Remarkable Enhancement of Hole Mobility of Novel DA-D'-AD Small Molecules by Thermal Annealing: Effect of the D'-Bridge Block.

Conjugated small molecules are advanced semiconductor materials with attractive physicochemical and optoelectronic properties enabling the development of next-generation electronic devices. The charge carrier mobility of small molecules strongly influences the efficiency of organic and hybrid electronics based on them. Herein, we report the synthesis of four novel small molecules and their investigation with regard to the impact of molecular structure and thermal treatment of films on charge carriers' mobility.

Chamber Protection of Zinc with Ethylhexanoic Acid.

Chamber protection is a promising and quickly developing method of vapor-phase protection of metals against atmospheric corrosion by inhibitors. It was shown that chamber treatment with 2-ethylhexanoic acid (EHA) efficiently inhibits the initiation of zinc corrosion. The optimum conditions (temperature and duration) of zinc treatment with vapors of this compound were determined.

Novel Push-Pull Benzodithiophene-Containing Polymers as Hole-Transport Materials for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Donor-acceptor conjugated polymers are considered advanced semiconductor materials for the development of thin-film electronics. One of the most attractive families of polymeric semiconductors in terms of photovoltaic applications are benzodithiophene-based polymers owing to their highly tunable electronic and physicochemical properties, and readily scalable production. In this work, we report the synthesis of three novel push-pull benzodithiophene-based polymers with different side chains and their investigation as hole transport materials (HTM) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The Impact of Backbone Fluorination and Side-Chain Position in Thiophene-Benzothiadiazole-Based Hole-Transport Materials on the Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) currently reach high efficiencies, while their insufficient stability remains an obstacle to their technological commercialization. The introduction of hole-transport materials (HTMs) into the device structure is a key approach for enhancing the efficiency and stability of devices. However, currently, the influence of the HTM structure or properties on the characteristics and operational stability of PSCs remains insufficiently studied.

Tailoring the charge transport characteristics in ordered small-molecule organic semiconductors by side-chain engineering and fluorine substitution.

Crystalline and liquid-crystalline conjugated small molecules represent a promising family of semiconductor materials for organic electronics applications. The control of the morphology and optoelectronic properties of small molecules allows tuning their charge transport characteristics and hence, improving the performance of electronic devices. Here, we designed four pentamers based on alternating thiophene and benzothiadiazole moieties and investigated the effect of their structure on the optoelectronic properties, ordering and charge transport characteristics.

Solubilizing Side Chain Engineering: Efficient Strategy to Improve the Photovoltaic Performance of Novel Benzodithiophene-Based (X-DADAD) Conjugated Polymers.

Conjugated polymers represent a promising family of semiconductor materials for thin-film organic solar cells (OSCs). An efficient approach to improve the photovoltaic performance of conjugated polymers is engineering the side chains attached to the polymer backbone. This work reports the impact of different alkyl substituents on the optoelectronic properties, charge carrier mobilities, thin film morphology, and photovoltaic performance of novel (X-DADAD) conjugated polymers incorporating benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene moieties.

Depth-Profiling Microanalysis of CoNCN Water-Oxidation Catalyst Using a λ = 46.9 nm Plasma Laser for Nano-Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Nanoscale depth profiling analysis of a CoNCN-coated electrode for water oxidation catalysis was carried out using table-top extreme ultraviolet (XUV) laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The self-developed laser operates at λ = 46.9 nm and represents factor of 4 reduction in wavelength with respect to the 193 nm excimer laser.

Three-dimensional nanoscale molecular imaging by extreme ultraviolet laser ablation mass spectrometry.

Analytical probes capable of mapping molecular composition at the nanoscale are of critical importance to materials research, biology and medicine. Mass spectral imaging makes it possible to visualize the spatial organization of multiple molecular components at a sample's surface. However, it is challenging for mass spectral imaging to map molecular composition in three dimensions (3D) with submicron resolution.