Synthesis of Novel Asymmetrical Tri-tert-butyl Naphthalocyanine Using Structurally Distorted Subnaphthalocyanine

A novel asymmetrical tri-tert-butyl naphthalocyanine was prepared for the first time by the condensation method and by the use of structurally distorted subnaphthalocyanine. respectively. Thr advantages of the latter method were more convenient purification and relatively higher yield.

Adsorption behavior of Fe atoms on a naphthalocyanine monolayer on Ag(111) surface

Adsorption behavior of Fe atoms on a metal-free naphthalocyanine（H2Nc） monolayer on Ag（111） surface at room temperature has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy combined with density functional theory（DFT）based calculations. We found that the Fe atoms were adsorbed on the centers of H2Nc molecules and formed Fe–H2Nc complexes at low coverage. DFT calculations show that Fe sited in the center of the molecule is the most stable configuration, in good agreement with the experimental observations. After an Fe–H2Nc complex monolayer was formed, the extra Fe atoms self-assembled to Fe clusters of uniform size and adsorbed dispersively at the interstitial positions of Fe–H2Nc complex monolayer. Therefore, the H2Nc monolayer grown on Ag（111） could be a good template to grow dispersed magnetic metal atoms and clusters at room temperature for further investigation of their magnetism-related properties.

Copper naphthalocyanine-based hole-transport material for highperformance and thermally stable perovskite solar cells

Metal phthalocyanines(MPcs) have gained considerable research attention as hole-transport materials(HTMs) in perovskite solar cells(PSCs) because of their superb stability. However, the photovoltaic performance of MPc-based HTMs in PSCs is still lagging behind their small molecule and polymeric counterparts, largely due to their relatively low hole mobility. Here, we report for the first time the application of a copper naphthalocyanine derivative(namely t Bu-Cu Nc) as a hole-transport material(HTM)in perovskite solar cells(PSCs), and systematically study its optoelectronic and photovoltaic property compared with its Cu Pc analog(t Bu-Cu Pc). Combined experiments disclose that the extension of π-conjugation from Pc to Nc core leads to not only an enhanced hole-carrier mobility associated with a stronger intermolecular interaction, but also an elevated glass transition temperature(T_g) of 252 °C. The resultant PSCs employing t Bu-Cu Nc deliver an excellent power conversion efficiency of 24.03%, which is the record efficiency reported for metal complex-based HTMs in PSCs. More importantly, the encapsulated t Bu-Cu Nc-based devices also show dramatically improved thermal stability than the devices using the well-known SpiroOMe TAD, with a T_(80)lifetime for more than 1,000 h under damp-heat stress. This study unfolds a new avenue for developing efficient and stable HTMs in PSCs.

Negative differential resistance effects induced by protonation in naphthalocyanine molecular junctions

The electronic and transport characteristics of protonated derivatives of naphthalocyanine(Nc)were investigated using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's functions.The results indicate that the protonation of external meso-N atoms of Nc preserves its planar structure and is energetically more favorable than the protonation of internal isoindole-N atoms.The protonation shifts the energy levels of system's frontier molecular orbitals closer to the Fermi level,thus creating channels for electron transport.In contrast with the semiconductor transport properties of H2Nc,its protonation products respond more sensitively to bias and exhibit negative differential resistance phenomena at specific bias.

Construction of poly-naphthalocyanine linked by [4]-radialene-like structures on silver surfaces

Cyclic-conjugated linkages between planar-macrocydic molecules contribute to the robustness of the two-dimensional (2D) polymerization and extension of π-interactions. The fabrication of such linkages in 2D polymers remains challenging. Combining scanning tunneling microscope (STM) measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate a linear polymerization of metal-free naphthalocyanine (NPc) molecules with [4]-radialene-like linkages on silver surfaces. Experimentally, by depositing NPc molecules on the Ag(110) surface and subsequent annealing up to 750 K, one-dimensional polymers are constructed along the [\(1\overline 1 0\)] direction. High-resolution STM images show a stem-leaf-like feature. STM simulations based on a linear polymer of NPc molecules linked by four-membered carbon rings, [4]-radialene-like structure, agree well with the experimental observations. DFT calculations reveal that the polymerization process includes detaching two-terminal H atoms of NPc molecules along [\(1\overline 1 0\)] direction, then bonding with a neighboring dehydrogenated NPc molecule by forming a four-membered ring. The dehydrogenation process can be promoted by on-surface impurities such as additional H atoms. Similar polymerizations have been achieved on Ag(111) surfaces in an amorphous way. Moreover, the energy gap of the NPc molecule decreases after linear polymerization, suggesting a red-shift for its optical absorption/scattering spectrum. Our study offers a new route to polymerize conjugated molecules with extended planar π-interactions.