Manipulating Backbone Planarity of Ester Functionalized Conjugated Polymer Constitutional Isomer Derivatives Blended with Molecular Acceptors for Controlling Photovoltaic Properties.

Exploring both electron donor and acceptor phase components in bulk heterojunction structures has contributed to the advancement of organic photovoltaics (OPV) realizing power conversion efficiencies reaching 20%. Being able to control backbone planarity of the donor polymer, while understanding its effects on the polymer conformation and photophysical properties, fosters the groundwork for further achievements in this realm. In this report, three isomeric PM7 derivatives are designed and synthesized where the benzodithiophene-4,8-dione structure is replaced by a quaterthiophene bridge carrying two ester moieties.

An Investigation into Polyester Adsorption onto Alumina toward an Improved Understanding of Hydrogenolysis Catalysts.

Chemical recycling of end-of-life plastic wastes through hydrogenolysis is a promising pathway for achieving a circular plastics economy and reducing overall energy costs. Understanding molecular interactions at the inorganic-organic depolymerization interface is crucial for enhancing catalyst performance and overcoming challenges posed by mixed plastic waste streams. We investigated a fundamental step in the depolymerization process: physisorption of polymers onto the metal oxide support preceding diffusion to and reaction at the catalyst-support junction.

Impact of Dilute DIO Additive on Local Microstructure of Fluorinated, pNDI-Based Polymer Solar Cells.

The performance of all-polymer solar cells is often enhanced by incorporating solvent additives during solution processing. In particular, blends based on the model all-polymer system PBDBT:N2200 have been shown to have increased short-circuit current and fill factor when processed with dilute diiodooctane (DIO). However, the morphological mechanism that drives the increase in performance is often not well understood due to limitations in common characterization techniques.

Solvent-mediated oxide hydrogenation in layered cathodes.

Self-discharge and chemically induced mechanical effects degrade calendar and cycle life in intercalation-based electrochromic and electrochemical energy storage devices. In rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, self-discharge in cathodes causes voltage and capacity loss over time. The prevailing self-discharge model centers on the diffusion of lithium ions from the electrolyte into the cathode.