Tuning the type of charge carriers in N-heterocyclic carbene-based molecular junctions through electrodes

Designing tunable molecular devices with different charge carriers in single-molecule junctions is crucial to the nextgeneration electronic technology.Recently,it has been demonstrated that the type of charge carriers depends on and can be tuned by controlling the molecular length and the number of interfacial covalent bonds.In this study,we show that the type of charge carriers can also be tuned by controlling the material and shape of electrodes.N-heterocyclic carbenes(NHCs)have attracted attention because of their ability to form strong,substitutional inert bonds in a variety of metals.Also,NHCs are more stable than the widely used thiol group.Therefore,we use electrodes to tune the type of charge carriers in a series of NHCs with different side groups.The ab initio calculations based on non-equilibrium Green’s formalism combined with density functional theory show that the dominant charge carrier switches from electrons to holes when gold electrodes are changed into platinum ones.The nature of the charge carriers can be identified by variations in the transport spectra at the Fermi level(EF),which are caused by the side groups.The projections of transport spectra onto the central molecules further validate our inferences.In addition,the transmission coefficient at EF is found to be dependent on the atomic interface structure.In particular,for the NHC without methyl or ethyl side groups,connecting a protruding atom on the electrode surface significantly enhances the transportability of both electrode materials.Overall,this study presents an effective approach to modifying transport properties,which has potential applications in designing functional molecular devices based on NHCs.

Modulating charge carriers in carbon dots toward efficient solar-to-energy conversion

Growing attention to the development of sustainable solar-to-energy conversion applications has resulted in the synthesis of promising and environment-friendly nanomaterials as energy harvesters.Among various carbon nanomaterials,carbon dots(CDs)have received significant attention due to their excellent light absorption capability,broad absorption region,and superior photostability with enormous potential for solar energy applications.Therefore,utilizing and modulating the charge carriers generated from CDs is critical for achieving a high energy conversion efficiency of CDs.Herein,we focus on the distinct characteristics of CDs as energy converters from charge excitation to charge separation and transfer for various solar-to-energy applications,including photovoltaic cells,photocatalysts,and photoelectrocatalysts.We anticipate that this review will offer insight into the synthesis and design of novel nanocomposites with a fundamental analysis of the photochemical properties and future development of energy conversion devices.

A review of halide charge carriers for rocking-chair and dual-ion batteries

This review discusses how halide ion species have been used as charge carriers in both anion rocking-chair and dual-ion battery(DIB)systems.The anion rocking-chair batteries based on fluoride and chloride have emerged over the past decade and are garnering increased research interest due to their large theoretical energy density values and the natural abundance of halide-containing materials.Moreover,DIBs that use halide species as their anionic charge carrier are seen as one of the promising next-generation battery technologies due to their low cost and high working potentials.Although numerous polyatomic anions have been studied as charge carriers,the use of single halide ions(i.e.,F−and Cl−)and metal-based superhalides(e.g.,[MgCl_(3)]−)as anionic charge carriers in DIBs has been considerably less explored.Herein,we provide an overview of some of the key advances and recent progress that has been made with regard to halide ion charge carriers in electrochemical energy storage.We offer our perspectives on the current state of the field and provide a roadmap in hopes that it helps researchers toward making new advances in these promising and emerging areas.

Amplitude-mode spectroscopy of chemically injected and photogenerated charge carriers in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

In one-dimensional semiconductors such as conjugated polymers and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes(s-SWCNTs),injected charge carriers(electrons or holes)can have profound impacts on both electronic conductivity and optical spectra,even at low carrier densities.Understanding charge-related spectral features is a key fundamental challenge with important technological implications.Here,we employ a systematic suite of experimental and theoretical tools to understand the mid-infrared charge signatures of heavily p-type doped polymer-wrapped s-SWCNTs.Across a broad range of nanotube diameters,we find that hole charge carriers induce strong Fano anti-resonances in mid-infrared transmission spectra that correspond to defect-related(D-band)and in-plane tangential(G-band)Raman-active vibrational modes,along with antiresonances arising from infrared(IR)-active polymer and SWCNT modes.We employ^(13)C isotope-labeled s-SWCNTs and a removable wrapping polymer to clarify the relative intensities,energies,and sources of all observed anti-resonances.Simulations performed with the“amplitude mode model”are used to quantitatively reproduce Raman spectra and also help to explain the outsized intensity of the D-band anti-resonance,relative to the G-band,observed for both moderately and degenerately doped s-SWCNTs.The results provide a framework for future studies of ground-and excited-state charge carriers in s-SWCNTs and a variety of low-dimensional materials.

Significantly influenced photocatalytic performance for H_(2)O_(2)generation over ultrathin g-C_(3)N_(4)through regulating the migration orientation of photogenerated charge carriers

H_(2)O_(2)has been widely applied in the fields of chemical synthesis,medical sterilization,pollutant removal,etc.,due to its strong oxidizing property and the avoidable secondary pollution.Despite of the enhanced performance for H_(2)O_(2)generation over g-C_(3)N_(4)semiconductors through promoting the separation of photo-generated charge carriers,the effect of migration orientation of charge carriers is still ambiguous.For this emotion,surface modification of g-C_(3)N_(4)was employed to adjust the migration orientation of charge carriers,in order to investigate systematically its effect on the performance of H_(2)O_(2)generation.It was found that ultrathin g-C_(3)N_(4)(UCN)modified by boron nitride(BN),as an effective hole-attract agent,demonstrated a significantly enhanced performance.Particularly,for the optimum UCN/BN-40%catalyst,4.0-fold higher yield of H_(2)O_(2)was obtained in comparison with the pristine UCN.As comparison,UCN modified by carbon dust demonstrated a completely opposite tendency.The remarkably improved performance over UCN/BN was ascribed to the fact that more photo-generated electrons were remained inside of triazine structure of g-C_(3)N_(4),leading to the formation of larger amount of 1,4-endoxide.It is anticipated that our work could provide new insights for the design of photocatalyst with significantly improved performance for H_(2)O_(2)generation.

Quantitative measurement of the charge carrier concentration using dielectric force microscopy

The charge carrier concentration profile is a critical factor that determines semiconducting material properties and device performance.Dielectric force microscopy(DFM)has been previously developed to map charge carrier concentrations with nanometer-scale spatial resolution.However,it is challenging to quantitatively obtain the charge carrier concentration,since the dielectric force is also affected by the mobility.Here,we quantitative measured the charge carrier concentration at the saturation mobility regime via the rectification effect-dependent gating ratio of DFM.By measuring a series of n-type GaAs and GaN thin films with mobility in the saturation regime,we confirmed the decreased DFM-measured gating ratio with increasing electron concentration.Combined with numerical simulation to calibrate the tip–sample geometry-induced systematic error,the quantitative correlation between the DFM-measured gating ratio and the electron concentration has been established,where the extracted electron concentration presents high accuracy in the range of 4×10^(16)–1×10^(18)cm^(-3).We expect the quantitative DFM to find broad applications in characterizing the charge carrier transport properties of various semiconducting materials and devices.

Polymer Fiber Rigid Network with High Glass Transition Temperature Reinforces Stability of Organic Photovoltaics

Organic photovoltaics(OPVs)need to overcome limitations such as insufficient thermal stability to be commercialized.The reported approaches to improve stability either rely on the development of new materials or on tailoring the donor/acceptor morphology,however,exhibiting limited applicability.Therefore,it is timely to develop an easy method to enhance thermal stability without having to develop new donor/acceptor materials or donor–acceptor compatibilizers,or by introducing another third component.Herein,a unique approach is presented,based on constructing a polymer fiber rigid network with a high glass transition temperature(T_(g))to impede the movement of acceptor and donor molecules,to immobilize the active layer morphology,and thereby to improve thermal stability.A high-T_(g) one-dimensional aramid nanofiber(ANF)is utilized for network construction.Inverted OPVs with ANF network yield superior thermal stability compared to the ANF-free counterpart.The ANF network-incorporated active layer demonstrates significantly more stable morphology than the ANF-free counterpart,thereby leaving fundamental processes such as charge separation,transport,and collection,determining the device efficiency,largely unaltered.This strategy is also successfully applied to other photovoltaic systems.The strategy of incorporating a polymer fiber rigid network with high T_(g) offers a distinct perspective addressing the challenge of thermal instability with simplicity and universality.

Significant Enhancement in Built-in Potential and Charge Carrier Collection of Organic Solar Cells using 4-（5-hexylthiophene-2-yl）-2,6-bis（5- trifluoromethyl）thiophen-2-yl）pyridine as a Cathode Buffer Layer

An electron transporting material of TFTTP （4-（5-hexylthiophene-2-yl）-2,6-bis（5-trifluoromethyl）thiophen-2-yl）pyridine） was investigated as a cathode buffer layer to enhance the power efficiency of organic solar cells （OSCs） based on subphthalocyanine and C60. The overall power conversion efficiency was increased by a factor of 1.31 by inserting the TFTTP interfacial layer between the active layer and metallic cathode. The inner mechanism responsible for the performance enhancement of OSCs was systematically studied with the simulation of dark diode behavior and optical field distribution inside the devices as well as the characterization of device photocurrent. The results showed that the TFTTP layer could significantly increase the built-in potential in the devices, leading to the enhanced dissociation of charge transfer excitons. In addition, by using TFTTP as the buffer layer, a better Ohmic contact at C60/metal interface was formed, facilitating more efficient free charge carrier collection.

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and Their Charge Carrier Mobilities in Field-Effect Transistors

Two-dimensional(2D) materials have attracted extensive interest due to their excellent electrical, thermal,mechanical, and optical properties. Graphene has been one of the most explored 2D materials. However, its zero band gap has limited its applications in electronic devices. Transition metal dichalcogenide(TMDC), another kind of 2D material,has a nonzero direct band gap(same charge carrier momentum in valence and conduction band) at monolayer state,promising for the efficient switching devices(e.g., field-effect transistors). This review mainly focuses on the recent advances in charge carrier mobility and the challenges to achieve high mobility in the electronic devices based on 2DTMDC materials and also includes an introduction of 2D materials along with the synthesis techniques. Finally, this review describes the possible methodology and future prospective to enhance the charge carrier mobility for electronic devices.

First-principles hybrid functional study of the electronic structure and charge carrier mobility in perovskite CH_3NH_3SnI_3

We calculate the electronic properties and carrier mobility of perovskite CH3NH3SnI3as a solar cell absorber by using the hybrid functional method. The calculated result shows that the electron and hole mobilities have anisotropies with a large magnitude of 1.4 × 104cm2·V-1·s-1along the y direction. In view of the huge difference between hole and electron mobilities, the perovskite CH3NH3 Sn I3can be considered as a p-type semiconductor. We also discover a relationship between the effective mass anisotropy and electronic occupation anisotropy. The above results can provide reliable guidance for its experimental applications in electronics and optoelectronics.

Pressure-Induced Charge-Order Melting and Reentrant Charge Carrier Localization in the Mixed-Valent Pb3Rh7O15

The mixed-valent Pb3Rh7O15 undergoes a Verwey-type transition at Tv≈180K, below which the development of Rh3＋3＋/Rh4＋4＋ charge order induces an abrupt conductor-to-insulator transition in resistivity. Here we investigate the effect of pressure on the Verwey-type transition of Pb3Rh7O15 by measuring its electrical resistivity under hydrostatic pressures up to 8GPa with a cubic anvil cell apparatus. We find that the application of high pressure can suppress the Verwey-type transition around 3GPa, above which a metallic state is realized at temperatures below ～70K, suggesting the melting of charge order by pressure. Interestingly, the low-temperature metallic region shrinks gradually upon further increasing pressure and disappears completely at P〉7GPa, which indicates that the charge carriers in Pb3Rh7O15 undergo a reentrant localization under higher pressures. We have constructed a temperature-pressure phase diagram for Pb3Rh7O15 and compared to that of Fe3O4, showing an archetype Verwey transition.

Charge carrier dynamics in different crystal phases of CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3)perovskite

Despite that organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have attracted enormous scientific attention for energy conversion applications over the recent years,the influence of temperature and the type of the employed hole transport layer(HTL)on the charge carrier dynamics and recombination processes in perovskite photovoltaic devices is still largely unexplored.In particular,significant knowledge is missing on how these crucial parameters for radiative and non-radiative recombinations,as well as for efficient charge extraction vary among different perovskite crystalline phases that are induced by temperature variation.Herein,we perform micro photoluminescence(pPL)and ultrafast time resolved transient absorption spectroscopy(TAS)in Glass/Perovskite and two dierent Glass/ITO/HTL/Perovskite configurations at temperatures below room temperature,in order to probe the charge carrier dynamics of different perovskite crystalline phases,while considering also the effect of the employed HTL polymer.Namely,CH_(3)NH_(3)Pbb films were deposited on Glass,PEDOT:PSS and PTAA polymers,and the developed Glass/CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3)and Glass/ITO/HTL/CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3)architectures were studied from 85 K up to 215 K in order to explore the charge extraction dynamics of the CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3)orthorhombic and tetragonal crystalline phases.It is observed an unusual blueshift of the bandgap with temperature and the dual emission at temperature below of 100 K and also,that the charge carrier dynamics,as expressed by hole injection times and free carrier recombination rates,are strongly depended on the actual pervoskite crystal phase,as well as,from the selected hole transport material.

Effect of Residual Charge Carrier on the Performance of a Graphene Field Effect Transistor

The temperature-dependent effect of residual charge carrier （no）, at the Dirac point, on mobility is studied. We fabricate and characterize a graphene field effect transistor （GFET） using 7nm TiO2 as the top-gate dielectric. The temperature-dependent gate voltage-drain current and room temperature gate capacitance are measured to extract the carrier mobility and to estimate the quantum capacitance of the GFET. The device shows the mobility value of gOO cm^2 /V.s at room temperature and it decreases to 45 cm^2 /V.s for 20 K due to the increase of n0. These results indicate that the phonon scattering is not the dominant process for the unevenness dielectric layer while the coulomb scattering by charged impurities degrades the device characteristically at low temperature.

Pressure Effects on the Charge Carrier Transportation of BaF_2 Nanocrystals

The charge transport behavior of barium fluoride nanocrystals is investigated by in situ impedance measurement up to 35 GPa. It is found that the parameters change discontinuously at about 6.9 GPa, corresponding to the phase transition of BaF2 nanocrystals under high pressure. The charge carriers in BaF2 nanocrystals include both Fions and electrons. Pressure makes the electronic transport more difficult. The defects at grains dominate the electronic transport process. Pressure could make the charge-discharge processes in the Fm3m phase more difficult.

Intrinsic Mechanisms of Morphological Engineering and Carbon Doping for Improved Photocatalysis of 2D/2D Carbon Nitride Van Der Waals Heterojunction

Van der Waals(VDW)heterojunctions in a 2D/2D contact provide the highest area for the separation and transfer of charge carriers.In this work,a top-down strategy with a gas erosion process was employed to fabricate a 2D/2D carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))with carbon-rich carbon nitride.The created 2D semiconducting channel in the VDW structure exhibits enhanced electric field exposure and radiation absorption,which facilitates the separation of the charge carriers and their mobility.Consequently,compared with bulk g-C_(3)N_(4)and its nanosheets,the photocatalytic performance of the fabricated carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in the water splitting reaction to hydrogen is improved by 8.6 and 3.3 times,respectively,while maintaining satisfactory photo-stability.Mechanistically,the finite element method(FEM)was employed to evaluate and clarify the contributions of the formation of VDW heterojunction to enhanced photocatalysis,in agreement quantitatively with experimental ones.This study provides a new and effective strategy for the modification and more insights to performance improvement on polymeric semiconductors in photocatalysis and energy conversion.

State-of-the-art advances in vacancy defect engineering of graphitic carbon nitride for solar water splitting

Developing low-cost,efficient,and stable photocatalysts is one of the most promising methods for large-scale solar water splitting.As a metal-free semiconductor material with suitable band gap,graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))has attracted attention in the field of photocatalysis,which is mainly attributed to its fascinating physicochemical and photoelectronic properties.However,several inherent limitations and shortcomings—involving high recombination rate of photocarriers,insufficient reaction kinetics,and optical absorption—impede the practical applicability of g-C_(3)N_(4).As an effective strategy,vacancy defect engineering has been widely used for breaking through the current limitations,considering its ability to optimize the electronic structure and surface morphology of g-C_(3)N_(4) to obtain the desired photocatalytic activity.This review summarizes the recent progress of vacancy defect engineered g-C_(3)N_(4) for solar water splitting.The fundamentals of solar water splitting with g-C_(3)N_(4) are discussed first.We then focus on the fabrication strategies and effect of vacancy generated in g-C_(3)N_(4).The advances of vacancy-modified g-C_(3)N_(4) photocatalysts toward solar water splitting are discussed next.Finally,the current challenges and future opportunities of vacancy-modified g-C_(3)N_(4) are summarized.This review aims to provide a theoretical basis and guidance for future research on the design and development of highly efficient defective g-C_(3)N_(4).

Exploring photogenerated charge carrier transfer in semiconductor/metal junctions using Kelvin probe force microscopy

Semiconductor/metal junctions are widely discussed in photocatalysis.However,there is a notable scarcity of systematic studies focusing on photogenerated charge carrier transfer in such junctions.Herein,CdS/Pt,CdS/Au,and CdS/Ag are synthesized to serve as model systems for investigating the charge carrier transfer in semiconductor/metal junctions.Kelvin probe force microscopy is employed to visualize the transfer of photogenerated carriers in these materials.The results show that the electron transfer behavior under illumination is related to the conduction band position of CdS and the Fermi level position of the metal.Moreover,Schottky junctions hinder the transfer of photogenerated electrons from CdS to Pt and Au,whereas ohmic contacts facilitate the transfer of photogenerated electrons from CdS to Ag.This work provides novel insights into the mechanisms governing the transfer of photogenerated carriers in semiconductor/metal junctions.

Highly selective and efficient photocatalytic NO removal:Charge carrier kinetics and interface molecular process

The widespread nitrogen oxides(NOx,mainly in NO)in the atmosphere have threatened human health and ecological environment.The dilute NO(ppb)is difficult to efficiently remove via the traditional process due to its characteristics of low concentration,wide range,large total amount,etc.Photocatalysis can utilize solar energy to purify NO pollutants under mild conditions,but its application is limited due to the low selectivity of nitrate and poor activity of NO removal.The underlying reason is that the interface mechanism of NO oxidation is not clearly understood,which leads to the inability to accurately regulate the NO oxidation process.Herein,the recent advances in the photocatalytic oxidation of NO are summarized.Firstly,the common strategies to effectively regulate carrier dynamics such as morphology control,facet engineering,defect engineering,plasma coupling,heterojunction and single-atom catalysts are discussed.Secondly,the progress of enhancing the adsorption and activation of reactants such as NO and O_(2) during NO oxidation is described in detail,and the corresponding NO oxidation mechanisms are enumerated.Finally,the challenges and prospects of photocatalytic NO oxidation are presented in term of nanotechnology for air pollution control.This review can shed light on the interface mechanism of NO oxidation and provide illuminating information on designing novel catalysts for efficient NOx control.

Thiazoloisoindigo-based Polymer Semiconductors: Synthesis,Structure-Property Relationship, Charge Carrier Polarity, and Field-Effect Transistor Performance

Developing new polymeric semiconductors with excellent device performance is essential for organic electronics. Herein, we synthesized two new thiazoloisoindigo(Tz II)-based polymers, namely, P(Tz II-d Th-d Th) and P(Tz II-d Th-d Tz), by copolymerizing thiophene-flanked Tz II with bithiophene and bithiazole, respectively. Owing to the more electron-deficient nature of bithiazole than bithiophene, P(Tz II-d Th-d Tz)possesses deeper LUMO/HOMO levels of-3.45/-5.47 e V than P(Tz II-d Th-d Th)(-3.34/-5.32 e V). The organic field-effect transistor(OFET) devices based on P(Tz II-d Th-d Th) exhibited p-type behaviors with an average hole mobility value as high as 1.43 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1), while P(Tz II-d Th-d Tz)showed typical ambipolar characteristics with average hole and electron mobilities of 0.38 and 0.56 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1). In addition, we compared the performances of both polymers with other Tz II-based polymers reported in our previous work, and showed that the charge carrier polarity can be manipulated by adjusting the number of the thiophene units between the acceptor unit. As the increase of the number of thiophene rings,charge carrier polarity shifts from electron-dominated ambipolar transport to hole-dominated ambipolar transport and then to unipolar hole transport in OFETs, which provides an effective molecular design strategy for further optimization of polymer OFET performance.

Influence of Recombination Centers on the Phase Portraits in Nanosized Semiconductor Films

Influence of recombination centers’ changes on the form of phase portraits has been studied. It has been shown that the shape of the phase portraits depends on the concentration of semiconductor materials’ recombination centers.