Functional templates for hybrid materials with orthogonal functionality.

We demonstrate an integrated approach to prepare a nanostructured, multifunctional material with mutually exclusive, orthogonal properties. The hybrid material was obtained within a single step via self-assembly in solution. It consists of TiO(2) as a functional metal oxide and an amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(triphenylamine) (PEO-PTPA). Within the materials' synthesis, the block copolymer not only acts as a templating agent but also adds an electronic functionality to the resulting hybrid material. During the synthesis, a variety of self-assembled morphologies, ranging from spheres to wires, can be created. The obtained morphology depends on the weight fraction of the polymer, solvent, TiO(2), and acid (HNO(3)). When films on silicon wafers are studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a ternary phase diagram could be mapped, whereas the crystallinity of TiO(2) could be proved by high-resolution TEM. Different morphologies of this self-assembled hybrid material were tested for solar cell application. Even for devices with layer thicknesses of the active material below 10 nm, power conversion efficiencies up to 0.15% at 1 sun and 1.5 AM were observed.

Exciton diffusion controlled quantum efficiency in hybrid dye sensitized solar cells.

Well-ordered and uniform titania nanoparticle arrays were synthesized using diblock copolymers as structure directing agents. High molecular weight copolymers of polystyrene-b-polyethylene oxide and poly(methylmethacrylate)-b-polyethylene oxide were used to control the distance between titania nanoparticles in the range of 20-60 nm. Using these titania nanoparticle arrays and regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene), models for a dye sensitized photovoltaic cell were assembled, in which the interparticle spacing was systematically varied. In these simplified solar cells, the titania nanocrystals were surrounded by a continuous regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) phase. The spacing between the titania nanoparticles was chosen as to provide enough space for the hole transfer material-regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)-to assemble as pi stacks. The external quantum efficiency showed a clear dependence on the distance between titania nanoparticles and reached 12% at an excitation wavelength of 515 nm in the best case. This demonstrates that the regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) phase acts as the locus of excition generation while the dye layer prevents charge recombination at the heterointerface. Thus control of the exciton diffusion is a key issue for present solid-state dye sensitized solar cells.

Templated organic and hybrid materials for optoelectronic applications.

The review highlights different approaches to template organic materials as well as hybrid materials that find or are expected to find application in optoelectronic devices. The first templating approach focuses on the use of preformed nanoporous membranes as templates for organic materials and polymeric materials. Such nanoporous templates can be track-etched membranes, anodic aluminum oxide membranes and other variants thereof, or block copolymer templates. Further, opals have been described as templates. In the second part, we have summarized developments that take advantage of self-assembly processes to pattern hybrid materials. Examples are sol-gel templating techniques using amphiphiles, evaporation-induced self-assembly, lyotropic templating as well as templating from block copolymers. Both routes are very promising templating approaches for optoelectronic materials and represent complementary rather than competing techniques.

Surface coatings based on polysilsesquioxanes: solution-processible smooth hole-injection layers for optoelectronic applications.

Optoelectronic devices usually consist of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) as one electrode. Interfacial engineering between the TCO electrode and the overlying organic layers is an important method for tuning device performance. We introduce poly(methylsilsesquioxane)-poly(N,N-di-4-methylphenylamino styrene) (PMSSQ-PTPA) as a potential hole-injection layer forming material. Spin-coating and thermally induced crosslinking resulted in an effective planarization of the anode interface. HOMO level (-5.6 eV) and hole mobility (1 × 10(-6) cm(2) · Vs(-1) ) of the film on ITO substrates were measured by cyclovoltammetry and time-of-flight measurement demonstrating the hole injection capability of the layer. Adhesion and stability for further multilayer built-up could be demonstrated. Contact angle measurements and tape tests after several solvent treatments proved the outstanding film stability.