexpensive method leads to the use of photocatalysis in the real world. The structural, optical, and textural characterizations of these materials were carried out using UV-vis. Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) was used to calculate the energy band gap with the Kubelka-Munk method, and N₂ absorption-desorption measurements were used to study the exposed surface area (S_BET). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated in nanocomposites containing 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.5 wt.% of Fe₂O₃ or WO₃ or both Fe₂O₃ and WO₃. An enhancement of about 60% was achieved by adding 0.2% wt. of WO₃ after 2 h of exposure to UV light. The TiO₂@Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂@WO₃/Fe₂O₃ mixtures showed the same behavior as the TiO₂@WO₃ mixture. Therefore, the photoactivity of these photocatalysts is not related to the oxide itself. These solid results are due to the energy band structure of the materials. In fact, there is an important band matching among TiO₂, WO₃, and Fe₂O₃, which gives these nanocomposites a substantial improvement in photodegradation. The pH evaluated was neutral pH both at the beginning and at the end of the experiment, which is consistent with the well-known photodegradation pathway of methylene blue. Full article

Small molecule thin films are the core of some organic optoelectronic devices. Their deposition by solution processes is an advantage for device fabrication and can be achieved via spin coating for small areas and slot-die or doctor blade for larger areas. Solution deposition of small molecule thin films is usually processed only with medium polarity solvents. Herein, the use and influence of solvents with several polarities and physicochemical properties to form small-molecule homogeneous thin films via the doctor blade technique over an area of 25 cm² have been explored. Solvents with different polarity, heptane, chlorobenzene, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, and methanol were used along with different deposition temperatures, from room temperature up to near the boiling temperature for each solvent. With heptane and chlorobenzene, smooth films with an average roughness of 3 nm and thickness of 100–120 nm were obtained. The film was homogeneous over the whole substrate for temperatures from room temperature to close to the boiling temperature of both solvents. On the other hand, with dimethylformamide, a film is observed when the deposition is conducted only at room temperature; when the deposition temperature increases, the formation of agglomerates of several sizes from 1 to 5 nm was observed. With acetonitrile, and methanol, no films were formed, and only nanoaggregates were created on the substrate due to the solvent high vapor pressure, and the agglomerate size depends on the deposition temperature. The measure of the contact angle of pure solvent and solutions indicated that wettability helps to film formation over the whole substrate. For heptane and chlorobenzene, a small angle was measured; meanwhile, the contact angle is large in acetonitrile leading to the formation of nanoaggregates. In the case of methanol solution, although it wets very well, no film is deposited because it has high volatility. Full article

With the global effort to reduce fossil fuels and to use eco-friendly energy, interest in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is rapidly increasing. In the LIB system, the separator is an important component for determining the rate performance and safety of cells. Although polyolefin separators are commercially used in LIBs, they still suffer from inferior electrolyte wettability and low thermal stability issues. Here, we introduce a chemical surface modification for polyethylene (PE) separators using a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) coating. The separators were pretreated in a tannic acid solution to enforce the adhesion of the coated layers. Then, PEEK was coated onto the PE surface by a doctor blading method. The separators were examined by infrared spectroscopy, and the surface properties were characterized by electrolyte uptake and contact angle measurements. The treated surface was hydrophilic, and the ionic conductivity of the cell with the modified separator was significantly improved. As a result, the corresponding rate performance was significantly improved. The surface modification strategy proposed here can be applied to polyolefin-based separators as well. Full article

Optimizing the coating conditions for a doctor blading system is important when seeking to improve the performance of Ag nanowire electrodes. In this study, the effect of the blading height and speed on the optical and electrical properties of Ag nanowire electrodes was investigated. Ag nanowires were first spread on a PET substrate using a doctor blade with differing heights at a fixed blading speed. An increase in the blading height resulted in the degradation of the optical transmittance and stronger haze due to the higher probability of Ag nanowire agglomeration arising from the greater wet thickness. When the blading speed was varied, the optical transmittance and haze were unaffected up until 20 mm/s, followed by minor degradation of the optical properties at blading speeds over 25 mm/s. The higher speeds hindered the spread of the Ag nanowire solution, which also increased the probability of Ag nanowire agglomeration. However, this degradation was less serious compared to that observed with a change in the blading height. Therefore, optimizing the blading height was confirmed to be the priority for the production of high-performance transparent Ag nanowire electrodes. Our study thus provides practical guidance for the fabrication of Ag nanowire electrodes using doctor blading systems. Full article

The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the core component of proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis cell, which provides a place for water decomposition to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The microstructure, thickness, IrO₂ loading as well as the uniformity and quality of the anodic catalyst layer (ACL) have great influence on the performance of PEM water electrolysis cell. Aiming at providing an effective and low-cost fabrication method for MEA, the purpose of this work is to optimize the catalyst ink formulation and achieve the ink properties required to form an adherent and continuous layer with doctor blade coating method. The ink formulation (e.g., isopropanol/H₂O of solvents and solids content) were adjusted, and the doctor blade thickness was optimized. The porous structure and the thickness of the doctor blade coating ACL were further confirmed with the in-plane and the cross-sectional SEM analyses. Finally, the effect of the ink formulation and the doctor blade thickness of the ACL on the cell performance were characterized in a PEM electrolyzer under ambient pressure at 80 °C. Overall, the optimized doctor blade coating ACL showed comparable performance to that prepared with the spraying method. It is proved that the doctor blade coating is capable of high-uniformity coating. Full article

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were developed by exploiting the photovoltaic effect to convert solar energy into electrical energy. The photoanode layer thickness significantly affects the semiconductor film’s ability to carry electronic charges, adsorb sensitizing dye molecules, and lower the recombination of photo-excited electrons injected into the semiconductor. This study investigated the dependence of the zinc oxide (ZnO) photoanode thin-film thickness and the film soaking time in N719 dye on the photocurrent–voltage characteristics. The ZnO photoanode was applied to glass using the doctor blade method. The thickness was varied by changing the scotch tape layers. The ZnO-based DSSC attained an efficiency of 2.77% with three-layered photoanodes soaked in the dye for three hours, compared to a maximum efficiency of 0.68% that was achieved with three cycles using the dip-coating method in other research. The layer thickness of the ZnO photoanode and its optimal adsorption time for the dye are important parameters that determine the efficiency of the DSSC. Therefore, this work provides important insights to further improve the performance of DSSCs. Full article

The need to ensure adequate antifouling protection of the hull in the naval sector led to the development of real painting cycles, which involve the spreading of three layers of polymeric material on the hull surface exposed to the marine environment, specifically defined as primer, tie coat and final topcoat. It is already well known that coatings based on suitable silanes provide an efficient and non-toxic approach for the hydrophobic and antifouling/fouling release treatment of surfaces. In the present work, functional hydrophobic hybrid silica-based coatings (topcoats) were developed by using sol-gel technology and deposited on surfaces with the “doctor blade” method. In particular, those organic silanes, featuring opportune functional groups such as long (either fluorinated) alkyl chains, have a notable influence on surface wettability as showed in this study. Furthermore, the hydrophobic behavior of this functionalized coating was improved by introducing an intermediate commercial tie-coat layer between the primer and the topcoat, in order to decrease the wettability (i.e., decreasing the surface energy with a matching increase in the contact angle, CA) and to therefore make such coatings ideal for the design and development of fouling release paints. The hereby synthesized coatings were characterized by optical microscopy, contact angle analysis and a mechanical pull-off test to measure the adhesive power of the coating against a metal substrate typically used in the nautical sector. Analysis to evaluate the bacterial adhesion and the formation of microbial biofilm were related in laboratory and simulation (microcosm) scales, and assessed by SEM analysis. Full article

A self-powered photodetector with the FTO/n-TiO₂/p-CuMnO₂ configuration, representing the novelty of the work, was successfully achieved for the first time and presumes two steps: deposition of the n-type semiconductor (TiO₂) by the doctor blade method and of the p-type semiconductor (CuMnO₂) by the spin coating technique, respectively. Investigation techniques of the structural and morphological characteristics of the as-synthesized heterostructures, such as XRD, UV-VIS analysis, and SEM/EDX and AFM morphologies, were used. The I-t measurements of the photodetector showed that the responsivity in the self-powered mode was 2.84 × 10⁷ A W⁻¹ cm² and in the 1 V bias mode it was 1.82 × 10⁶ A W⁻¹ cm². Additionally, a self-powered current of 14.2 nA was generated under UV illumination with an intensity of 0.1 mW/cm². Furthermore, under illumination conditions, the response time (t_res) and the recovery time (t_rec) of the sensor exhibited a good response; thus, t_res = 7.30 s and t_rec = 0.4 s for the self-powered mode, and in the 1 V bias mode, these were t_res = 15.16 s and t_rec = 2.18 s. The above results show that the transparent heterojunction device of n-TiO₂/p-CuMnO₂ exhibited a self-powered ultraviolet photodetector with high sensitivity. Full article

The present study evaluates the effect of mesoporous multiphase titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) as an electron transporting layer and investigates the influence of phase composition on the perovskite solar cell (PSC) performances. This study also aims to evaluate PSC performance using conductive silver ink as an alternative counter electrode. The heterogeneous PSC thin-film solar cells were successfully fabricated and assembled by using a simple a doctor blade and two-step spin coating methods under ambient conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph images investigate methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) crystal formation on the mesoporous TiO₂ surface structure. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra reveal excellent qualitative and quantitative analysis corresponding to the SEM images in the TiO₂/MAPbI₃ heterogeneous thin films. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) characterization reveals that the TiO₂/MAPbI₃ thin films are thermally stable recording a maximum of 15.7% mass loss at 800 °C elevated temperatures. Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) characterized the effect of multiphase TiO₂ phase transformation on the TiO₂/MAPbI₃ recombination efficiencies. A maximum of 6% power conversion efficiency (PCE) with the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.58 ± 0.02 V and short circuit current (Jsc) of 3.89 ± 0.17 mAcm⁻² was achieved for devices with an active area of 3 × 10⁻⁴ m² demonstrating that the synthesized multiphase TiO₂ nanoparticles are promising for large surface area manufacturing. Therefore, it is apparent that multiphase TiO₂ NPs play a significant role in the performance of the final device. Full article