| 1. |
- Anselmo, Ana Sofia, 1980-
(författare)
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The morphology of polyfluorene : fullerene blend films for photovoltaic applications
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polymer photovoltaic systems whose photoactive layer is a blend of a semiconducting polymer with a fullerene derivative in a bulk heterojunction configuration are amongst the most successful organic photovoltaic devices nowadays. The three-dimensional organization in these layers (the morphology) plays a crucial role in the performance of the devices. Detailed characterization of this organization at the nanoscale would provide valuable information for improving future material and architectural design and for device optimization.In this thesis, the results of morphology studies of blends of several polyfluorene copolymers (APFOs) blended with a fullerene derivative are presented. Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy was combined with dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (dSIMS) for surface and in-depth characterization of the blend films. NEXAFS was performed using two different electron detection methods, partial (PEY) and total (TEY) electron yield, which provide information from different depth regimes. Quantitative compositional information was obtained by fitting the spectra of the blend films with a linear combination of the spectra of films of the pure components. In blends of APFO3 with PCBM in two different blend ratios (1:1 and 1:4 of polymer:fullerene) NEXAFS data show the existence of compositional gradients in the vertical direction for both blend ratios, with clear polymer enrichment of the free surface. A series of APFOs with systematic changes in the side-chains was studied and it was shown that those small modifications can affect polymer:fullerene interaction and induce vertical phase separation. Polymer-enrichment of the free surface was clearly identified, in accordance with surface energy minimization mechanisms, and a compositional gradient was revealed already in the first few nanometers of the surface of the blend films. dSIMS showed that this vertical phase separation propagates throughout the film. It was possible to determine that as the polar character of the polymer increases, and thus the polymer:fullerene miscibility is improved, the tendency for vertical phase separation becomes stronger.
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| 2. |
- Cappel, Ute B., et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of the Interface Properties and Processes in Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing a Perylene Sensitizer
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 115:10, s. 4345-4358
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We recently reported on a perylene sensitizer, ID176, which performs much better in solid state dye-sensitized solar cells than in those using liquid electrolytes with iodide/tri-iodide as the redox couple (J. Phys. Chem. C2009, 113, 14595-14597). Here, we present a characterization of the sensitizer and of the TiO2/dye interface by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, photoelectron spectroscopy, electroabsorption spectroscopy, photoinduced absorption spectroscopy, and femtosecond transient absorption measurements. We report that the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer is red-shifted by addition of lithium ions to the surface due to a downward shift of the excited state level of the sensitizer, which is of the same order of magnitude as the downward shift of the titanium dioxide conduction band edge. Results from photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemistry suggest that the excited state is largely located below the conduction band edge of TiO2 but that there are states in the band gap of TiO2 which might be available for photoinduced electron injection. The sensitizer was able to efficiently inject into TiO2, when a lithium salt was present on the surface, while injection was much less effective in the absence of lithium ions or in the presence of solvent. In the presence of the hole conductor 2,2-,7,7-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) and LiTFSI, charge separation was monitored by the emergence of a Stark shift of the dye in transient absorption spectra, and both injection and regeneration appear to be completed within 1 ps. Regeneration by spiro-MeOTAD is therefore several orders of magnitude faster than regeneration by iodide, and ID176 can even be photoreduced by spiro-MeOTAD.
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| 3. |
- Cappel, Ute, et al.
(författare)
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Energy Alignment and Surface Dipoles of Rylene Dyes adsorbed to TiO2 nanoparticles
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 13:32, s. 14767-14774
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The energy loss in dye-sensitized solar cells calculated from the energy difference between the lowest electronic transition of the dye and the obtained open-circuit voltage is often 1 eV or even more. To minimize this loss, it is important to accurately determine the energy alignment at the TiO2/dye/redox-mediator interface. In this study, we compared the results from electrochemistry and photoelectron spectroscopy for determining the energy alignment of three rylene dyes, two of which absorb relatively far in the red. The trends observed with the methods were different, as in the former, the energy alignment is measured relative to an external reference and includes contributions from solvent reorganization energies, while in the latter, it is measured relative to the energetics of the TiO2 and is lacking such contributions. The influence of the dyes' dipole moments on the energetics of the TiO2 was also measured and explained some of the differences in trends. Finally, we compared the injection efficiencies of the two red-absorbing dyes and found that the differences in injection efficiencies can be better explained using the energy alignment determined from photoelectron spectroscopy. This shows that the method for measuring the energetics of a DSC should be chosen according to what process one intends to study.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Ciosek Högström, Katarzyna
(författare)
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The Complex Nature of the Electrode/Electrolyte Interfaces in Li-ion Batteries : Towards Understanding the Role of Electrolytes and Additives Using Photoelectron Spectroscopy
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The stability of electrode/electrolyte interfaces in Li-ion batteries is crucial to the performance, lifetime and safety of the entire battery system. In this work, interface processes have been studied in LiFePO4/graphite Li-ion battery cells. The first part has focused on improving photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) methodology for making post-mortem battery analyses. Exposure of cycled electrodes to air was shown to influence the surface chemistry of the graphite. A combination of synchrotron and in-house PES has facilitated non-destructive interface depth profiling from the outermost surfaces into the electrode bulk. A better understanding of the chemistry taking place at the anode and cathode interfaces has been achieved. The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on a graphite anode was found to be thicker and more inhomogeneous than films formed on cathodes. Dynamic changes in the SEI on cycling and accumulation of lithium close to the carbon surface have been observed. Two electrolyte additives have also been studied: a film-forming additive propargyl methanesulfonate (PMS) and a flame retardant triphenyl phosphate (TPP). A detailed study was made at ambient and elevated temperature (21 and 60 °C) of interface aging for anodes and cathodes cycled with and without the PMS additive. PMS improved cell capacity retention at both temperatures. Higher SEI stability, relatively constant thickness and lower loss of cyclable lithium are suggested as the main reasons for better cell performance. PMS was also shown to influence the chemical composition on the cathode surface.The TPP flame retardant was shown to be unsuitable for high power applications. Low TPP concentrations had only a minor impact on electrolyte flammability, while larger amounts led to a significant increase in cell polarization. TPP was also shown to influence the interface chemistry at both electrodes.Although the additives studied here may not be the final solution for improved lifetime and safety of commercial batteries, increased understanding has been achieved of the degradation mechanisms in Li-ion cells. A better understanding of interface processes is of vital importance for the future development of safer and more reliable Li-ion batteries.
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| 7. |
- Ciosek Högström, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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The Influence of PMS-Additive on the Electrode/Electrolyte Interfaces in LiFePO4/Graphite Li-Ion Batteries
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 117:45, s. 23476-23486
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of a film-forming additive, propargyl methanesulfonate (PMS), on electrochemical performance and electrode/electrolyte interface composition of LiFePO4/graphite Li-ion batteries has been studied. Combined use of in-house X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) enabled nondestructive depth profiling at four different probing depths in the 2-50 nm range. Cells cycled with PMS and LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate (EC/DEC) were compared to a reference sample cycled without PMS. In the first cycle, PMS cells showed a higher irreversible capacity, which is explained by formation of a thicker solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). After three cycles, the SET thicknesses were determined to be 19 and 25 nm for the reference and PMS samples, respectively. After the initial cycling, irreversible losses shown by the PMS cells were lower than those of the reference cell. This could be attributed to a different SET composition and lower differences in the amount of lithium between lithiated and delithiated electrodes for the PMS sample. It was suggested that PMS forms a triple-bonded radical on reduction, which further reacts with the electrolyte. The PMS additive was shown to influence the chemical composition at the positive electrode/electrolyte interface. Thicker interface layers with higher C-O and smaller LiF contributions were formed on LiFePO4 cycled with PMS.
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| 8. |
- Ellis, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Linker Unit Modification of Triphenylamine-Based Organic Dyes for Efficient Cobalt Mediated Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 117:41, s. 21029-21036
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Linker unit modification of donor-linker-acceptor-based organic dyes was investigated with respect to the spectral and physicochemical properties of the dyes. The spectral response for a series of triphenylamine (TPA)-based organic dyes, called LEG1-4, was shifted into the red wavelength region, and the extinction coefficient of the dyes was increased by introducing different substituted dithiophene units on the pi-conjugated linker. The photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) incorporating the different dyes in combination with cobalt-based electrolytes was found to be dependent on dye binding. The binding morphology of the dyes on the TiO2 was studied using photoelectron spectroscopy, which demonstrated that the introduction of alkyl chains and different substituents on the dithiophene linker unit resulted in a larger tilt angle of the dyes with respect to the normal of the TiO2-surface, and thereby a lower surface coverage. The good photovoltaic performance for cobalt electrolyte-based DSCs found here and by other groups using TPA-based organic dyes with a cyclopentadithiophene linker unit substituted with alkyl chains was mainly attributed to the extended spectral response of the dye, whereas the larger tilt angle of the dye with respect to the TiO2-surface resulted in less efficient packing of the dye molecules and enhanced recombination between electrons in TiO2 and Co(III) species in the electrolyte.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Susanna K, et al.
(författare)
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A versatile photoelectron spectrometer for pressures up to 30 mbar
- 2014
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Ingår i: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 85:7, s. 075119-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy is a rapidly developing technique with applications in a wide range of fields ranging from fundamental surface science and catalysis to energy materials, environmental science, and biology. At present the majority of the high-pressure photoelectron spectrometers are situated at synchrotron end stations, but recently a small number of laboratory-based setups have also emerged. In this paper we discuss the design and performance of a new laboratory based high pressure photoelectron spectrometer equipped with an Al Ka X-ray anode and a hemispherical electron energy analyzer combined with a differentially pumped electrostatic lens. The instrument is demonstrated to be capable of measuring core level spectra at pressures up to 30 mbar. Moreover, valence band spectra of a silver sample as well as a carbon-coated surface (graphene) recorded under a 2 mbar nitrogen atmosphere are presented, demonstrating the versatility of this laboratory-based spectrometer.
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| 10. |
- Fredin, Kristofer, et al.
(författare)
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Solid state dye-sensitized solar cells prepared by infiltrating a molten hole conductor into a mesoporous film at a temperature below 150 degrees C
- 2011
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Ingår i: Synthetic metals. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-6779 .- 1879-3290. ; 161:21-22, s. 2280-2283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infiltration of a molten hole conductor in a mesoporous film at an elevated temperature exhibits good wetting performance and the procedure is therefore suitable as part of the preparation method for solid state dye-sensitized solar cells. Herein, we present a system prepared by infiltrating 4-(diethylamino)benzaldehyde-1,1)-diphenyl-hydrazone in its molten form at a temperature below 150 degrees C. The system displays a maximum photon-to-current conversion efficiency of about 35%, a value corresponding to an increase of about 5 times in comparison with a previously published system prepared by infiltrating a molten hole-conductor at a temperature exceeding 250 degrees C. By means of comparing charge transport and recombination with the results measured for a liquid analogue, we conclude that whereas the transport rates are similar, recombination is significantly more rapid in the solid-state device.
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