N‐Heterocyclic‐Carbene‐Treated Gold Surfaces in Pentacene Organic Field‐Effect Transistors: Improved Stability and Contact at the Interface

N‐Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), which react with the surface of Au electrodes, have been successfully applied in pentacene transistors. With the application of NHCs, the charge‐carrier mobility of pentacene transistors increased by five times, while the contact resistance at the pentacene–Au interface was reduced by 85 %. Even after annealing the NHC–Au electrodes at 200 °C for 2 h before pentacene deposition, the charge‐carrier mobility of the pentacene transistors did not decrease. The distinguished performance makes NHCs as excellent alternatives to thiols as metal modifiers for the application in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs).     

High performance organic thin film transistors with solution processed TTF-TCNQ charge transfer salt as electrodes

Fabrication of high-performance organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with solution processed organic charge transfer complex (TTF-TCNQ) film as bottom contact source-drain electrodes is reported. A novel capillary based method was used to deposit the source-drain electrodes from solution and to create the channel between the electrodes. Both p- and n-type OTFTs have been fabricated with solution deposited organic charge transfer film as contact electrodes. Comparison of the device performances between OTFTs with TTF-TCNQ as source-drain electrodes and those with Au electrodes (both top and bottom contact) indicate that better results have been obtained in organic complex film contacted OTFT. The high mobility, low threshold voltage, and efficient carrier injection in both types of OTFTs implies the potential use of the TTF-TCNQ based complex material as low-cost contact electrodes. The lower work function of the TTF-TCNQ electrode and better contact of the complex film with the organic thin film owing to the organic-organic interface results in efficient charge transfer into the semiconductor yielding high device performance. The present method having organic metal as contact materials promises great potential for the fabrication of all-organics and plastic electronics devices with high throughput and low-cost processing.     

C_(60)与MoO_3混合材料做空穴注入层的单层有机电致发光器件

我们制备研究了基于结构为氧化铟锡(ITO)/C_(60)(1.2nm):MoO_3(0.4nm)/1,3,5-三(1-苯基-1H-苯并咪唑-2-基)苯(TPBi):三(2-苯基吡啶)铱[Ir(ppy)_3](33%,90 nm)/LiF (0.7 nm)/Al (120 nm)的高效绿色磷光单层有机发光二极管(OLED)。分别将C_(60),MoO_3与C_(60):MoO_3混合物作为空穴注入层(HIL)作为对比。TPBi在发光层中起着主体以及电子传输材料的双重作用。在使用电子传输型主体的单层OLED中,空穴注入层性质对于调节电子/空穴注入以获得电荷载流子传输平衡起重要作用。因此,适当调节空穴注入层是实现高效单层OLED的关键因素。由于MoO_3较大的电子亲和能(6.37 eV)会诱导电子从C_(60)的最高占据分子轨道(HOMO)能级转移至MoO_3,从而形成C_(60)阳离子,并使得Mo元素的价态从+6降至+5,C_(60):MoO_3混合就可以较好的调节空穴注入性质。最终实现最大电流效率为35.88 cd·A~(-1)的单层有机发光器件。     

The Vanadium Redox Reactions – Electrocatalysis versus Non-Electrocatalysis

Catalytic effects of surface groups on porous carbon electrodes are claimed in literature for the redox reactions V(II)/V(III) and V(IV)/V(V). The literature is critically analysed also in relation to work of this group. A method how to overcome the problem of assessing the electrochemically active surface area on porous electrodes is presented. Applying this method, no catalytic effects for above reactions can be substantiated. It is further pointed out that the parameters electrochemical potential and temperature need to be used to assess electrocatalysis.     

A Siloxane Homopolymer with Interacting Ferrocenes as a New Material for the Preparation of Sensors Based on the Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

The electrochemical characterization of a hydrogen peroxide sensor based on a ferrocene‐containing polymer electrochemically deposited onto a platinum electrode is described. The redox polymer consists of a siloxane‐based homopolymer, with pendant electronically communicated ferrocenyl moieties. The electrodes were used as the transducer for glucose and lactate‐sensing enzyme sensors. Amperometric biosensors were prepared by immobilization of glucose oxidase (Gox) or lactate oxidase (Lox) onto these modified electrodes. The steady‐state amperometric response of the sensors is investigated as a function of the applied potential and substrate concentration. Interferences, sensitivity and stability of the sensors were also studied.     

Air‐Stable Spirofluorene‐Containing Ladder‐Type Bis(alkynyl)borane Compounds with Readily Tunable Full Color Emission Properties

A series of air‐stable spiro‐fused ladder‐type boron(III) compounds has been designed, synthesized, and the electrochemistry and photophysical behavior have been characterized. By simply varying the substituents on the pyridine ring and extending the π‐conjugation of the spiro framework, the emission color of these compounds can be easily fine‐tuned spanning the visible spectrum from blue to red. All compounds exhibit a broad and structureless emission band across the entire visible region, assigned as an intramolecular charge‐transfer transition originating from the thiophene of the spiro framework to the pyridine‐borane moieties. In addition, these compounds demonstrate high photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 0.81 in dichloromethane solution and 0.86 in doped thin films. Some of the compounds have also been employed as emissive materials, in which solution‐processed organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs) with tunable emission colors spanning the visible spectrum from blue, green to red have been realized, demonstrating the potential applications of these boron compounds in OLEDs.     

Porous Organic Polymer Films with Tunable Work Functions and Selective Hole and Electron Flows for Energy Conversions

Organic optoelectronics are promising technologies for energy conversion. However, the electrode interlayer, a key material between active layers and conducting electrodes that controls the transport of charge carriers in and out of devices, is still a chemical challenge. Herein, we report a class of porous organic polymers with tunable work function as hole‐ and electron‐selective electrode interlayers. The network with organoborane and carbazole units exhibits extremely low work‐function‐selective electron flow; while upon ionic ligation and electro‐oxidation, the network significantly increases the work function and turns into hole conduction. We demonstrate their outstanding functions as anode and cathode interlayers in energy‐converting solar cells and light‐emitting diodes.     

The Origin of the Improved Efficiency and Stability of Triphenylamine‐Substituted Anthracene Derivatives for OLEDs: A Theoretical Investigation

Herein, we describe the molecular electronic structure, optical, and charge‐transport properties of anthracene derivatives computationally using density functional theory to understand the factors responsible for the improved efficiency and stability of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) with triphenylamine (TPA)‐substituted anthracene derivatives. The high performance of OLEDs with TPA‐substituted anthracene is revealed to derive from three original features in comparison with aryl‐substituted anthracene derivatives: 1) the HOMO and LUMO are localized separately on TPA and anthracene moieties, respectively, which leads to better stability of the OLEDs due to the more stable cation of TPA under a hole majority‐carrier environment; 2) the more balanceable hole and electron transport together with the easier hole injection leads to a larger rate of hole–electron recombination, which corresponds to the higher electroluminescence efficiency; and 3) the increasing reorganization energy for both hole and electron transport and the higher HOMO energy level provide a stable potential well for hole trapping, and then trapped holes induce a built‐in electric field to prompt the balance of charge‐carrier injection.     

Manipulating Nanowire Assembly for Flexible Transparent Electrodes

Manipulating nanowire assembly could help the design of hierarchical structures with unique functionalities. Herein, we first report a facile solution‐based process under ambient conditions for co‐assembling two kinds of nanowires which have suitable composition and functionalities, such as Ag and Te nanowires, for the fabrication of flexible transparent electrodes. Then Te nanowires can be etched away easily, leaving Ag nanowire networks with controllable pitch. By manipulating the assembly of Ag and Te nanowires, we can precisely tailor and balance the optical transmittance and the conductivity of the resulting flexible transparent electrodes. The network of Ag nanowires which have tunable pitch forms a flexible transparent conducting electrode with an averaged transmission of up to 97.3 % and sheet resistances as low as 2.7 Ω/sq under optimized conditions. The work provides a new way for tailoring the properties of nanowire‐based devices.     

Molecularly "engineered" anode adsorbates for probing OLED interfacial structure-charge injection/luminance relationships: large, structure-dependent effects

Molecule-scale structure effects at organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) anode-organic transport layer interfaces are probed via a self-assembly approach. A series of ITO anode-linked silyltriarylamine molecules differing in aryl group and linker density are synthesized for this purpose and used to probe the relationship between nanoscale interfacial chemical structure, charge injection and electroluminescence properties. Dramatic variations in hole injection magnitude and OLED performance can be correlated with the molecular structures and electrochemically derived heterogeneous electron-transfer rates of such triarylamine fragments, placed precisely at the anode-hole transport layer interface. Very bright and efficient ( approximately 70 000 cd/m2 and approximately 2.5% forward external quantum efficiency) OLEDs have thereby been fabricated.     

Carbon Nitride Materials for Water Splitting Photoelectrochemical Cells

Graphitic carbon nitride materials (CNs) have emerged as suitable photocatalysts and heterogeneous catalysts for various reactions thanks to their tunable band gap, suitable energy‐band position, high stability under harsh chemical conditions, and low cost. However, the utilization of CN in photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photoelectronic devices is still at an early stage owing to the difficulties in depositing high‐quality and homogenous CN layer on substrates, its wide band gap, poor charge‐separation efficiency, and low electronic conductivity. In this Minireview, we discuss the synthetic pathways for the preparation of various structures of CN on substrates and their underlying photophysical properties and current photoelectrochemical performance. The main challenges for CN incorporation into PEC cell are described, together with possible routes to overcome the standing limitations toward the integration of CN materials in PEC and other photoelectronic devices.     

电极材料对NPB/Alq3有机电致发光器件性能的影响

采用不同材料作为有机电致发光器件(OELDs)的电极, 制备了基本结构为[阳极/NPB(40 nm)]/Alq3(50 nm)/阴极]的异质结双层器件, 并通过改变OELDs器件的阴极或阳极来研究电极材料对器件光电性能的影响. 研究结果表明, 各器件电流-电压(I-V)关系的基本特征与陷阱电荷限制电流(TCLC)机制的拟合情况相符. 由于有机材料本身能级的无序性以及载流子迁移率对温度和电场的依赖性, 不同电极的载流子注入能力与其功函数并无直接关系. 双层器件中由于空穴传输层的引入, 使得载流子复合区域位于有机层异质结界面处, 降低了金属阴极对激子的猝灭作用, 从而大大提高了器件性能. 此外, 金属电极OLEDs器件结构具有的微腔效应会导致发射光谱的位移和谱峰宽度变窄, 这表明通过对金属电极的表面改性和优化可使器件性能超过常规结构的器件.     

Mixed Polyanionic Compounds as Positive Electrodes for Low‐Cost Electrochemical Energy Storage

Low‐cost electrochemical energy storage systems (EESSs) are urgently needed to promote the application of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. In analogy to lithium‐ion batteries, the cost of EESSs depends mainly on charge‐carrier ions and redox centers in electrodes, and their performance is limited by positive electrodes. In this context, this Minireview evaluates several EESS candidates and summarizes the known mixed polyanionic compounds (MPCs)—a family with robust frameworks and large channels for ion storage and migration. After comprehensive analysis, it is pointed out that a deeper exploration of MPCs may generate numerous novel crystallographically interesting compounds and excellent cathode materials for low‐cost energy storage applications.     

Bifunctional Nanoscale Assemblies: Multistate Electrochromics Coupled with Charge Trapping and Release

We demonstrate controlled charge trapping and release, accompanied by multiple color changes in a metallo‐organic bilayer. The dual functionality of the metallo‐organic materials provides fundamental insight into the metal‐mediated electron transport pathways. The electrochemical processes are visualized by distinct, four color‐to‐color transitions: red, transparent, orange, and brown. The bilayer is composed of two elements: 1) a nanoscale gate consisting of a layer of well‐defined polypyridyl ruthenium complexes bound to a flexible transparent electrode, and 2) a charge storage layer consisting of isostructural iron complexes attached to the surface of the gate. This gate mediates or blocks electron transport in response to an applied voltage. The charge storage and release depend on the oxidation state of the layer of ruthenium complexes (=gate). Combining electrochemistry with optical data revealed mechanistic information: the brown coloration of the bilayer directly relates to the formation of intermediate ruthenium species, providing evidence for catalytic positive charge release mediated through the gate.     

Currents and photocurrents in organic materials determined by the interface phenomena

The role of interface between molecular material and electrode on currents and photocurrents is considered. Mechanisms of charge carrier injection, electrode recombination and transport are discussed. Particularly thermal, excitonic, photo and tunneling injection of charge carriers, diffusion in presence of image force, interface barrier between electrode and organic materials and two organic materials, non-uniformity of electrodes and other phenomena on charge carrier injection are considered. The data presented in the review which complete theoretical considerations have been taken from previous as well as current literature. The considered phenomena are very important for the analysis of many practical problems for molecular electronic devices such as rectification of current, organic transistors, electroluminescence, photovoltaic effects and some similar problems.     

Tervalent conducting polymers with tailor-made work functions: preparation, characterization, and applications as cathodes in electroluminescent devices

A series of conducting polymers have been prepared through thermal polymerization of transition-metal diimine complexes. The as-polymerized material is electrochemically converted into its formally zerovalent form. Due to the proximity of the half-wave potentials of the formal 1+/0 and 0/1- couples, there is substantial disproportionation of the redox sites at room temperature, resulting in a conductive tervalent mixed-valent material. The redox processes that give rise to this mixed-valent material are predominantly ligand-based, and therefore are highly sensitive to substitution on the ligand periphery. Solution redox chemistry of the monomer can be used to accurately predict the work function of the corresponding zerovalent conducting polymer, which has been verified by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Many of these materials have especially low work functions (<3.6 eV) making them appropriate materials to use as cathode materials in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Working examples of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum(III)-based OLEDs have been fabricated using one of these polymers as a cathode.     

Selective Electrochemical Detection of Explosives with Nanomaterial Based Electrodes

Explosive detection technologies play a critical role in maintaining national security, remain an active research field with many devices and analytical/electroanalytical techniques. Analytical chemistry needs for homeland defense against terrorism make it clear that real-time and on-site detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are in urgent demand. Thus, current detection techniques for explosives have to be improved in terms of sensitivity and selectivity, opening the way to electrochemical devices suitable to obtain the targeted analytical information in a simpler, cheaper and faster way. For the electrochemical determination of energetic substances, a large number of sensor electrodes have been presented in literature using different modification materials, especially displaying higher selectivity with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs have already been utilized for the detection of hazardous materials due to their mechanical strength, flexibility, long-time storage and low cost. The sensitivity of MIP-based electrosensors can be enhanced by coupling with nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GOx), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), or nanoparticles (NPs). Specific characteristics of involved nanomaterials, their modification, detection mechanism, and other analytical aspects are discussed in detail. Non-MIP electrosensors are generally functionalized with materials capable of charge transfer, H-bonding or electrostatic interactions with analytes for pre-concentration and electrocatalysis on their surface, whereas nanobio-electrosensors use analyte-selective aptamers having specific sequences of DNA, peptides or proteins to change the potential or current. This review intends to provide a combination of information related to MIPs and nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors, limited to the most significant and illustrative work recently published.     

Recent Progresses in Solution-Processed Tandem Organic and Quantum Dots Light-Emitting Diodes

Solution processes have promising advantages of low manufacturing cost and large-scale production, potentially applied for the fabrication of organic and quantum dot light-emitting diodes (OLEDs and QLEDs). To meet the expected lifespan of OLEDs/QLEDs in practical display and lighting applications, tandem architecture by connecting multiple light-emitting units (LEUs) through a feasible intermediate connection layer (ICL) is preferred. However, the combination of tandem architecture with solution processes is still limited by the choices of obtainable ICLs due to the unsettled challenges, such as orthogonal solubility, surface wettability, interfacial corrosion, and charge injection. This review focuses on the recent progresses of solution-processed tandem OLEDs and tandem QLEDs, covers the design and fabrication of various ICLs by solution process, and provides suggestions on the future challenges of corresponding materials and devices, which are anticipated to stimulate the exploitation of the emerging light technologies.     

Modulating Photo‐ and Electroluminescence in a Stimuli‐Responsive π‐Conjugated Donor–Acceptor Molecular System

Functional organic materials that display reversible changes in fluorescence in response to external stimuli are of immense interest owing to their potential applications in sensors, probes, and security links. While earlier studies mainly focused on changes in photoluminescence (PL) color in response to external stimuli, stimuli‐responsive electroluminescence (EL) has not yet been explored for color‐tunable emitters in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here a stimuli‐responsive fluorophoric molecular system is reported that is capable of switching its emission color between green and orange in the solid state upon grinding, heating, and exposure to chemical vapor. A mechanistic study combining X‐ray diffraction analysis and quantum chemical calculations reveals that the tunable green/orange emissions originate from the fluorophore's alternating excited‐state conformers formed in the crystalline and amorphous phases. By taking advantage of this stimuli‐responsive fluorescence behavior, two‐color emissive OLEDs were produced using the same fluorophore in different solid phases.     

A Cooperative Pillar–Template Strategy as a Generalized Synthetic Method for Flexible Homochiral Porous Frameworks

A new strategy for creating homochiral metal–organic frameworks through a fusion of pillaring and templating concepts is demonstrated. This strategy makes use of the synergy among various chemical interactions during self‐assembly processes, and leads to the synthesis of a series of homochiral frameworks. In the presence of only pillar‐to‐pillar π–π interactions, inter‐pillar forces compete against metal–pillar interactions, resulting in mismatch between pillar‐to‐pillar and metal‐to‐metal separations and consequently 2D materials without pillaring. To create 3D materials, a method was developed to use various aromatic molecules, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particular, as templates to modulate the inter‐pillar interaction and separation, leading to the formation of 3D homochiral frameworks. The use of aromatic molecules, especially hydrocarbons, as structure‐directing agents, represents a new approach in the development of crystalline porous materials. Aromatic templates can be post‐synthetically extracted to yield flexible porous homochiral materials with gate‐opening gas sorption behaviors for both N₂ and CO₂ at partial pressures tunable by temperature.