| 1. |
- Piliego, C., et al.
(författare)
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Charge separation dynamics in a narrow band gap polymer-PbS nanocrystal blend for efficient hybrid solar cells
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1364-5501 .- 0959-9428. ; 22:46, s. 24411-24416
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have demonstrated efficient hybrid solar cells based on lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals and a narrow band gap polymer, poly[{2,5-bis(2-hexyldecyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-3,6-dioxopyrrolo[3,4-c]py rrole-1,4-diyl}-alt-{[2,2'-(1,4-phenylene)bis-thiophene]-5,5'-diyl}], (PDPPTPT). An opportune mixing of the two materials led to the formation of an energetically favorable bulk hetero-junction with a broad spectral response. Using a basic device structure, we reached a power conversion efficiency of similar to 3%, which is one of the highest values reported for this class of solar cells. Photo-physical measurements carried out on the device provided insights into the working mechanism: the comparison between the time decay of the pristine polymer and the polymer PbS blend allows us to conclude that efficient charge transfer is taking place in this hybrid system.
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| 2. |
- Dyson, M., et al.
(författare)
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Structure/Property/Processing Relationships for Organic Solar Cells
- 2018
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Ingår i: RSC Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. - : The Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1757-7136. - 9781782626749 ; 2018-January:45, s. 182-225
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rapid developments in the field of organic solar cells have been driven by this technology's potentially advantageous traits: the environmentally friendly, low-cost generation of energy with the possibility of large area manufacturing of flexible, lightweight, semi-transparent devices, with predicted low energy payback times. Major step changes leading to vastly improved devices with ever-increasing performance have been achieved through new insights into materials design and an improved understanding of the often complex microstructure and phase morphology of organic solar cell systems. This chapter summarises the advances in synthesis, concentrating on the relevant structure/property relations and how the chemical structure affects processing and the microstructure. This is followed by a detailed discussion of classical materials science approaches that assist in gaining insights into complex materials systems, such as organic solar cell blends from the molecular to the micrometre scale, with a focus on polymer-based systems and how to apply this knowledge to future larger area processing of organic photovoltaic architectures.
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| 3. |
- Feron, K., et al.
(författare)
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Utilizing Energy Transfer in Binary and Ternary Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells
- 2016
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8252 .- 1944-8244. ; 8:32, s. 20928-20937
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy transfer has been identified as an important process in ternary organic solar cells. Here, we develop kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) models to assess the impact of energy transfer in ternary and binary bulk heterojunction systems. We used fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy to determine the energy disorder and Forster radii for poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, 4-bis[4-(N,N-diisobutylamino)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]squaraine (DIBSq), and poly(2,5-thiophene-alt-4,9-bis(2-hexyldecyl)-4,9-dihydrodithieno[3,2-c:3 ',2'-h][1,5]naphthyridine-5,10-dione). Heterogeneous energy transfer is found to be crucial in the exciton dissociation process of both binary and ternary organic semiconductor systems. Circumstances favoring energy transfer across interfaces allow relaxation of the electronic energy level requirements, meaning that a cascade structure is not required for efficient ternary organic solar cells. We explain how energy transfer can be exploited to eliminate additional energy losses in ternary bulk heterojunction solar cells, thus increasing their open-circuit voltage without loss in short-circuit current. In particular, we show that it is important that the DIBSq is located at the electron donor acceptor interface; otherwise charge carriers will be trapped in the DIBSq domain or excitons in the DIBSq domains will not be able to dissociate efficiently at an interface. KMC modeling shows that only small amounts of DIBSq (
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| 4. |
- Holmes, N. P., et al.
(författare)
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Nano-pathways: Bridging the divide between water-processable nanoparticulate and bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nano Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-2855. ; 19, s. 495-510
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we report the application of a conjugated copolymer based on thiophene and quinoxaline units, namely poly[2,3-bis-(3-octyloxyphenyl)quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-thiophene-2,5-di yl] (TQ1), to nanoparticle organic photovoltaics (NP-OPVs). TQ1 exhibits more desirable material properties for NP-OPV fabrication and operation, particularly a high glass transition temperature (T-g) and amorphous nature, compared to the commonly applied semicrystalline polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). This study reports the optimisation of TQ1:PC71BM (phenyl C-71 butyric acid methyl ester) NP-OPV device performance by the application of mild thermal annealing treatments in the range of the T-g (sub-T-g and post-T-g), both in the active layer drying stage and post-cathode deposition annealing stage of device fabrication, and an in-depth study of the effect of these treatments on nanoparticle film morphology. In addition, we report a type of morphological evolution in nanoparticle films for OPV active layers that has not previously-been observed, that of PC71BM nano-pathway formation between dispersed PC71BM-rich nanoparticle cores, which have the benefit of making the bulk film more conducive to charge percolation and extraction.
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| 5. |
- Zokaei, Sepideh, 1991, et al.
(författare)
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Tuning of the elastic modulus of a soft polythiophene through molecular doping
- 2022
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Ingår i: Materials Horizons. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2051-6355 .- 2051-6347. ; 9:1, s. 433-443
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular doping of a polythiophene with oligoethylene glycol side chains is found to strongly modulate not only the electrical but also the mechanical properties of the polymer. An oxidation level of up to 18% results in an electrical conductivity of more than 52 S cm(-1) and at the same time significantly enhances the elastic modulus from 8 to more than 200 MPa and toughness from 0.5 to 5.1 MJ m(-3). These changes arise because molecular doping strongly influences the glass transition temperature T-g and the degree of pi-stacking of the polymer, as indicated by both X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations. Surprisingly, a comparison of doped materials containing mono- or dianions reveals that - for a comparable oxidation level - the presence of multivalent counterions has little effect on the stiffness. Evidently, molecular doping is a powerful tool that can be used for the design of mechanically robust conducting materials, which may find use within the field of flexible and stretchable electronics.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, R., et al.
(författare)
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Modeling of free fatty acid dynamics: insulin and nicotinic acid resistance under acute and chronic treatments
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-8744 .- 1567-567X. ; 44:3, s. 203-222
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nicotinic acid (NiAc) is a potent inhibitor of adipose tissue lipolysis. Acute administration results in a rapid reduction of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations. Sustained NiAc exposure is associated with tolerance development (drug resistance) and complete adaptation (FFA returning to pretreatment levels). We conducted a meta-analysis on a rich pre-clinical data set of the NiAc-FFA interaction to establish the acute and chronic exposure-response relations from a macro perspective. The data were analyzed using a nonlinear mixed-effects framework. We also developed a new turnover model that describes the adaptation seen in plasma FFA concentrations in lean Sprague-Dawley and obese Zucker rats following acute and chronic NiAc exposure. The adaptive mechanisms within the system were described using integral control systems and dynamic efficacies in the traditional model. Insulin was incorporated in parallel with NiAc as the main endogenous co-variate of FFA dynamics. The model captured profound insulin resistance and complete drug resistance in obese rats. The efficacy of NiAc as an inhibitor of FFA release went from 1 to approximately 0 during sustained exposure in obese rats. The potency of NiAc as an inhibitor of insulin and of FFA release was estimated to be 0.338 and 0.436 , respectively, in obese rats. A range of dosing regimens was analyzed and predictions made for optimizing NiAc delivery to minimize FFA exposure. Given the exposure levels of the experiments, the importance of washout periods in-between NiAc infusions was illustrated. The washout periods should be 2 h longer than the infusions in order to optimize 24 h lowering of FFA in rats. However, the predicted concentration-response relationships suggests that higher AUC reductions might be attained at lower NiAc exposures.
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| 7. |
- Gedefaw, Desta Antenehe, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis and characterization of benzodithiophene and benzotriazole-based polymers for photovoltaic applications
- 2016
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Ingår i: Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. - : Beilstein Institut. - 1860-5397. ; 12, s. 1629-1637
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two high bandgap benzodithiophene-benzotriazole-based polymers were synthesized via palladium-catalysed Stille coupling reaction. In order to compare the effect of the side chains on the opto-electronic and photovoltaic properties of the resulting polymers, the benzodithiophene monomers were substituted with either octylthienyl (PTzBDT-1) or dihexylthienyl (PTzBDT-2) as side groups, while the benzotriazole unit was maintained unaltered. The optical characterization, both in solution and thin-film, indicated that PTzBDT-1 has a red-shifted optical absorption compared to PTzBDT-2, likely due to a more planar conformation of the polymer backbone promoted by the lower content of alkyl side chains. The different aggregation in the solid state also affects the energetic properties of the polymers, resulting in a lower highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) for PTzBDT-1 with respect to PTzBDT-2. However, an unexpected behaviour is observed when the two polymers are used as a donor material, in combination with PC61BM as acceptor, in bulk heterojunction solar cells. Even though PTzBDT-1 showed favourable optical and electrochemical properties, the devices based on this polymer present a power conversion efficiency of 3.3%, considerably lower than the efficiency of 4.7% obtained for the analogous solar cells based on PTzBDT-2. The lower performance is presumably attributed to the limited solubility of the PTzBDT-1 in organic solvents resulting in enhanced aggregation and poor intermixing with the acceptor material in the active layer.
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| 8. |
- Pan, Xun, et al.
(författare)
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Environmentally friendly preparation of nanoparticles for organic photovoltaics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Organic Electronics: physics, materials, applications. - : Elsevier BV. - 1566-1199. ; 59, s. 432-440
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aqueous nanoparticle dispersions were prepared from a conjugated polymer poly[thiophene-2,5-diyl-alt-5,10-bis((2-hexyldecyl)oxy)dithieno[3,2-c:3′,2′-h][1,5]naphthyridine-2,7-diyl] (PTNT) and fullerene blend utilizing chloroform as well as a non-chlorinated and environmentally benign solvent, o-xylene, as the miniemulsion dispersed phase solvent. The nanoparticles (NPs) in the solid-state film were found to coalesce and offered a smooth surface topography upon thermal annealing. Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with photoactive layer processed from the nanoparticle dispersions prepared using chloroform as the miniemulsion dispersed phase solvent were found to have a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.04%, which increased to 1.65% for devices utilizing NPs prepared from o-xylene. Physical, thermal and optical properties of NPs prepared using both chloroform and o-xylene were systematically studied using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and correlated to their photovoltaic properties. The PL results indicate different morphology of NPs in the solid state were achieved by varying miniemulsion dispersed phase solvent.
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| 9. |
- Ryan, Jason, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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All-Organic Textile Thermoelectrics with Carbon-Nanotube-Coated n-Type Yarns
- 2018
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0962. ; 1:6, s. 2934-2941
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thermoelectric textiles that are able to generate electricity from heat gradients may find use as power sources for a wide range of miniature wearable electronics. To realize such thermoelectric textiles, both p- and n-type yarns are needed. The realization of air-stable and flexible n-type yarns, i.e., conducting yarns where electrons are the majority charge carriers, presents a considerable challenge due to the scarcity of air-stable n-doped organic materials. Here, we realize such n-type yarns by coating commercial sewing threads with a nanocomposite of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). Our n-type yarns have a bulk conductivity of 1 S cm -1 and a Seebeck coefficient of -14 μV K -1 , which is stable for several months at ambient conditions. We combine our coated n-type yarns with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) dyed silk yarns, constituting the p-type component, to realize a textile thermoelectric module with 38 n/p elements, which are capable of producing an open-circuit voltage of 143 mV when exposed to a temperature gradient of 116 °C and a maximum power output of 7.1 nW at a temperature gradient of 80 °C.
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| 10. |
- Sharma, Anirudh, et al.
(författare)
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Probing the Relationship between Molecular Structures, Thermal Transitions, and Morphology in Polymer Semiconductors Using a Woven Glass-Mesh-Based DMTA Technique
- 2019
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Ingår i: Chemistry of Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5002 .- 0897-4756. ; 31:17, s. 6740-6749
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The glass transition temperature (T-g) of polymers is an important parameter that determines the kinetics of molecular organization of polymeric chains. Understanding the T-g of conjugated polymers is critical in achieving a thermally stable and optimum morphology in polymer:polymer or polymer:small molecule blends in organic electronics. In this study, we have used the woven glass-mesh-based method of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) to evaluate the T-g of polymer semiconductors, which is generally not easy to detect using conventional techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). More importantly, we establish the relationship between the thermal transitions and the molecular structure of polymer semiconductors. For conjugated polymers with rigid conjugated backbones and large alkyl side chains, we report the presence of separate thermal transitions corresponding to the polymer backbone as well as transitions related to side chains, with the latter being the most prominent. By systematically comparing polymer side chains, molecular weight, and backbone structure, the origin of the T-g and a sub-T-g transitions have been successfully correlated to the polymer structures. The antiplastization effect of additives has also been used to further prove the origin of the different transitions. Thermal transitions of a range of high performing polymers applied in organic photovoltaics, including TQ1, PTNT, PTB7, PTB7-Th, and N2200, have been systematically studied in this work. According to the measurements, some of these polymers have a very small amorphous part, changing the way the morphology should be described for these materials. We infer that the main phase in these polymers consists of hairy aggregates, with a few pi-stacked rigid polymer chains forming the aggregates.
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