Search results for "thin film"

Magnetic molecular nanostructures: Design of magnetic molecular materials as monolayers, multilayers and thin films

2007

In this paper we summarize the importance and versatility of the molecular approach in the design and development of novel magnetic molecular materials. These materials processing, in order to obtain controlled molecular structures at the nanoscale, will also be remarked.

Influence of the cyanine counter anions on a bi-layer solar cell performance

2013

ABSTRACTWe present normal and inverted solution processed bi-layer solar cells using cationic cyanine dyes as the electron donor and a fullerene as the electron acceptor. The cells exhibit high open circuit voltages up to 1 volt showing the optimal alignment of donor and acceptor energy levels. We demonstrate the large effect that cyanine dye counter ions can have on the energetics of the solar cells and how the S-shaped current density vs. voltage (J-V) curves can be avoided.

Derivatization of Plasma Polymerized Thin Films and Attachment of Biomolecules to Influence HUVEC-Cell Adhesion

2011

Synthesis and Characterization of Syndiotactic Polystyrene-Polyethylene Block Copolymer

2019

The direct synthesis of syndiotactic polystyrene-block-polyethylene copolymer (sPS-b-PE) with a diblock structure has been achieved. The synthetic strategy consists of the sequential stereocontrolled polymerization of styrene and ethylene in the presence of a single catalytic system: cyclopentadienyltitanium(IV) trichloride activated by modified methylaluminoxane (CpTiCl3/MMAO). The reaction conditions suitable for affording the partially living polymerization of these monomers were identified, and the resulting copolymer, purified from contaminant homopolymers, was fully characterized. Gel permeation chromatography coupled with two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy COSY, HSQC, and DOSY confirme…

Redox active polymers with phenothiazine moieties for nanoscale patterning via conductive scanning force microscopy

2011

Redox active polymers with phenothiazine moieties have been synthesized by Atomic Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). These novel polymers reveal bistable behaviour upon application of a bias potential above the oxidation threshold value. Using conductive Scanning Force Microscopy, two distinguishable conductivity levels were induced on a nanoscale level. These levels were related to a high conducting “On” and a low conducting “Off” state. The “On” state is generated by the oxidation of the phenothiazine side chains to form stable phenothiazine radical cations. The formation and stability of the radical sites was examined by cyclic voltammetry, electron spin resonance and optical spectr…

Relaxation processes and glass transition of confined polymer melts: A molecular dynamics simulation of 1,4-polybutadiene between graphite walls.

2017

Molecular dynamics simulations of a chemically realistic model for 1,4-polybutadiene in a thin film geometry confined by two graphite walls are presented. Previous work on melts in the bulk has shown that the model faithfully reproduces static and dynamic properties of the real material over a wide temperature range. The present work studies how these properties change due to nano-confinement. The focus is on orientational correlations observable in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and on the local intermediate incoherent neutron scattering function, Fs(qz, z, t), for distances z from the graphite walls in the range of a few nanometers. Temperatures from about 2Tg down to about 1.15Tg…

Fully Vacuum-Processed Wide Band Gap Mixed-Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

2017

Methylammonium lead mixed-halide perovskites MAPb(BrxI1–x)3 are promising materials for the preparation of tandem devices. When exposed to light, MAPb(BrxI1–x)3 segregates in iodide- and bromide-rich phases, limiting the achievable photovoltage and hence the attainable device efficiency. To date only solution-processed mixed-halide perovskites have been demonstrated. We present fully vacuum-deposited mixed-halide perovskite thin films with band gap of 1.72 and 1.87 eV, prepared by controlling the deposition rates of the different halide precursors. When used in thin-film devices, these materials lead to power conversion efficiencies of 15.9 and 10.5%, respectively, which are among the highe…

Accidental Contamination of Substrates and Polymer Films by Organic Quantum Emitters.

2019

[Image: see text] We report the observation of ubiquitous contamination of dielectric substrates and poly(methyl methacrylate) matrices by organic molecules with optical transitions in the visible spectral range. Contamination sites of individual solvent-related fluorophores in thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) constitute fluorescence hotspots with quantum emission statistics and quantum yields approaching 30% at cryogenic temperatures. Our findings not only resolve prevalent puzzles in the assignment of spectral features to various nanoemitters on bare dielectric substrates or in polymer matrices but also identify the means for the simple and cost-efficient realization of single-phot…

Economical device for measuring thickness of a thin polymer film

1994

An inexpensive device (about $2K) for thickness measurements of thin (<1 μm) polymer films has been constructed. The homogeneous film is placed on a bulk substrate and three semiconductor lasers of different wavelengths are used to measure the reflectances at normal incidence. The thickness can be deduced with typically 4–8 nm uncertainty.

Orientation of Polymer Functionalized Nanorods in Thin Films

2010

A directed self assembly of anisotropic nanostructures offers a possibility to provide unique functional materials, which are e.g., important in optoelectronic devices. We use the liquid crystalline behavior of polymer functionalized TiO2 and ZnO nanorods to apply methods well known for low molecular liquid crystals to achieve oriented thin films. Convective forces in the meniscus on a structured substrate obtain thin layers of oriented nanoparticles with a ordering parameter of S = 0.7. As another method we present the orientation of polystyrene covered ZnO nanorods under an applied electric field. The method offers a perpendicular alignment of the rods to the surface.