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Abstract
In this article we report on a new hybrid (organic-inorganic) composite material based on hydrophilic, electrically inert and semi-transparent hydrotalcite (HT) nanoparticles and a pHneutral formulation of PEDOT:PSS. The application of this composite material as electrically and optically active buffer layer in P3HT:PC61BM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells is reported. Two different synthetic routes are explored to obtain HTs having discoid shape, with a diameter of around 150- 200 nm and a thickness of ~20 nm, to be easily embedded in ~50 nm thick PEDOT:PSS films. The good affinity between HTs and the sulfonate groups of the PEDOT:PSS allows to obtain homogeneous HTs/PEDOT:PSS films, for HT concentrations of 0.25% and 0.50% by weight (vs. PEDOT:PSS). At these particle loads the electrical and morphological features of doped and undoped PEDOT:PSS films are nearly identical, while providing a significant effect on the visible light scattering properties of the composite films. We demonstrate ~12% improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) for P3HT:PC 61 BM solar cells incorporating HTs in the PEDOT: PSS layer, which mainly originates from increased shortcircuit current densities (J SC ).
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Open Access
July 29, 2013
Abstract
We present a method to fabricate binary organic donor and acceptor blends exhibiting a controlled lateral gradient in morphology. Upon combining photometry, ellipsometry and Xray maps together with photoinduced absorption measurements, we show how the gradual exposure to solvent vapor results in a varying degree of polymer crystallinity for the polythiophene/soluble fullerene system along one direction. These morphologically graded samples are characterized by a spectral photoresponse that depends on the specific location in the area of the device where the light beam impinges, a property that stands as proof-of-concept for position sensitive detection. Moreover, we demonstrate that the development of graded morphologies is an effective one-step method which allows for fast performance optimization of organic solar cells. Finally, the appropriateness of eight different solvents for morphology control via vapor annealing is evaluated in a time-effective way using the advanced method, which helps to identify boiling point and solubility as the key processing parameters.
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Open Access
October 7, 2013
Abstract
Herein we demonstrate a method to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) parameter of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices based on the electron acceptor N,N’-bis(1- ethylpropyl)-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) blended with the electron donor poly(indenofluorene)-aryloctyl (PIF-Aryl). The device parameters of the short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage and fill factor are found increased after the insertion of a thin poly [9, 9-dioctylfluorene-co-N- [4-(3-methylpropyl)]-diphenylamine] (TFB) photoactive interlayer between the hole-collecting electrode and the photoactive layer of the device. Unlike to most of the cases where interlayers serve as charge extractors, in our system the polymeric interlayer serves as a morphology modifying agent that drives the PDI component to segregate better at the interface with the device cathode; that is at the carrier-collecting electrode interface, which is not in physical contact with the interlayer. The processes of energy/charge transfer of the TFB excitons to/with the PIF-Aryl:PDI top-layer are also addressed. Charge transfer reactions dominate at the TFB/PIF-Aryl:PDI interface but no significant contribution in the photocurrent generation is seen in the photoaction spectra of the bilayer device.
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Open Access
November 5, 2013
Abstract
We describe the design, synthesis and characterization of five high Stokes shift quadrupolar heteroaryl compounds suitable as fluorescent probes in bio-imaging. In particular, we characterize the photophysical properties and the intracellular localization in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HMSCs) for each dye. We show that, amongst all of the investigated derivatives, the 2,5-bis[1-(4-N-methylpyridinium)ethen-2-yl)]- N-methylpyrrole salt is the best candidates as selective mitochondrial tracker. Finally, we recorded the full emission spectrum of the most performing - exclusively mitochondrial selective - fluorescent probe directly from HUVEC stained cells. The emission spectrum collected from the stained mitochondria shows a remarkably more pronounced vibronic structure with respect to the emission of the free fluorophore in solution.
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Open Access
December 31, 2013
Abstract
A series of new bis-(2-thienyl) maleimide monomers have been synthesized and characterized. The bis-(2- thienyl)maleimide unit has been copolymerized with different aromatic comonomers. Stille coupling polymerizations under various conditions have been utilized. The copolymers were then characterized by size-exclusion chromatography and their optical and electronic properties were investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. All maleimide based copolymers shared similar LUMO energy levels, which are largely determined by the acceptor moiety, and are close to that of PC 61 BM to be effective for charge dissociation. These low band gap polymers have been tested for photovoltaic applications and have shown moderate photovoltaic performance. Interesting results were obtained by adding the polymer to the P3HT:PC 61 BM mixture, as a third component. The ternary blend BHJ solar cells showed power conversion efficiencies of 35% exceeding those of the corresponding binary blends.
