Polymer nanofibers: preserving nanomorphology in ternary blend organic photovoltaics.

The morphology of donor-acceptor blends holds the key to good performance through the balancing of good exciton dissociation efficiency and interconnectivity for good charge collection. In this work, the good morphology is preserved in ternary blend systems through the use of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibers. The iridium(III)-based metal complex is incorporated in P3HT-PCBM blends as a triplet exciton sensitizer in the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaics (OPV). The devices using triplet-sensitized ternary blends of P3HT experience a significant degradation in performance, a tendency further aggravated by thermal treatment. This is due to disruption in the morphology thus affecting charge generation and collection. In order to overcome these morphological issues and to circumvent the restriction due to the crystallization of the polymers, here we demonstrate the use of pre-assembled nanofibers in these ternary blends. The concept of stabilizing the nanomorphology of the blend material through the use of nanofibers can also be applied to other ternary systems.

Femtosecond single-shot imaging of nanoscale ferromagnetic order in Co/Pd multilayers using resonant x-ray holography.

We present the first single-shot images of ferromagnetic, nanoscale spin order taken with femtosecond x-ray pulses. X-ray-induced electron and spin dynamics can be outrun with pulses shorter than 80 fs in the investigated fluence regime, and no permanent aftereffects in the samples are observed below a fluence of 25 mJ/cm(2). Employing resonant spatially muliplexed x-ray holography results in a low imaging threshold of 5 mJ/cm(2). Our results open new ways to combine ultrafast laser spectroscopy with sequential snapshot imaging on a single sample, generating a movie of excited state dynamics.

Magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy--a sensitive tool for investigating the molecular orientation in organic semiconductor films.

The detection and control of the molecular growth mode is a key prerequisite for fabricating opto-electronic devices. In this work we present the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy to be a highly sensitive method for the detection of the molecular orientation. On the example of metal free phthalocyanine (H(2)Pc) in thin films, it will be shown that also for diamagnetic molecules a strong magneto-optical response can be expected. The growth mode and thus the intensity of the MOKE signal of H2Pc is strongly influenced by a templating effect using ultrathin layers of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). From the MOKE spectra in the energy range from 1.5 to 5.0 eV and the optical constants, the Voigt constant of thin organic films was determined. From the strong in-plane/out-of-plane anisotropy of the optical constants and the value of the Voigt constant the average molecular tilt angle of H2Pc molecules with respect to the substrate plane can be obtained.

How photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical studies can help understanding the magnetic properties of molecules: an example from the class of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes.

Nanometer thin films of nonsublimable multinuclear transition metal complexes were deposited on Si by means of spin coating to enable photoelectron spectroscopy studies. In combination with density functional theory calculations, photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to gain insight into the electronic and magnetic properties of the complexes.

Electronic and magnetic properties of Ni nanoparticles embedded in various organic semiconductor matrices.

Ni nanoparticles with a size distribution from 2 to 6 nm, embedded in various organic matrices, were fabricated in ultrahigh vacuum. For this purpose metal free and Ni phthalocyanine, fullerene C(60), and pentacene were coevaporated with Ni. When coevaporated, Ni and H(2)Pc react, leading to the formation of NiPc and Ni nanoparticles. The molecular structure of the matrix was found to have negligible effect on the size of the nanoparticles but to influence the magnetic anisotropy of the nanoparticles: Ni nanoparticles formed in the buckyball matrix have a cubic symmetry, while nanoparticles formed in matrices consisting of planar molecules exhibit a uniaxial symmetry. After exposure to atmosphere, photoelectron spectroscopy investigations demonstrate the presence of metallic Ni nanoparticles accompanied by Ni oxide and the existence of a charge transfer from the organic matrix to the particles in all investigated systems. The oxidized Ni nanoparticles exhibit a larger magnetic anisotropy compared to the freshly prepared particles which show superparamagnetic properties above 17 K. Moreover, photoelectron spectroscopy was used to probe the oxidation process of the Ni nanoparticles in different organic matrices. It could thus be shown that a matrix consisting of spherical molecules like C(60) prevent the particles much better from oxidation compared to matrices of flat molecules.

Transition metal induced derivatisations resulting in novel coordination behaviour of bis(oxamato) ligands.

Two mononuclear bis(oxamato) complexes with the formula [nBu4N]2[M(2,3-acbo)] (M=Ni (), Cu (), with acbo=anthra-9,10-chinone-2,3-bis(oxamato) have been synthesized starting from symmetric diethyl N,N'-anthra-9,10-chinone-2,3-bis(oxamate) (, 2,3-acboH2Et2). The crystal structures of and have been determined, verifying that the transition metal ions are eta4(kappa2N,kappa2O) coordinated by the [2,3-acbo]4- ligands. Using the asymmetric diethyl N,N'-anthra-9,10-chinone-1,2-bis(oxamate) (, 1,2-acboH2Et2) leads, under otherwise identical reaction conditions, to the novel bis(oxamato) complex [(n)Bu4N]2[Ni(1,2-acbo)] () whereby in the case of Cu(II) the derivate [nBu4N]2[Cu(aibo)2] () (aibo=anthra[1,2-d]-(imidazole-2-carboxylato)-6,11-dione) has been obtained. The crystal structures of and have been determined, displaying that the Ni(II) ion of is eta4(kappa2N,kappa2O) coordinated by the [1,2-acbo]4- ligand. The Cu(II) ion of is coordinated by two [aibo]2- ligands, giving rise to an approximately square-planar trans-bis(aibo-N,O) arrangement. Using the symmetric diethyl N,N'-4,5-dinitro-o-phenylene-bis(oxamate) (, niboH2Et2), possessing strongly electron withdrawing NO2-groups, leads under otherwise identical reaction conditions to the bis(oxamato) complex [nBu4N]2[Ni(nibo)] (), whereby in the case of Cu(II) the derivate [nBu4N]2[Cu(niqo)2] () (niqo=7,8-dinitro-2,3-quinoxalinedionato) has been obtained. The crystal structures of and have been determined, ensuring that the Ni(II) ion of is eta(4)(kappa2N,kappa2O) coordinated by the [nibo]4- ligand. The Cu(II) ion of is coordinated by four oxygen atoms of two [niqo]2- ligands, giving rise to an approximately square-planar coordination geometry.

Electron paramagnetic resonance and density-functional theory studies of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes.

In this work we present the investigation of the influence of electronic and structural variations induced by varying the N,N'-bridge on the magnetic properties of Cu(II)- bis(oxamato) complexes. For this study the complexes [Cu(opba)] (2-) ( 1, opba = o-phenylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(nabo)] (2-) ( 2, nabo = 2,3-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(acbo)] (2-) ( 3, acbo = 2,3-anthrachinone- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(pba)] (2-) ( 4, pba = propylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(obbo)] (2-) ( 5, obbo = o-benzyl- bis(oxamato)), and [Cu(npbo)] (2-) ( 6, npbo = 1,8-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), and the respective structurally isomorphic Ni(II) complexes ( 8- 13) have been prepared as ( (n)Bu 4N) (+) salts. The new complex ( (n)Bu 4N) 2[Cu(R-bnbo)].2H 2O ( 7, R-bnbo = (R)-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'- bis(oxamato)) was synthesized and is the first chiral complex in the series of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes. The molecular structure of 7 has been determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. The Cu(II) ions of the complexes 1- 7 are eta (4)(kappa (2) N, kappa (2) O) coordinated with a more or less distorted square planar geometry for 1- 6 and a distorted tetrahedral geometry for 7. Using pulsed Electron Nuclear Double Resonance on complex 6, detailed information about the relative orientation of the hyperfine ( A) and nuclear quadrupole tensors ( Q) of the coordinating nitrogens with respect to the g tensor were obtained. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance studies in the X, Q, and W-band at variable temperatures were carried out to extract g and A values of N ligands and Cu ion for 1- 7. The hyperfine values were interpreted in terms of spin population on the corresponding atoms. The obtained trends of the spin population for the monomeric building blocks were shown to correlate to the trends obtained in the dependence of the exchange interaction of the corresponding trinuclear complexes on their geometry.

Magnetic and optical properties of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes: combined quantum chemical density functional theory and vibrational spectroscopy studies.

Vibrational spectroscopies are shown to be highly sensitive to the structural modifications of paramagnetic mono- and trinuclear Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes. The vibrational bands are assigned using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy investigations for different temperatures of thin films show that the onset of superexchange interactions at low temperatures does not involve a modification of the structural parameters. The influence of packing effects, however, on the magnetic properties is significant, as demonstrated by means of DFT using the broken symmetry approach.