Researchers fabricated an electronically coupled heterostructure from a novel semiconducting 2D polymer and a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide. Dramatic optical and electronic changes emerged as polymer thickness decreased, underscoring the potential for the discovery of emergent phenomena in studies of hybrid heterostructures. Read more »
Functionalization of Benzotriazole-Based Conjugated Polymers for Solar Cells: Heteroatom vs Substituents
Understanding the structure-property relationship is important when designing new conjugated polymers for high-efficiency polymer solar cells. Rech et al. systematically explore the impact of a variety of functional groups, including nitrogen heteroatoms, fluorine substituents, and cyano groups. Read more »
Balanced Charge Transport Optimizes Industry‐Relevant Ternary Polymer Solar Cells
In this article, Szymanski et al. develop novel, cost‐effective ternary polymer solar cells printed in semi‐industrial conditions from a relatively benign ink, which do not require any further processing. These solar cells show good stability and efficiency due to balanced charge-carrier mobilities achieved by optimizing the composition and morphology. Read more »
Thermoinduced Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly of Bioinspired Block Copolymers in Aqueous Solution
Thermoinduced crystallization-driven self-assembly of polypeptoid-based block copolymers results in delicate control over the nanostructure in aqueous solution. This provides a convenient platform for comparing cellular uptake efficiency of nanostructured assemblies with various morphologies that are otherwise similar. Read more »
Long Chains Stabilize Higher-Efficiency Solar Cells
Perovskite thin films have many attractive properties for use in photovoltaics, but their assembly into practical devices has led to trade-offs between efficiency and stability. The addition of surfactant-type molecules with hydrophobic chains helped produce perovskite solar cells that are both efficient and stable. Read more »
Energetics and Energy Loss in 2D Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite Solar Cells
Qinye Bao and co‐workers systematically investigate the energetics and energy loss in 2D Ruddlesden‐Popper perovskite (RPP) solar cells. The crucial scenario found at the 2D RPP/electron transport layer interface is that the potential gradient across ligands promotes separation of the photogenerated carrier, with electrons transferring from the perovskite crystal to the electron transport layer. Read more »
Efficient Organic Solar Cell with 16.88% Efficiency Enabled by Refined Acceptor Crystallization and Morphology with Improved Charge Transfer and Transport Properties
Feng Liu and co‐workers report a detailed structure‐performance relationship to help understand the success of Y6 non‐fullerene acceptors. Through the analysis of the single crystal structure of Y6, it is found that Y6 forms a polymer‐like conjugated backbone through its banana‐shaped structure and π‐π interactions between molecules, and forms a 2D electron transport network under the ordered arrangement of the lattice. Read more »
Coordination Engineering of Single-Crystal Precursor for Phase Control in Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Solar Cells
Chaochao Qin, Alex K.-Y. Jen, Kai Yao and co-workers describe a generic guideline for fine tuning colloidal properties of 2D perovskites via coordination engineering of the single-crystal precursor solution. In nonpolar co-solvent media, the derived colloidal templates prefer to grow along the vertical direction with a narrow phase variation, elucidating the critical role of colloidal chemistry in low-dimensional perovskite solar cells. Read more »
Freeze Frame: Scientists Capture Atomic-Scale Snapshots of Artificial Proteins
Protein-like molecules called polypeptoids have great promise as precision building blocks for creating a variety of designer nanomaterials. In this study, rsearchers used cryo-EM, a technique originally designed to image proteins in solution, as well as x-ray scattering techniques, to characterize the structure of polypeptide nanosheets. Read more »
Scientists Explore Egyptian Mummy Bones With X-Rays and Infrared Light to Gain New Insight on Ancient Life
Researchers from Cairo University worked with teams at the ALS to study soil and bone samples dating back 4,000 years. The experiments are casting a new light on Egyptian soil and ancient mummified bone samples that could provide a richer understanding of daily life and environmental conditions thousands of years ago. Read more »
