Microwave-Assisted Non-aqueous and Low-Temperature Synthesis of Titania and Niobium-Doped Titania Nanocrystals and Their Application in Halide Perovskite Solar Cells as Electron Transport Layers.

Undoped and Nb-doped TiO nanocrystals are prepared by a microwave-assisted non-aqueous sol-gel method based on a slow alkyl chloride elimination reaction between metal chlorides and benzyl alcohol. Sub-4 nm nanoparticles are grown under microwave irradiation at 80 °C in only 3 h with precise control of growth parameters and yield. The obtained nanocrystals could be conveniently used to cast compact TiO or Nb-doped TiO electron transport layers for application in formamidinium lead iodide-based photovoltaic devices.

Mixed-Metal Cu-Zn Thiocyanate Coordination Polymers with Melting Behavior, Glass Transition, and Tunable Electronic Properties.

The solid-state mechanochemical reactions under ambient conditions of CuSCN and Zn(SCN) resulted in two novel materials: partially Zn-substituted α-CuSCN and a new phase CuZn(SCN). The reactions take place at the labile S-terminal, and both products show melting and glass transition behaviors. The optical band gap and solid-state ionization potential can be adjusted systematically by adjusting the Cu/Zn ratio.

Processable UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework Fluid Gel and Electrical Conductivity of Its Nanofilm with Sub-100 nm Thickness.

Zr-based UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF) is one of the most studied MOFs with a wide range of potential applications. While UiO-66 is typically synthesized as a microcrystalline solid, we employ a particle downsizing strategy to synthesize UiO-66 as fluid gel with unique rheological properties, which allows the solution-based processing as sub-100 nm films and enhances the electrical conductivity of its pristine structure. Film thicknesses ranging from 40 to 150 nm could be achieved by controlling the spin-coating parameters.