Intercalated formation of two-dimensional and multi-layered perovskites in organic thin films

Two-dimensional and multi-layered perovskites, [NH3(CH2)12NH3]PbBr4 and [NH3(CH2)12NH3](CH3NH3)(n-1)Pb(n)Br(3n+1), with a quantum confinement effect have been naturally formed by intercalating lead bromide into organic alkyldiammonium bromide frameworks.     

Bistability in doped organic thin film transistors

Organic thin film transitors (TFTs) with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid), PEDOT:PSS, as the active layer and cross-linked, layer-by-layer assembled poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAH/PAA) multilayers as the gate dielectric layer were investigated. A combination of spectroscopic data and device performance characteristics was used to study the behavior of these TFT devices under a variety of controlled environmental test conditions. It was shown that depletion and recovery of the device can be induced to occur by a means that is consistent with the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of water contained in the film. In addition to acting as a reactant, moisture also acts as a plasticizer to control the mobility of other species contained in the film and thereby permits bistable operation of these devices. Raman spectroscopy was used to show that the observed device switching behavior is due to a change in the PEDOT doping level.     

Multicolor and fast electrochromism of nanoporous NiO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) composite thin film

We report a nanoporous NiO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) composite film using a highly porous NiO film as a template by the combination of chemical bath deposition and electro-polymerization methods. The as-prepared NiO/PEDOT composite film has an interconnecting reticular morphology with nanometer sized pores ranging from 20–150 nm. The NiO/PEDOT composite film exhibits multicolor electrochromism with reversible color changes from purple to light blue brown and presents a transmittance variation of 31% at 600 nm. Fast switching speed is achieved in this composite film, and the response time for oxidation and reduction is 500 and 600 ms, respectively.     

Thermoelectric behavior of organic thin film nanocomposites

Organic thin film nanocomposites, prepared by liquid‐phase exfoliation, were investigated for their superior electrical properties and thermoelectric behavior. Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were stabilized by intrinsically conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in an aqueous solution. The electrical conductivity (σ) was found to increase linearly as 20 to 95 wt % SWNT. At 95 wt % SWNT, these thin films exhibit metallic electrical conductivity (～4.0 × 10⁵ S m^?1) that is among the highest values ever reported for a free‐standing, fully organic material. The thermopower (S) remains relatively unaltered as the electrical conductivity increases, leading to a maximum power factor (S²σ) of 140 μW m^?1 K^?2. This power factor is within an order of magnitude of bismuth telluride, so it is believed that these flexible films could be used for some unique thermoelectric applications requiring mechanical flexibility and printability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Enhanced electrothermal pumping with thin film resistive heaters

This work demonstrates the use of thin film heaters to enhance electrothermal pumping in microfluidic systems. Thin film heating electrothermal pumping is more efficient than Joule heating alone. Numerical simulations of an asymmetric electrode array are performed to demonstrate the advantages of incorporating thin film heaters. This specific simulation shows that thin film heater electrothermal pumping provides approximately two and one‐half times more volumetric flow than Joule heating alone for the same input power to both systems. In addition, external heating allows for electrothermal pumping to be applicable to low conductivity media.     

A new imidazolylquinoline for organic thin film transistor

A new active electronic material, 2-(naphtho[3,4]imidazol-2-yl)quinoline (NIQ), 1, has been synthesized and fully characterized. This compound exhibits field-effect carrier mobility and behaves as a p-type semiconductor (μ_FET = 0.148 cm²/V s at V_DS = 10 V). NIQ and its related imidazolylquinoline compounds may have possible applications as active materials in organic thin film transistors.     

Effect of morphology on organic thin film transistor sensors

This review provides a general introduction to organic field-effect transistors and their application as chemical sensors. Thin film transistor device performance is greatly affected by the molecular structure and morphology of the organic semiconductor layer. Various methods for organic semiconductor deposition are surveyed. Recent progress in the fabrication of organic thin film transistor sensors as well as the correlation between morphology and analyte response is discussed.     

Microstructural behavior and failure mechanisms of organic semicrystalline thin film blends

Organic thin film blends of P3HT semiconducting polymers and PCBM fullerenes have enabled large‐scale semiconductor fabrication pertaining to flexible and stretchable electronics. However, molecular packing and film morphologies can significantly alter mechanical stability and failure behavior. To further understand and identify the fundamental mechanisms affecting failure, a multiphase microstructurally based formulation and nonlinear finite‐element fracture methodology were used to investigate the heterogeneous deformation and failure modes of organic semicrystalline thin film blends. The multiphase formulation accounts for the crystalline and amorphous behavior, polymer tie‐chains, and the PCBM aggregates. Face‐on packing orientations resulted in extensive inelastic deformation and crystalline rotation, and this was characterized by ductile failure modes and interfacial delamination. For edge‐on packing orientations, brittle failure modes and film cracking were due to lower inelastic deformation and higher film stress in comparison with the face‐on orientations. The higher crystallinity of P3HT and larger PCBM aggregates associated with larger domain sizes, strengthened the film and resulted in extensive film cracking. These predictions of ductile and brittle failure are consistent with experimental observations for P3HT:PCBM films. The proposed predictive framework can be used to improve organic film ductility and strength through the control of molecular packing orientations and microstructural mechanisms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 896–907     

Recent progress in thin film fluorescent probe for organic amine vapour

There are great needs for real-time detection of volatile organic amines(VOA)through low-cost detection methods in public health,food safety,and environmental monitoring area.Organic thin-film fluorescent probe(OTFFP)is expected to become a new and efficient means of detecting VOA because of its fast response,high sensitivity,no contamination to the analyte and ease to prepare a portable instrument.Compared with the mature detection methods in solution,research on solid fluorescence sensing has been less studied.In this article,we review recent progress in OTFFP research for VOA vapour.We mainly focus on the new fluorescent sensing mechanisms applied in solid state in recent years and the design principle of probes for different types of organic amines(such as primary amine,secondary amine,tertiary amine and aromatic amine).We also review the material structures of these probes and the strategies to enhance their sensitivity or selectivity.     

All-solution-processed PIN architecture for ultra-sensitive and ultra-flexible organic thin film photodetectors

An ideal organic thin film photodetectors (OTFPs) should adopt a hierarchical, multilayer p-type/blend-type/n-type (PIN) structure, with each layer having a specific purpose which could greatly improve the exciton dissociation while guarantee efficient charge transport. However, for the traditional layer-by-layer solution fabrication procedure, the solvent used can induce organic material mixing and molecular disordering between each layer. Hence, such architecture for OTFPs can now only be formed via thermal evaporation. In this paper, a contact-film-transfer method is demonstrated to all-solution processing organic PIN OTFPs on flexible substrates. The fabricated PIN OTFPs exhibit high photoresponse and high stability under continuous mechanical bending. Hence, the method we described here should represent an important step in the development of OTFPs in the future.     

Enhanced mobility and increased gas sorption capacity in thin film and nanoconduit confined polymers

Poly(tert butyl acrylate) (PTBA) is found to exhibit enhanced mobility when spun cast into thin films or impregnated into cylindrical anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanoscale pores. In a thin film configuration, the glass transition temperature of 20 nm thick PTBA is found to decrease almost 20 °C compared to the bulk. Consistent with this mobility increase, an increased volume fraction of interphase polymer leads to at least a 2.4 times viscosity reduction when PTBA is impregnated in 100 nm pores versus 200 nm pores. Such increases in mobility result in a 15‐fold increase in CO₂ permeability for an AAO confined geometry compared to a bulk film. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 434–441, 2010     

Application of thin metal film elements in bioanalysis

Advanced metal deposition and microfabrication techniques enable preparation of metal surfaces with high precision and excellent control over their size and shape with subnanometer resolution. Thin metal films of different types and functions can be found in many analytical instruments. Surfaces with high optical quality serve as mirrors, beam splitters, antireflective coatings etc. Smooth metal coating is crucial in electron microscopy. Unique properties of the thin metal films are widely used in optical systems, as tools for sample manipulation but also for chemical sensing and detection. While some of the applications are widespread and belong to the basic curriculum in analytical chemistry, the newer or less common uses of thin metal films are well known only to the experts in the field. The purpose of this critical review is to highlight the role of thin metal films in bioanalysis and summarize some of their main applications in current bioanalytical instrumentation.     

Annealing-free high-mobility diketopyrrolopyrrole-quaterthiophene copolymer for solution-processed organic thin film transistors

A donor-acceptor polymer semiconductor, PDQT, comprising diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and β-unsubstituted quaterthiophene (QT) for organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) is reported. This polymer forms ordered layer-by-layer lamellar packing with an edge-on orientation in thin films even without thermal annealing. The strong intermolecular interactions arising from the fused aromatic DPP moiety and the DPP-QT donor-acceptor interaction facilitate the spontaneous self-assembly of the polymer chains into close proximity and form a large π-π overlap, which are favorable for intermolecular charge hopping. The well-interconnected crystalline grains form efficient intergranular charge transport pathways. The desirable chemical, electronic, and morphological structures of PDQT bring about high hole mobility of up to 0.97 cm(2)/(V·s) in OTFTs with polymer thin films annealed at a mild temperature of 100 °C and similarly high mobility of 0.89 cm(2)/(V·s) for polymer thin films even without thermal annealing.     

Enhanced conductivity of thin film polyaniline by self-assembled transition metal complexes

In a recent study, the transition metal complex, cis-dichlorobis(2-,2'-dipyridyl)ruthenium (II) (Ru(bpy)2Cl2), and the macrocycle Ru(TPP)CO (TPP:- tetraphenylporphine) were bound to pyridine terminated self-assembled monolayers on quartz. Following modification of the quartz surface with metal complexes, the conducting polymer polyaniline was deposited via in situ polymerization. The sheet conductivity (as measured by the four-probe method) of the resulting polyaniline films deposited onto Ru(bpy)2Cl2 and Ru(TPP)CO surfaces was significantly enhanced relative to films deposited onto unmodified quartz. It is postulated that either the macrocycle or the transition metal complex-modified surface interacts with the conducting polymer as it is forming, resulting in a more ordered expanded coil conformation for the polymer. The net result of such an interaction is a thin film possessing significantly greater electrical conductivity.     

Ambipolar, high performance, acene-based organic thin film transistors

We present a high performance, ambipolar organic field-effect transistor composed of a single material. Ambipolar molecules are rare, and they can enable low-power complementary-like circuits. This low band gap, asymmetric linear acene contains electron-withdrawing fluorine atoms, which lower the molecular orbital energies, allowing the injection of electrons. While hole and electron mobilities of up to 0.071 and 0.37 cm2/V.s, respectively, are reported on devices measured in nitrogen, hole mobilities of up to 0.12 cm2/V.s were found in ambient, with electron transport quenched. These devices were fabricated on octadecyltrimethoxysilane-treated surfaces at a substrate temperature of 60 degrees C.     

Control of polymorphism in solution-processed organic thin film transistors by self-assembled monolayers

Polymorphism of organic semiconductor films is of key importance for the performance of organic thin film transistors(OTFTs).Herein, we demonstrate that the polymorphism of solution-processed organic semiconductors in thin film transistors can be controlled by finely tuning the surface nanostructures of substrates with self-assembled monolayers(SAMs). It is found that the SAMs of 12-cyclohexyldodecylphosphonic acid(CDPA) and 12-phenyldodecylphosphonic acid(Ph DPA) induce different polymorphs in the dip-coated films of 2-dodecyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene(BTBT-C12). The film of BTBT-C12 on CDPA exhibits field effect mobility as high as 28.1 cm~2 V~(-1) s~(-1) for holes, which is higher than that of BTBT-C12 on Ph DPA by three times. The high mobility of BTBT-C12 on CDPA is attributable to the highly oriented films of BTBT-C12 with a reduced in-plane lattice and high molecular alignment.     

Infrared electroluminescence of organic nanocrystals in polymer composites

Electroluminescent polymeric nanocomposite structures that are based on aromatic polyimides and cyanine dye nanosized crystals known as J aggregates and emit light in the IR region were prepared. For the first time, doped polymer systems were found to display IR luminescence whose spectrum had the form of a very narrow band that peaked at 1100 nm. Nanosized J-aggregate crystals in these new polymer materials act not only as effective acceptors of energy of excitonic states but also as active electron-hole transport sites.     

Novel alkoxyanthracene donor and benzothiadiazole acceptor for organic thin film transistor and bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells

Novel alkoxy anthracene (ODA)‐based polymeric semiconductors were designed for polymer solar cell applications. Alkoxyanthracene, which contains many π electrons and electron donating group, was easily synthesized. The copolymers, poly(alkoxy anthracene‐alt‐thiophene benzothiadiazole thiophene) poly(ODA‐TBT) and poly(alkoxy anthracene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) poly(ODA‐BT), have been obtained by Suzuki coupling polymerization. Both polymers have ODA unit as a donor and benzothiadiazole as an acceptor. ODA‐TBT has thiophene linkages between ODA and benzothiadiazole. The optical, thermal, and electrochemical properties have been investigated by UV–visible absorption, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and CV. Organic thin‐film transistor using polymers showed that the hole mobility of poly(ODA‐alt‐TBT) was around 3.6 × 10^?3 cm²/Vs with on/off ratio of 9.91 × 10⁵ while that of poly(ODA‐alt‐BT) was around 1.21 × 10^?2 cm²/Vs with on/off ratio of 2.64 × 10⁶. Organic photovoltaic performance based on polymers were evaluated with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/LiF/Al. Poly(ODA‐TBT) exhibits a short circuit current (J_sc) of 3.9 mA/cm² and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.4%, and poly(ODA‐BT) exhibits the J_sc of 6.4 mA/cm² and PCE of 2.2%. The better device performance of poly(ODA‐BT) is attributed to its charge transfer ability and enhanced mobility and crystallinity although poly(ODA‐BT) does not have extended π‐conjugation due to twisted structure compared with poly(ODA‐TBT). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1306–1314     

薄膜电导率法总有机碳分析仪的校准

探索薄膜电导率法总有机碳分析仪的校准方法.对薄膜电导率法总有机碳分析仪的性能参数进行调查统计,从示值误差、测量重复性、线性误差、检出限和记忆效应5个方面对仪器进行校准.采用500μg/L的蔗糖标准溶液、响应值分别达量程50％、80％对应的蔗糖溶液,以测量值的相对误差最大者作为仪器的相对示值误差,该项建议值为±10％;以...