Ultrafast photo-induced carrier dynamics of perovskite quantum dots during structural degradation.

In this study, the ultrafast photo-induced carrier dynamics of red-emitting PQDs during structural degradation was investigated using time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The spectroscopic analysis revealed how the carrier dynamics varied when PQDs were exposed to a polar solvent. Three decay modes (carrier trapping, radiative carrier recombination and trap-assisted non-radiative recombination) were proposed to analyze the carrier dynamics of PQDs. The light-emitting property of PQDs is primarily influenced by radiative carrier recombination. This study demonstrates that structural degradation induced halide migration within PQDs and the formation of defects within the crystal lattice, leading to a proliferation of carrier trapping states. The increased trap states led to a reduction in carriers undergoing radiative carrier recombination. Additionally, PQDs degradation accelerated radiative carrier recombination, indicating a faster escape of carriers from excited states. Consequently, these factors hinder carriers remaining in excited states, leading to a decline in the light-emitting property of PQDs. Nevertheless, increasing an excitation fluence could reduce the carrier trapping mode and increase the radiative carrier recombination mode, suggesting a diminishment of the impact of carrier trapping. These findings offer a more comprehensive understanding of structural degradation of PQDs and can contribute to the development of PQDs with high structural stability.

Disordered-Layer-Mediated Reverse Metal-Oxide Interactions for Enhanced Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

In heterogeneous catalysts, metal-oxide interactions occur spontaneously but often in an undesired way leading to the oxidation of metal nanoparticles. Manipulating such interactions to produce highly active surface of metal nanoparticles can warrant the optimal catalytic activity but has not been established to date. Here we report that a prior reduced TiO2 support can reverse the interaction with Pt nanoparticles and augment the metallic state of Pt, exhibiting a 3-fold increase in hydrogen production rate compared to that of conventional Pt/TiO2. Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy of the Ti valence state and the electron density distribution within Pt nanoparticles provide direct evidence supporting that the Pt/TiO2/H2O triple junctions are the most active catalytic sites for water reduction. Our reverse metal-oxide interaction scheme provides a breakthrough in the stagnated hydrogen production efficiency and can be applied to other heterogeneous catalyst systems composed of metal nanoparticles with reducible oxide supports.

Determination of complex dielectric function of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite cubic colloidal quantum dots by modified iterative matrix inversion method.

Recent advances in lead halide perovskite quantum dots appeal with their potential in various optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaics, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers. However, lack of information on the intrinsic optical properties of lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) lags the progress in device performances and further development in various applications. In this letter, the complex dielectric function of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite cubic colloidal QDs was determined from the UV-Vis absorption by using a modified iterative matrix inversion (IMI) method. The modified IMI method takes into account the dilute solution with cubic inclusions, while the conventional method only considers spherical or elliptical inclusions by Maxwell-Garnett (MG) effective medium theory. In addition, singly subtractive Kramer Kronig (SSKK) relations have also been considered to compensate for possible errors arising from the finite wavelength range of the experimental absorption data.

Multiple Heterojunction in Single Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Novel Metal-Free Photocatalysis.

Despite a longstanding controversy surrounding TiO2 materials, TiO2 polymorphs with heterojunctions composed of anatase and rutile outperform individual polymorphs because of the type-II energetic band alignment at the heterojunction interface. Improvement in photocatalysis has also been achieved via black TiO2 with a thin disorder layer surrounding ordered TiO2. However, localization of this disorder layer in a conventional single TiO2 nanoparticle with the heterojunction composed of anatase and rutile has remained a big challenge. Here, we report the selective positioning of a disorder layer of controlled thicknesses between the anatase and rutile phases by a conceptually different synthetic route to access highly efficient novel metal-free photocatalysis for H2 production. The presence of a localized disorder layer within a single TiO2 nanoparticle was confirmed for the first time by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy and inline electron holography. Multiple heterojunctions in single TiO2 nanoparticles composed of crystalline anatase/disordered rutile/ordered rutile layers give the nanoparticles superior electron/hole separation efficiency and novel metal-free surface reactivity, which concomitantly yields an H2 production rate that is ∼11-times higher than that of Pt-decorated conventional anatase and rutile single heterojunction TiO2 systems.

Fluorescent Molecular Rotors for Viscosity Sensors.

Fluorescent molecular rotors (FMRs) can act as viscosity sensors in various media including subcellular organelles and microfluidic channels. In FMRs, the rotation of rotators connected to a fluorescent π-conjugated bridge is suppressed by increasing environmental viscosity, resulting in increasing fluorescence (FL) intensity. In this minireview, we describe recently developed FMRs including push-pull type π-conjugated chromophores, meso-phenyl (borondipyrromethene) (BODIPY) derivatives, dioxaborine derivatives, cyanine derivatives, and porphyrin derivatives whose FL mechanism is viscosity-responsive. In addition, FMR design strategies for addressing various issues (e.g., obtaining high FL contrast, internal FL references, and FL intensity-contrast trade-off) and their biological and microfluidic applications are also discussed.

Molecular Viscosity Sensors with Two Rotators for Optimizing the Fluorescence Intensity-Contrast Trade-Off.

A series of fluorescent molecular rotors obtained by introducing two rotational groups ("rotators"), which exhibit different rotational and electron-donating abilities, are discussed. Whereas the control molecular rotor, PH, includes a single rotator (the widely used phenyl group), the PO molecular rotors consist of two rotators (a phenyl group and an alkoxy group), which exhibit simultaneous strongly electron-donating and easy rotational abilities. Compared with the control rotor PH, PO molecular rotors exhibited one order of magnitude higher quantum yield (fluorescence intensity) and simultaneously exhibited significantly higher fluorescence contrast. These properties are directly related to the strong electron-donating ability and low energy barrier of rotation of the alkoxy group, as confirmed by dynamic fluorescence experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The PO molecular rotors exhibited two fluorescence relaxation pathways, whereas the PH molecular rotor exhibited a single fluorescence relaxation pathway. Cellular fluorescence imaging with PO molecular rotors for mapping cellular viscosity was successfully demonstrated.

Defect-Induced Epitaxial Growth for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production.

Epitaxial growth suffers from the mismatches in lattice and dangling bonds arising from different crystal structures or unit cell parameters. Here, we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of 2D MoS2 ribbon on 1D CdS nanowires (NWs) via surface and subsurface defects. The interstitial Cd0 in the (12̅10) crystal plane of the [0001]-oriented CdS NWs are found to serve as nucleation sites for interatomically bonded [001]-oriented MoS2, where the perfect lattice match (∼99.7%) between the (101̅1) plane of CdS and the (002)-faceted in-plane MoS2 result in coaxial MoS2 ribbon/CdS NWs heterojunction. The coaxial but heterotropic epitaxial MoS2 ribbon on the surface of CdS NWs induces delocalized interface states that facilitate charge transport and the reduced surface state. A less than 5-fold ribbon width of MoS2 as hydrogen evolution cocatalyst exhibits a ∼10-fold H2 evolution enhancement than state of the art Pt in an acidic electrolyte, and apparent quantum yields of 79.7% at 420 nm, 53.1% at 450 nm, and 9.67% at 520 nm, respectively.

Highly emissive 'frozen-in' conjugated polymer nanofibers.

Conjugated-polymer nanofibers with a thermodynamically stable, coarsened, disordered structure in an amorphous glassy state were fabricated via a freeze-drying method using a poly(diphenylacetylene) derivative. The nanofibers were extremely emissive, with a fluorescence (FL) quantum yield of approximately 0.34, which was much higher than that of both the cast film (0.02) and the solution (0.21). Similarly, the amplitude-weighted average FL lifetime of the nanofibers was 0.74 ns, which was much longer than that of the film (0.29 ns) and the solution (0.57 ns). This unusual and enhanced FL-emission behavior was attributed to the abruptly quenched chain structure that was created by the freeze-drying process. The polymer chains in the nanofibers remained frozen-in and the side phenyl rings were retained in a relaxed state. The metastable chains did not undergo vibrational relaxation and collisional quenching to generate the radiative emission decay effectively.

pH-Responsive assembly of metal nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes by diblock copolymer micelles.

Hybrid assemblies consisting of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and fluorophores are quite interesting because the intrinsic properties of fluorophores can be engineered in the assembled structure. In this regard, we utilized the self-segregation properties of block copolymer micelles to organize metal NPs and fluorophores simultaneously in a specific arrangement. From the viewpoint of assembly methods, we first encapsulated Au NPs in the PS cores of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-PAA) micelles. Then, positively charged fluorescent dyes of rhodamine 123 (R123) were bound to the negatively charged PAA coronas by electrostatic interactions. Since carboxylic acid in the PAA block is a weak acid, the degree of R123 binding to PS-PAA micelles can be adjusted by varying the pH of the solution. Therefore, by changing the pH, we were able to control the assembly and disassembly of R123 molecules to PS-PAA micelles and the corresponding change in the fluorescence signal.

GaP-ZnS pseudobinary alloy nanowires.

Multicomponent nanowires (NWs) are of great interest for integrated nanoscale optoelectronic devices owing to their widely tunable band gaps. In this study, we synthesize a series of (GaP)(1-x)(ZnS)(x) (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) pseudobinary alloy NWs using the vapor transport method. Compositional tuning results in the phase evolution from the zinc blende (ZB) (x < 0.4) to the wurtzite (WZ) phase (x > 0.7). A coexistence of ZB and WZ phases (x = 0.4-0.7) is also observed. In the intermediate phase coexistence range, a core-shell structure is produced with a composition of x = 0.4 and 0.7 for the core and shell, respectively. The band gap (2.4-3.7 eV) increases nonlinearly with increasing x, showing a significant bowing phenomenon. The phase evolution leads to enhanced photoluminescence emission. Strikingly, the photoluminescence spectrum shows a blue-shift (70 meV for x = 0.9) with increasing excitation power, and a wavelength-dependent decay time. Based on the photoluminescence data, we propose a type-II pseudobinary heterojunction band structure for the single-crystalline WZ phase ZnS-rich NWs. The slight incorporation of GaP into the ZnS induces a higher photocurrent and excellent photocurrent stability, which opens up a new strategy for enhancing the performance of photodetectors.

Electroluminescence from graphene quantum dots prepared by amidative cutting of tattered graphite.

Size-controlled graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are prepared via amidative cutting of tattered graphite. The power of this method is that the size of the GQDs could be varied from 2 to over 10 nm by simply regulating the amine concentration. The energy gaps in such GQDs are narrowed down with increasing their size, showing colorful photoluminescence from blue to brown. We also reveal the roles of defect sites in photoluminescence, developing long-wavelength emission and reducing exciton lifetime. To assess the viability of the present method, organic light-emitting diodes employing our GQDs as a dopant are first demonstrated with the thorough studies in their energy levels. This is to our best knowledge the first meaningful report on the electroluminescence of GQDs, successfully rendering white light with the external quantum efficiency of ca. 0.1%.

Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of geometrically hindered cis-tris(diphenylaminofluorene) as precursors to light-emitting devices.

A novel highly luminescent tris-fluorenyl ring-interconnected chromophore tris(DPAF-C9) was synthesized using a C3 symmetrical triaminobenzene core as the synthon. This structure bears three light-harvesting 2-diphenylamino-9,9-dialkylfluorenyl (DPAF) ring moieties with each attached by two branched 3',5',5'-trimethylhexyl (C9) arms. A major stereoisomer was chromatographically isolated and characterized to possess a 3D structural configuration of cis-conformer in a cup-form. Molecular calculation at B3LYP/6-31G* level revealed the unexpected stability of this cis-cup-conformer of tris(DPAF-C9) better than that of the stereoisomer in a propeller-form and the trans-conformer. The structural geometry is proposed to be capable of minimizing the aggregation related self-quenching effect in the condensed phase. Fluorescence emission wavelength of tris(DPAF-C9) was found to be in a close range to that of PVK that led to its potential uses as the secondary blue hole-transporting material for enhancing the device property toward the modulation of PLED performance.

How to improve the structural stabilities of halide perovskite quantum dots: review of various strategies to enhance the structural stabilities of halide perovskite quantum dots.

Halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for various optoelectronic devices because of their excellent optical and electrical properties. In particular, halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have garnered considerable attention as emissive materials for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) because of their higher color purities and photoluminescence quantum yields compared to conventional inorganic quantum dots (CdSe, ZnSe, ZnS, etc.). However, PQDs exhibit poor structural stabilities in response to external stimuli (moisture, heat, etc.) owing to their inherent ionic nature. This review presents recent research trends and insights into improving the structural stabilities of PQDs. In addition, the origins of the poor structural stabilities of PQDs and various methods to overcome this drawback are discussed. The structural degradation of PQDs is mainly caused by two mechanisms: (1) defect formation on the surface of the PQDs by ligand dissociation (i.e., detachment of weakly bound ligands from the surface of PQDs), and (2) vacancy formation by halide migration in the lattices of the PQDs due to the low migration energy of halide ions. The structural stabilities of PQDs can be improved through four methods: (1) ligand modification, (2) core-shell structure, (3) crosslinking, and (4) metal doping, all of which are presented in detail herein. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the structural stabilities and opto-electrical properties of PQDs and is expected to contribute to future research on improving the device performance of perovskite quantum dot LEDs (PeLEDs).

Intrinsic photocurrent characteristics of graphene photodetectors passivated with Al2O3.

The intrinsic photo-response of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene photodetectors were investigated after eliminating the influence of photodesorption using an atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 passivation layer. A general model describing the intrinsic photocurrent generation in a graphene is developed using the relationship between the device dimensions and the level of intrinsic photocurrent under UV illumination.

Transition of proton energy scaling using an ultrathin target irradiated by linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulses.

Particle acceleration using ultraintense, ultrashort laser pulses is one of the most attractive topics in relativistic laser-plasma research. We report proton and/or ion acceleration in the intensity range of 5×10(19) to 3.3×10(20) W/cm2 by irradiating linearly polarized, 30-fs laser pulses on 10-to 100-nm-thick polymer targets. The proton energy scaling with respect to the intensity and target thickness is examined, and a maximum proton energy of 45 MeV is obtained when a 10-nm-thick target is irradiated by a laser intensity of 3.3×10(20) W/cm2. The proton acceleration is explained by a hybrid acceleration mechanism including target normal sheath acceleration, radiation pressure acceleration, and Coulomb explosion assisted-free expansion. The transition of proton energy scaling from I(1/2) to I is observed as a consequence of the hybrid acceleration mechanism. The experimental results are supported by two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.

Optically active conjugated polymer from solvent chirality transfer polymerization in monoterpenes.

Disubstituted acetylene monomers [1,2-diphenylacetylenes (DPAs: DPA-pC1, DPA-mC1, DPA-pC8); 1-phenyl-2-hexylacetylene (PHA-pC1)] are tested for asymmetric polymerization in chiral monoterpenes used as solvents and compared with the corresponding monosubstituted acetylene monomer [1-phenylacetylene (PA-pC1)]. DPA-pC1 containing a trimethylsilyl group in the para-position of the phenyl ring produces an optically active polymer with a large Cotton effect, despite the absence of a stereogenic center. The polymer sample obtained by polymerization in 87% ee (-)-α-pinene shows the strongest CD signal (gCD value at 385 nm: ∼3.2 × 10⁻³). The Cotton bands of the polymers obtained in (-)- and (+)-α-pinenes show the opposite sign in the CD signals. Theoretical calculations show that only the cis-cisoid model adopts a helical conformation. A time-correlated single photon counting experiment shows that the emission of the chiral polymer originates from a virtually single excited species with a 98% component fraction. This polymer solution does not show any significant decrease in gCD value over a wide temperature range of 20 to 80 °C. No noticeable decrease in the gCD value is detected when the polymer solution is kept at relatively low temperatures for a prolonged period (35 d). In contrast, the other polymers show no CD signal.

Isoindigo-based small molecules for high-performance solution-processed organic photovoltaic devices: the electron donating effect of the donor group on photo-physical properties and device performance.

Five solution processable isoindigo-based donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) small molecules with different electron donating strengths have been designed and synthesized. The variation in the electron donating strength of the donor group strongly affected the optical, thermal, electrochemical and photovoltaic device performances of the isoindigo organic materials. The highest power conversion efficiency of ~3.2% was achieved in the bulk heterojunction photovoltaic device consisting of ID3T as the donor and PC70BM as the acceptor. This work demonstrates the potential of isoindigo moieties as electron-deficient units and presents guidelines for the synthesis of D-A-D small molecules for producing highly efficient, solution-processed organic photovoltaic devices.

Reusable, Ultrasensitive, Patterned Conjugated Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complex Film with a Wide Detection Range for Copper Ion Detection.

Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) are emerging as promising materials in the sensor field because they enable high-sensitivity detection of various substances in aqueous media. However, most CPE-based sensors have serious problems in real-world application because the sensor system is operated only when the CPE is dissolved in aqueous media. Here, the fabrication and performance of a water-swellable (WS) CPE-based sensor driven in the solid state are demonstrated. The WS CPE films are prepared by immersing a water-soluble CPE film in cationic surfactants of different alkyl chain lengths in a chloroform solution. The prepared film exhibits rapid, limited water swellability despite the absence of chemical crosslinking. The water swellability of the film enables the highly sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+ in water. The fluorescence quenching constant and the detection limit of the film are 7.24 × 106 L mol-1 and 4.38 nM (0.278 ppb), respectively. Moreover, the film is reusable via a facile treatment. Furthermore, various fluorescent patterns introduced by different surfactants are successfully fabricated by a simple stamping method. By integrating the patterns, Cu2+ detection in a wide concentration range (nM-mM) can be achieved.

Sequential structural degradation of red perovskite quantum dots and its prevention by introducing iodide at a stable gradient concentration into the core-shell red perovskite quantum dots.

Perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have been extensively studied as emissive materials for next-generation optoelectronics due to their outstanding optical properties; however, their structural instabilities, specifically those of red perovskite QDs, are critical obstacles in realizing operationally reliable perovskite QD-based optoelectronic devices. Accordingly, herein, we investigated the sequential degradation mechanism of red perovskite QDs upon their exposure to an electric field. Via electrical and chemical characterization, we demonstrated that degradation occurred in the following order: anion-defect-assisted halide migration, cation-defect-assisted migration of I-/Cs+ ions, defective gradient I ion distribution, structural distortion, and ion transport/I2 vaporization with defect proliferation. Among these steps, the defective gradient I ion distribution is the key process in the structural degradation of perovskite QDs. Based on our findings, we designed perovskite/SiO2 core-shell QDs with stable gradient I concentrations. Most notably, the operational stabilities of perovskite QD-light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) fabricated using the perovskite/SiO2 core-shell QDs were approximately 5000 times those of the PeLEDs constructed using pristine perovskite QDs.

Remarkable change in fluorescence emission of poly(diphenylacetylene) film via in situ desilylation reaction: correlation with variations in microporous structure, chain conformation, and lamellar layer distance.

Fluorescence (FL) emission properties, microporous structures, energy-minimized chain conformations, and lamellar layer structures of the silicon-containing poly(diphenylacetylene) derivative of p-PTMSDPA before and after desilylation were investigated. The nitrogen-adsorption isotherms of p-PTMSDPA film before and after desilylation were typical of type I, indicating microporous structures. The BET surface area and pore volume of the p-PTMSDPA film were significantly reduced after the desilylation reaction, simultaneously, its FL emission intensity remarkably decreased. The theoretical calculation on both model compounds of p-PTMSDPA and its desilylated polymer, PDPA, showed a remarkable difference in chain conformation: The side phenyl rings of p-PTMSDPA are discontinuously arranged in a zig-zag pattern, while the PDPA is continuously coiled in a helical manner. The lamellar layer distance (LLD) in the p-PTMSDPA film significantly decreased after the desilylation reaction.