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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Donor–acceptor polymers with tunable infrared photoresponse

Donor–acceptor (DA) conjugated polymers provide an important platform for the development of solution-processed optoelectronic devices. The complex interrelation between electronic properties and conformational disorder in these materials complicates the identification of design guidelines to control the bandgap at low energies, limiting the design of new optoelectronic and device functionalities. Here, we demonstrate that DA polymers comprised of exocyclic olefin substituted cyclopentadithiophene donors, in combination with conventional electron acceptors, display very narrow optical bandgaps (1.2 > E opt g > 0.7 eV) and primary photoexcitations extending into the shortwave infrared. Theoretical calculations reveal fundamental structure–property relationships toward bandgap and energy level control in these spectral regions. Bulk heterojunction photodiodes fabricated using these new materials demonstrate a detectivity (D*) of > 10 11 Jones within a spectral range of 0.6–1.43 μm and measurable D* to 1.8 μm, the longest reported to date for conjugated polymer based systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Two-dimensional van der Waals heterojunctions for functional materials and devices

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, phosphorene, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), graphitic zinc oxide (g-ZnO) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs, e.g., MoS2), have already attracted extensive attention due to their outstanding properties and wide range of applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. In particular, 2D van der Waals heterojunctions combining the electronic structures of such 2D materials have also been predicted theoretically and synthesized experimentally to expect more new properties (e.g., bandgap opening in graphene, semiconductor band alignment, charge transfer and new optical absorption) and potential applications (e.g., solar cells, field-effect transistors (FFTs), PN junctions, PN diodes and photodetectors) far beyond corresponding 2D materials. This review focuses on recent theoretical works about 2D van der Waals heterojunctions especially for functional materials and devices such as photovoltaic solar cells (phosphorene/MoS2 and edge-modified phosphorene nanoflake based heterojunctions), Schottky and Ohmic contacts (graphene/MoS2 based heterojunctions), PN junctions (graphene/g-ZnO based heterojunctions) and supercapacitors (graphene/h-BN based heterojunctions). These theoretical simulations and designs of 2D van der Waals heterojunctions provide a promising direction for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices in experiments.

Hu, Wei↗
DOE OSTI2018

Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions

Control over the conformation and packing of conjugated materials is an unsolved problem that prevents the rational design of organic optoelectronics, such as preventing self-quenching of luminescent molecules. Exacerbating this challenge is a general lack of widely applicable strategies for controlling packing with discrete, directional non-covalent interactions. Here, we present a series of conjugated molecules with diverse backbones of three or four arenes that feature pentafluorobenzyl ester substituents. Nearly all the compounds reveal intramolecular stacking interactions between the fluoroarene (ArF) side-chains and non-fluorinated arenes (ArH) in the middle of the chromophores; a twisted PE linkage accompanies each example of this intramolecular ArF–ArH stacking. Furthermore, these molecules can resist dramatic changes to emission upon transition from organic solution to thin film when ArF rings prevent interchromophore interactions. By broadening the structural space of conjugated backbones over which ArF–ArH stacking can twist PE linkages reliably and prevent self-quenching of solids with simple synthetic approaches, this work suggests fluorinated benzyl ester substituents adjacent to phenylene ethynylene linkages as supramolecular synthons for the crystal engineering of organic optoelectronic materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Influence of organic cation planarity on structural templating in hybrid metal-halides

Controlling the connectivity and topology of solids is a versatile way to target desired physical properties. This is especially relevant in the realm of hybrid halide semiconductors, where the long-range connectivity of the inorganic substructural unit can lead to significant changes in optoelectronic properties such as photoluminescence, charge transport, and absorption. We present a new series of hybrid metal-halide semiconductors, (phenH 2 )BiI 5 ·H 2 O, (2,2-bpyH 2 )BiI 5 , (BrbpyH)BiI 4 ·H 2 O, (phenH 2 ) 2 Pb 3 I 10 ·2H 2 O, and (2,2-bpyH 2 ) 2 Pb 3 I 10 where (phenH 2 ) 2+ = 1,10-phenanthroline-1,10-diium, (2,2-bpyH 2 ) 2+ = 2,2'-bipyridine-1,1'-diium and (BrbpyH) + = 6,6'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridium. These compounds allow us to observe how the planarity of the cation, induced either through structural modification in the case of (phenH 2 ) 2+ or through non-covalent interactions in (BrbpyH) + , both relative to (2,2-bpyH 2 ) 2+ , modifies the inorganic substructural unit. While the Pb 2+ series of compounds show minimal changes in inorganic connectivity, we observe large differences in the Bi 3+ series, ranging from 0-D dimers to corner- and edge-sharing 1-D chains of octahedra. We find that compounds containing (phenH 2 ) 2+ and (BrbpyH) + pack more efficiently than those with (2,2-bpyH 2 ) 2+ due to their retention of planarity leading to greater inorganic connectivity. Electronic structure calculations and optical diffuse reflectance reveal that the band gaps of these compounds are influenced by the degree of inorganic connectivity and the inorganic substructural unit distances. These results show that the structure and planarity of organic cations can directly influence both the inorganic connectivity and the optical properties that could be tuned for certain optoelectronic applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Zn 2 SbN 3</sub : growth and characterization of a metastable photoactive semiconductor

Ternary nitride semiconductors with wurtzite-derived crystal structure is an emerging class of materials for optoelectronic applications compatible with GaN and related III-V compounds. In particular, II-IV-V 2 materials such as ZnSnN 2 and ZnGeN 2 have been very actively studied for applications in photovoltaic and light emitting devices. However, many other possible wurtzite-derived ternary nitrides have not been reported, and hence their optical and electrical properties remain unknown. Here, we report on Zn 2 SbN 3 - the first Sb-based nitride and a photoactive semiconductor. Surprisingly, Zn 2 SbN 3 contains Sb in the highest (+5) oxidation state with unusual tetrahedral coordination. This new Zn 2 SbN 3 material has a solar-matched 1.6-1.7 eV band gap and shows near-band-edge room-temperature photoluminescence, demonstrating its promise as an optoelectronic semiconductor. Finally, Zn 2 SbN 3 can be synthesized at low temperature in a wide range of processing conditions, despite being metastable according to theoretical calculations. All these results, as well as the band position measurements, indicate that Zn 2 SbN 3 is a promising emerging semiconductor for applications as an absorber in photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical solar cells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Energy-distinguishable bipolar UV photoelectron injection from LiCl-promoted FAPbCl 3 perovskite nanorods

High-performance optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes, have been fabricated with lead halide perovskites owing to their superior carrier properties. However, charge transport in such optoelectronics is intrinsically directional due to the existence of p–n junctions, which thus lacks the potential to elucidate any perturbations in light or electricity during energy conversion. Here, with the presence of a LiCl additive in a formamidinium chloride (FACl) solution, the as-grown LiCl:FAPbCl 3 nanorods demonstrate greatly enhanced crystallinity and UV photoresponse as compared to pristine FAPbCl 3 nanostructures without the LiCl additive. Most importantly, the LiCl:FAPbCl 3 nanorod film exhibits unprecedented distinguishability to UV photons with different energies and oscillating intensities, in the form of bipolar and periodically oscillatory photocurrents. Furthermore, this work could advance the fundamental understanding of photoinduced carrier processes in halide perovskites and facilitate the development of novel UV-based optical communications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lineshape characterization of excitons in monolayer WS 2 by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

The optical properties of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), an important family of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors for optoelectronic applications, are dominated by two excitons A (XA) and B (XB) located at K/K's valleys. The lineshape of the excitons is an indicator of the interaction of the excitons with other particles and also largely determines the performance of TMDC-based optoelectronic devices. In this work, we apply 2D electronic spectroscopy (2DES), which enables separation of the intrinsic homogeneous linewidth and the extrinsic inhomogeneous linewidth, to dissect the lineshape of XA in monolayer WS 2 . With a home-built broadband optical parametric amplifier, the 2D spectra give the exciton linewidth values for extensive ranges of excitation densities and temperatures, reflecting inter-exciton and exciton–phonon interactions. Meanwhile, the time-domain evolution of the lineshape reveals a similar rate of spectral diffusion to that in quantum wells (QWs) based on III–V semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tunable electrochromic behavior of titanium-based MXenes

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides, popular by the name MXenes, are a promising class of materials as they exhibit intriguing optical, optoelectronic and electrochemical properties. Taking advantage of their metallic conductivity and hydrophilicity, titanium carbide MXenes (Ti 3 C 2 T x and others) are used to fabricate solution processable transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) for the design of three-electrode electrochromic cells. However, the tunable electrochromic behavior of various titanium-based MXene compositions across the entire visible spectrum has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we investigate the intrinsic electrochromic properties of titanium-based MXenes, Ti 3 C 2 T x , Ti 3 CNT x , Ti 2 CT x , and Ti 1.6 Nb 0.4 CT x , where individual MXenes serve as a transparent conducting, electrochromic, and plasmonic material layer. Plasmonic extinction bands for Ti 3 C 2 T x , Ti 2 CT x and Ti 1.6 Nb 0.4 CT x are centered at 800, 550 and 480 nm, which are electrochemically tunable to 630, 470 and 410 nm, respectively, whereas Ti 3 CNT x shows a reversible change in transmittance in the wide visible range. Additionally, the switching rates of MXene electrodes with no additional transparent conductor electrodes are estimated and correlated with the respective electrical figure of merit values. This work demonstrates that MXene-based electrochromic cells are tunable in the entire visible spectrum and suggests the potential of the MXene family of materials in optoelectronic, plasmonic, and photonic applications, such as tunable visible optical filters and modulators, to name a few.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Crystal structure and luminescence properties of lead-free metal halides (C 6 H 5 CH 2 NH 3 ) 3 MBr 6 (M = Bi and Sb)

Organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides have received extensive attention owing to their versatile structures and optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report two lead-free metal halides, (PMA) 3 BiBr 6 and (PMA) 3 SbBr 6 [PMA + : (C 6 H 5 CH 2 NH 3 ) + , as the abbreviation of phenylmethylammonium], which possess iso-structural zero-dimensional structures and crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /c. (PMA) 3 BiBr 6 and (PMA) 3 SbBr 6 exhibit optical band gaps of ~3.50 and 3.40 eV, respectively, and density functional theory calculations reveal their indirect bandgap behaviors. Upon 350 and 425 nm excitation, (PMA) 3 BiBr 6 and (PMA) 3 SbBr 6 exhibit broadband emission peaking at 510 nm and 625 nm with wide full-widths at half-maximum of ~153 and 175 nm, respectively. The emission mechanism of the metal halides is attributed to self-trapped exciton emission. The relationship between the crystal structure and luminescence intensity is also discussed. Lastly, both metal halides have high decomposition temperatures and are stable for long-term storage under ambient conditions, demonstrating their potential for optoelectronic applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Layered structures of assembled imine-linked macrocycles and two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks give rise to prolonged exciton lifetimes

Ordered organic materials and assemblies have great potential to be tailored to have desirable properties for optoelectronic applications, such as long exciton lifetime and high directional exciton mobility. Framework materials, such as two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs), as well as their truncated macrocyclic analogues, are versatile platforms to organize functional aromatic systems into designed assemblies and robust materials. In this study we investigate the exciton dynamics in a 2D COF, its corresponding hexagonal macrocycle, and extended nanotubes comprised of stacked macrocycles. The excitonic behavior of these three systems provide an understanding of excitonic processes that occur in the plane of the covalently bonded 2D macromolecules and between layers of the nanotubes and 2D COF. The nanotube and analogous 2D COF exhibit longer excited-state lifetimes (~100 ps) compared to the individual, solvated macrocycles (<0.5 ps). These differences are attributed to the internal conversion facilitated by the internal motions of the imine linkages which are significantly reduced in the assembled macrocycles in the nanotube and 2D COF sheets in the layered structures. The exciton diffusion processes in the assembled nanotubes and 2D COF systems were characterized by the autocorrelations of the transition dipole moment of the excitons, giving the depolarization time constants for both systems to be ~1 ps. This work also reveals the anisotropic exciton dynamics related to the in-plane and inter-plane structural factors in these systems. These studies provide guidance for the design of future COF materials, where the longer excited state lifetimes imparted by assembly are beneficial for optoelectronic applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exciton-vibrational dynamics induces efficient self-trapping in a substituted nanoring

Cycloparaphenylenes, being the smallest segments of carbon nanotubes, have emerged as prototypes of the simplest carbon nanohoops. Their unique structure–dynamics–optical properties relationships have motivated a wide variety of synthesis of new related nanohoop species. Studies of how chemical changes, introduced in these new materials, lead to systems with new structural, dynamics and optical properties, expand their functionalities for optoelectronics applications. Herein, we study the effect that conjugation extension of a cycloparaphenylene through the introduction of a satellite tetraphenyl substitution has on its structural and dynamical properties. Our non-adiabatic excited state molecular dynamics simulations suggest that this substitution accelerates the electronic relaxation from the high-energy band to the lowest excited state. This is partially due to efficient conjugation achieved between specific phenyl units as introduced by the tetraphenyl substitution. We observe a particular exciton redistribution during relaxation, in which the tetraphenyl substitution plays a significant role. As a result, an efficient inter-band energy transfer takes place. Besides, the observed phonon-exciton interplay induces a significant exciton self-trapping. Finally, our results encourage and guide the future studies of new phenyl substitutions in carbon nanorings with desired optoelectronic properties.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Role of tilt grain boundaries on the structural integrity of WSe 2 monolayers

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are potential materials for future optoelectronic devices. Grain boundaries (GBs) can significantly influence the optoelectronic properties of TMDC materials. Here, we have investigated the mechanical characteristics of tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) monolayers and failure process with symmetric tilt GBs using ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, the effects of topological defects, loading rates, and temperatures are investigated. We considered nine different grain boundary structures of monolayer WSe 2 , of which six are armchair (AC) tilt structures, and the remaining three are zigzag (ZZ) tilt structures. Our results indicate that both tensile strength and fracture strain of WSe 2 with symmetric tilt GBs decrease as the temperature increases. We revealed an interfacial phase transition for high-angle GBs reduces the elastic strain energy within the interface at finite temperatures. Furthermore, brittle cracking is the dominant failure mode in the WSe 2 monolayer with tilted GBs. WSe 2 GB structures showed more strain rate sensitivity at high temperatures than at low temperatures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Impact of processing conditions on the film formation of lead-free halide double perovskite Cs 2 AgBiBr 6

Lead-free halide double perovskites with enhanced stability have gained attention as a promising environmentally friendly alternative to lead-based halide perovskites. Amongst different halide double perovskites, Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 has shown attractive optoelectronic properties and stability, making it a promising candidate for stable high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. Motivated by a data mining effort, we present here in this study the effects of different processing strategies on the microstructure and thin-film formation dynamics of Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 . We apply some of the most successfully used solvent engineering approaches from the halide perovskite research to halide double perovskites, namely antisolvent- and additive-assisted synthesis. Using in situ spectroscopy and diffraction, the film formation of Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 is investigated during spin coating, and the subsequent post-deposition thermal annealing. Dropping antisolvents during spin coating induces immediate supersaturation and crystallization of the wet film, whereas the time of dropping the antisolvent has implications on the film formation dynamics and the final microstructure. For additive (HBr)-assisted synthesis, we show how the addition of HBr affects colloid formation in solution and thus influences the crystallization pathway during thin-film processing. Finally, HBr additive simplifies synthesis in that it doesn't require solution and substrate preheating to obtain pinhole-free films even with higher thickness.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultrafast transient absorption measurements of photocarrier dynamics in PdSe 2

We investigate the photocarrier dynamics in bulk PdSe 2 , a layered transition metal dichalcogenide with a novel pentagonal structure and unique electronic and optical properties. Using femtosecond transient absorption microscopy, we study the behavior of photocarriers in mechanically exfoliated bulk PdSe 2 flakes at room temperature. By employing a 400 nm ultrafast laser pulse, electron–hole pairs are generated, and their dynamics are probed using an 800 nm detection pulse. Our findings reveal that the lifetime of photocarriers in bulk PdSe 2 is approximately 210 ps. Furthermore, by spatially resolving the differential reflection signal, we determine a photocarrier diffusion coefficient of about 7.3 cm 2 s –1 . Based on these results, we estimate a diffusion length of around 400 nm and a photocarrier mobility of approximately 300 cm 2 V –1 s –1 . Furthermore, these results shed light on the ultrafast optoelectronic properties of PdSe 2 , offer valuable insights into photocarriers in this emerging material, and enable design of high-performance optoelectronic devices based on PdSe 2 .

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Alkali element (Li, Na, K, and Rb) doping of Cu 2 BaGe 1– x Sn x Se 4 films

Cu 2 BaGe 1–x Sn x Se 4 (CBGTSe) represents an exemplary system within the I 2 –II–IV–X 4 (I = Ag, Cu; II = Sr, Ba; IV = Ge, Sn; X = S, Se) family, which has been introduced to target suppressing the formation of anti-site defects and associated defect clusters within the analogous kesterite Cu 2 ZnSn(S,Se) 4 . Previous studies on CBGTSe films showed relatively low hole carrier densities (<10 13 cm –3 ), which may limit their corresponding application as active layers within photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and optoelectronic devices. In the current study, we explore the incorporation of alkali elements (Li, Na, K, and Rb) into CBGTSe films as prospective dopants to address the low hole carrier density and to allow for property tunability. First, incorporation of Na-, K-, and Rb-dopants noticeably increases the average grain sizes for CBGTSe films, while the Li-dopant has relatively limited impact. In addition, the alkali-dopants lead to a 1 to 3 orders of magnitude increase in hole carrier density (up to 10 15 cm –3 is achieved using K doping, corresponding to the alkali element yielding the highest doping efficiency). Here, the alkali-doped films show slightly lower minority carrier lifetimes and carrier mobility values than the non-doped samples, and these values are found to follow an approximate universal dependence with carrier density (also considering data derived from other previously explored vacuum-deposited I 2 –II–IV–X 4 chalcogenide films). As alkali-doping can significantly increase carrier densities, alkali elements can be considered useful p-type dopants for CBGTSe, as well as prospectively for other analogous I 2 –II–IV–X 4 systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

The impact of stacking and phonon environment on energy transfer in organic chromophores: computational insights

Energy transfer in organic materials is extensively studied due to many applications in optoelectronics. The electronic and vibrational relaxations within molecular assemblies can be influenced by stacking arrangements or additions of a backbone that unites them. Here, we present the computational study of the photoexcitation dynamics of a perylene diimide monomer, and face-to-face stacked dimer and trimer. By using non-Energy transfer in organic materials is extensively studied due to many applications in optoelectronics. The electronic and vibrational relaxations within molecular assemblies can be influenced by stacking arrangements or additions of a backbone that unites them. In this work, we present the computational study of the photoexcitation dynamics of a perylene diimide monomer, and face-to-face stacked dimer and trimer. By using non-adiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the non-radiative relaxation is accelerated with the number of stacked molecules. This effect is explained by differences in the energy splitting between states that impacts their corresponding nonadiabatic couplings. Additionally, our analysis of the vibronic dynamics reveals that the passage through the different conical intersections that participate in the relaxation of the stacked systems, activate a positive feedback mechanism. This effect involves a narrow set of vibrational normal modes that accelerate the process by increasing the efficiency of its vibronic dynamics. In contrast, an addition of a biologically inspired backbone slows down the relaxation rate due to its participation in the vibronic dynamics of the molecular stacking arrangements. Our results suggest the stacking arrangements and common backbones as strategies to modulate the efficiency of electronic and vibrational relaxation of diimide-based systems and other molecular aggregates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

A type-I van der Waals heterostructure formed by monolayer WS 2 and trilayer PdSe 2

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures, formed by stacking 2D semiconductors through the van der Waals force, have been extensively studied recently. However, the majority of the heterostructures discovered so far possess type-II interfaces that facilitate interlayer charge separation. Type-I interfaces, on the other hand, confine both electrons and holes in one layer, which is beneficial for optical applications that utilize electron–hole radiative recombination. So far, only a few type-I 2D heterostructures have been achieved, which has limited the construction of multilayer heterostructures with sophisticated band landscapes. Here, we report experimental evidence of a type-I interface between monolayer WS 2 and trilayer PdSe 2 . Two-dimensional PdSe 2 has emerged as a promising material for infrared optoelectronic and other applications. We fabricated the heterostructure by stacking an exfoliated monolayer WS 2 flake on top of a trilayer PdSe 2 film, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. Photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements revealed that the WS 2 exciton peak is significantly quenched in the heterostructure, confirming efficient excitation transfer from WS 2 to PdSe 2 . Femtosecond transient absorption measurements with various pump/probe configurations showed that both electrons and holes photoexcited in the WS 2 layer of the heterostructure can efficiently transfer to PdSe 2 , while neither type of carriers excited in PdSe 2 can transfer to WS 2 . These experimental findings establish a type-I band alignment between monolayer WS 2 and trilayer PdSe 2 . Furthermore, our results further highlight PdSe 2 as an important 2D material for constructing van der Waals heterostructures with emergent electronic and optoelectronic properties.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗