Computational Design of High-χ Block Oligomers for Accessing 1 nm Domains.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to design a series of high-χ block oligomers (HCBOs) that can self-assemble into a variety of mesophases with domain sizes as small as 1 nm. The exploration of these oligomers with various chain lengths, volume fractions, and chain architectures at multiple temperatures reveals the presence of ordered lamellae, perforated lamellae, and hexagonally packed cylinders. The achieved periods are as small as 3.0 and 2.1 nm for lamellae and cylinders, respectively, which correspond to polar domains of approximately 1 nm. Interestingly, the detailed phase behavior of these oligomers is distinct from that of either solvent-free surfactants or block polymers. The simulations reveal that the behavior of these HCBOs is a product of an interplay between both "surfactant factors" (headgroup interactions, chain flexibility, and interfacial curvature) and "block polymer factors" (χ, chain length N, and volume fraction f). This insight promotes the understanding of molecular features pivotal for mesophase formation at the sub-5 nm length scale, which facilitates the design of HCBOs tailored toward particular desired morphologies.

Axially Bound Ruthenium Phthalocyanine Monolayers on Indium Tin Oxide: Structure, Energetics, and Charge Transfer Properties.

The efficiency of charge collection at the organic/transparent conducting oxide (TCO) interface in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices affects overall device efficiency. Modifying the TCO with an electrochemically active molecule may enhance OPV efficiency by providing a charge-transfer pathway between the electrode and the organic active layer, and may also mitigate surface recombination. The synthesis and characterization of phosphonic acid-ruthenium phthalocyanine (RuPcPA) monolayer films on indium tin oxide (ITO), designed to facilitate charge harvesting at ITO electrodes, is presented in this work. The PA group was installed axially relative to the Pc plane so that upon deposition, RuPcPA molecules were preferentially aligned with the ITO surface plane. The tilt angle of 22° between the normal axes to the Pc plane and the ITO surface plane, measured by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, is consistent with a predominately in-plane orientation. The effect of surface roughness on RuPcPA orientation was modeled, and a correlation was obtained between experimental and theoretical mean tilt angles. Based on electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies, RuPcPA monolayers are composed predominately of monomers. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potential modulated-ATR (PM-ATR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the electron-transfer (ET) kinetics of these monolayers. A rate constant of 4.0 × 103 s-1 was measured using EIS, consistent with a short tunneling distance between the chromophore and the electrode surface. Using PM-ATR, ks,opt values of 2.2 × 103 and 2.4 × 103 s-1 were measured using TE and TM polarized light, respectively; the similarity of these values is consistent with a narrow molecular orientation distribution and narrow range of tunneling distances. The ionization potential of RuPcPA-modified ITO was measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and the results indicate favorable energetics for hole collection at the RuPcPA/ITO interface, indicating that this type of TCO modification may be useful for enhancing charge collection efficiency in OPV devices.

Poly(cyclohexylethylene)-block-Poly(lactide) Oligomers for Ultrasmall Nanopatterning Using Atomic Layer Deposition.

Poly(cyclohexylethylene)-block-poly(lactide) (PCHE-PLA) block polymers were synthesized through a combination of anionic polymerization, heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation and controlled ring-opening polymerization. Ordered thin films of PCHE-PLA with ultrasmall hexagonally packed cylinders oriented perpendicularly to the substrate surface were prepared by spin-coating and subsequent solvent vapor annealing for use in two distinct templating strategies. In one approach, selective hydrolytic degradation of the PLA domains generated nanoporous PCHE templates with an average pore diameter of 5 ± 1 nm corroborated by atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. Alternatively, sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) was employed to deposit Al2O3 selectively into the PLA domains of PCHE-PLA thin films. A combination of argon ion milling and O2 reactive ion etching (RIE) enabled the replication of the Al2O3 nanoarray from the PCHE-PLA template on diverse substrates including silicon and gold with feature diameters less than 10 nm.

Electron-Transfer Processes in Zinc Phthalocyanine-Phosphonic Acid Monolayers on ITO: Characterization of Orientation and Charge-Transfer Kinetics by Waveguide Spectroelectrochemistry.

Using a monolayer of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPcPA) tethered to indium tin oxide (ITO) as a model for the donor/transparent conducting oxide (TCO) interface in organic photovoltaics (OPVs), we demonstrate the relationship between molecular orientation and charge-transfer rates using spectroscopic, electrochemical, and spectroelectrochemical methods. Both monomeric and aggregated forms of the phthalocyanine (Pc) are observed in ZnPcPA monolayers. Potential-modulated attenuated total reflectance (PM-ATR) measurements show that the monomeric subpopulation undergoes oxidation/reduction with ks,app = 2 × 10(2) s(-1), independent of Pc orientation. For the aggregated ZnPcPA, faster orientation-dependent charge-transfer rates are observed. For in-plane-oriented Pc aggregates, ks,app = 2 × 10(3) s(-1), whereas for upright Pc aggregates, ks,app = 7 × 10(2) s(-1). The rates for the aggregates are comparable to those required for redox-active interlayer films at the hole-collection contact in organic solar cells.

Phosphonic acid functionalized asymmetric phthalocyanines: synthesis, modification of indium tin oxide, and charge transfer.

Metalated and free-base A(3)B-type asymmetric phthalocyanines (Pcs) bearing, in the asymmetric quadrant, a flexible alkyl linker of varying chain lengths terminating in a phosphonic acid (PA) group have been synthesized. Two parallel series of asymmetric Pc derivatives bearing aryloxy and arylthio substituents are reported, and their synthesis and characterization through NMR, combustion analysis, and MALDI-MS are described. We also demonstrate the modification of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates using the PA functionalized asymmetric Pc derivatives and monitoring their electrochemistry. The PA functionalized asymmetric Pcs were anchored to the ITO surface through chemisorption and their electrochemical properties characterized using cyclic voltammetry to investigate the effects of PA structure on the thermodynamics and kinetics of charge transfer. Ionization energies of the modified ITO surfaces were measured using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy.