Themed collection Recent Open Access Articles

The rise of n-type organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs): from materials to applications.

We review the cooling of charge carriers in metal halide perovskites for the use in hot carrier solar cells.

Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell components, materials, architectures and interfaces are comprehensively reviewed.

Recent progress in photoresponsive polymers based on three common supramolecular design strategies, namely ionic, hydrogen and halogen bonding, is reviewed.

The merging of the materials science paradigms of liquid crystals and 2D materials promises superb new opportunities for the advancement of the fields of optoelectronics and photonics. In this review, we summarise the development and applications of 2D material liquid crystals for optoelectronics and photonics.

Perspective covering carbazole-containing emitters and hosts for third generation TADF (thermally-activated delayed fluorescence) OLED technology along with computational benchmark studies.

This review addresses recent approaches for atomic layer deposition (ALD) that are closely related to the electrical properties of ultrathin SrTiO₃ and BaTiO₃ films.

[MCl₃(EⁿBu₂)₃] (M = Sb, Bi; E = Se, Te) enable CVD growth of ternary Bi₂(Se_1−xTe_x)₃ and (Bi_1−ySb_y)₂Te₃ thin films with good compositional, structural and morphological control.

Upon doping with sulfonic acids and bistriflimide the polar polythiophene p(g₄2T-T) exhibits a maximum conductivity of 120 S cm⁻¹ and can be hot-pressed into self-standing, flexible films.

A 0D perovskite-related material Cs₃Fe₂Br₉ is shown to have a low bandgap of 1.65 eV and exhibit antiferromagnetic behaviour.

A new heterocoronene-based chromophore was synthesized via a two-step reaction and showed similar photostability to perylenetetracaboxdiimides.

We report the synthesis, photophysics and application of a novel semiconducting polymer as a colour converter for high speed visible light communication.

Electronic structure calculations are used to develop design rules for enhanced electrical conductivity in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks.

Modifications in nanoscale chemical order can tune the magnetic properties of Co₂FeSi_xAl_1−x, indicating disorder as a potential engineering tool.

We report the development of indium oxide (In₂O₃) transistors via a single step laser-induced photochemical conversion process of a sol–gel metal oxide precursor.

Simply “migrating” the aromatic sextet of cata-condensed 2D PAH with the same number of fused benzene rings affords novel organic semiconductors with different properties.

Polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal in-plane switching cell.

Luminescence tuning with excellent homogeneity and steadiness of the resulting colour is guaranteed by chemical modification of fluorescent molecular liquid.

Tailored fluorescent solvatochromic test strips and smartphone read-out enable reliable quantitative detection of gasoline adulteration and on-site quality monitoring.

Anchoring a down-converting chromophore to a MOF scaffold enhances the efficiency of the resulting hybrid LED by negating aggregation-induced quenching.

Two ranges of mixed-valence manganese (Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺) SrMn_1−xSb_xO₃ solid solution and corresponding magnetic structures were described for the first time.

Modification of ligand-free polymer/CuInS₂ absorber layers led to improved solar cell performance and charge carrier lifetimes.

A volatile high molecular weight organic salt semiconductor is presented, allowing the introduction of physical vapour deposition techniques in cyanine dye salt semiconductors.

Herein, we present a general method to prepare self-standing flexible photoluminescent coatings of controlled opacity for integration into light-emitting diodes (LEDs) employing cost-effective solution-processing methods.

A new family of ionogels for electrochemical devices was developed from a mixture of multifunctional thiols, diacrylate and triethylamine in the presence of ionic liquid using Michael addition chemistry.

Electrospun fibers made of DNA semi-intercalated with a push–pull, luminescent nonlinear pyrazoline derivative are introduced as novel all-optical switches.

High-quality Ga₂O₃ films are obtained by spray pyrolysis from aqueous solutions through optimization of the solution composition and the spraying process parameters.

Ionomer (TPQPCl)/graphite nanoplatelet-coated electrodes are developed as a new sensing platform for amperometric detection of ascorbic acid.

Tris(O-ethylxanthate)bismuth(III) (1) and tris(O-ethylxanthate)antimony(III) (2) were synthesized and used as precursors for the preparation of Bi_2−2xSb_2xS₃ alloys (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) using melt reactions.

A new consistent interatomic force field for In₂O₃ and SnO₂.

This work highlights the role of PEDOT:PSS composition in determining the efficiency of coupling between ionic and electronic charges.

The first direct synthesis of pure thermochromic VO₂(M) nanoparticles with particle sizes below 50 nm by continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS).

An alternative crosslinking concept for the insulation of HVDC power cables that uses click chemistry is presented.

Hybrid fibres consisting of CdSe nanoplatelets in a polymer shell are prepared and charge carrier transport across these structures is proven photoelectrochemically.

The excited state dynamics of conjugated polymers are studied at photon fluences relevant for photovoltaic applications.

In crystals of donor–acceptor helicene molecules, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is strongly enhanced by the presence of occluded hexane molecules.

We show that the exciton transport and decay processes in two poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) based semiconducting polymers exhibit distinct temperature dependence based on the energetic disorder of the polymer.

Excimer formation in indolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazole based host materials is controlled by molecular design and the developed materials are employed in efficient red, green and blue PhOLED devices.

Colloidal materials of tin(II) sulfide (SnS), as a layered semiconductor with a narrow band gap, are emerging as a potential alternative to the more toxic metal chalcogenides (PbS, PbSe, CdS, and CdSe) for various applications such as electronic and optoelectronic devices.

The out-of-equilibrium samples show highest values of figure-of-merit, ZT_max, up to 2.1.

Tuning of photophysical properties by conformational control with dual RT phosphorescence in metal-free organic emitters.

A nanoporous material bearing a high ion density and inherent organic radical character was synthesized by a facile one-pot process, which exhibits photo-, piezo- and chemochromism, driven by the diverse electron transfer processes between the acceptor framework and different electron donors.

New complexes of Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) with Schiff bases are prepared in a one step reaction and show photophysical properties particularly interesting for applications in optical sensors.

We report results of the luminescence properties of the three garnet type phosphors Ce³⁺-doped Ca₃Sc₂Si₃O₁₂ (CSSO:Ce³⁺), Sr₃Y₂Ge₃O₁₂ (SYG:Ce³⁺) and Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG:Ce³⁺), investigated using optical spectroscopy techniques and vacuum referred binding energy (VRBE) diagram analysis.

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of Cu₃SbS₄ with fine microstructure and optimized carrier concentration by Sn-doping.

Evaporation of small molecular n-type naphthalene on spin-cast p-type poly(3-hexylthiophene) fibers for bulk-like heterojunction ambipolar field-effect transistors with balanced electron and hole transport.

Bis(dicyanomethylene)-substituted quinoidal π-conjugated systems containing a benzo[c]thiophene unit have been investigated for application as n-type semiconductors.

A technique for modifying the saturable absorption (SA) properties of 2D nanofilms and a pulse width-dependent theoretical model of SA considering interband exciton recombination have been successfully demonstrated.

A scalable CVD route to SnO₂:Sb thin films that show resistivity as low as 4.7 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm and a corresponding sheet resistance of 9 Ω sq⁻¹. Theoritical insight into the defect chemistry is provided by ab initio hybrid density functional theory.

CuO porous hollow sensing layers can be easily formed by heating Cu₂O@PNIPAM printed layers, which show faster response to relevant trace NO₂ gases than sensors produced from bare Cu₂O nanocubes.

Photosensitisation of IR luminescence from an organic erbium complex is much greater with Zn(Cl-FBTZ)₂ than with Zn(FBTZ)₂.

The stability of perovskite solar cells towards moisture and humidity is improved by using C18 capped MAPI nanocrystals at the interface.

Solution-processed tin dioxide is employed as an electron transport layer in n–i–p-structured perovskite light-emitting diodes realizing an EQE of 7.9%.

Macroscopic multilayer free-standing CNTs films/PDMS composite with cracks in the network structure displays ability for the full-range detection of human motions.

Tuning of the charge flow direction at the SAM–graphene interface by coordination of the SAM with a nickel cation.

A new technique for patterning and tuning of electrochromic properties of conductive polymers was used to make dual image displays.

Layered, Ca₂Mn₃O₈ exhibits complex ‘bow-tie’ connectivity between manganese ions within the layer with magnetic spins ordered in an ↑↑↓↓ arrangement.

Polythiophene derivatives with ester side chains enable high open-circuit voltages in polymer–fullerene solar cells. The side chains affect the solubility, thermal properties, tendency to aggregate, and photovoltaic performance by modulating the morphology of the blends.

The high pressure material MnFe₃O₅ displays a rich variety of magnetically ordered states on cooling through three separate phase transitions.

A novel class of ordered mesoporous titania scaffolds prepared via colloidal lithography is attractive for perovskite-based solar cells thanks to the increased light-trapping inside the perovskite layer induced by the feedback structure and to the improved perovskite film.

Highly effective TiO_2−x electron transport layers produced by continuous atmospheric pressure PECVD achieve efficiency gains in mesoporous perovskite photovoltaic cells.

ZnO/PEDOT:PSS diodes were produced using high aspect-ratio ZnO nanorods with diode behaviour dependent on annealing conditions.

The splay, twist and bend elastic constants of an oxadiazole based bent core liquid crystal and it's mixtures have been measured across the entire nematic range.

Single-particle X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that the oxidation state and cation distribution of individual magnetite nanoparticles may be largely heterogeneous even when the macroscopic structural and magnetic response of the ensembles is uniform.

Thin film structural features of TQPP-Me and TQPP-OC₁₂ as explored by spectroscopic and ellipsometric techniques.

Aluminium/gallium co-doped ZnO (AGZO), indium/gallium co-doped ZnO (IGZO), and aluminium/indium co-doped ZnO (AIZO) thin films were synthesised on glass substrates via aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD).

In this work, high-throughput ab initio calculations are employed to identify the most promising chalcogenide-based semiconductors for p-type transparent conducting materials (TCMs).

Bilayers of FeFe and FeCr Prussian blues with distinct optical spectra of each layer enabling studies with optical layer-sensitivity.

The nature and dynamics of acceptor states in solution-processed Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) thin films are investigated by variable temperature photoluminescence (PL) and electrical impedance spectroscopy.

In Cr₂O₃, Ni is a more effective dopand than Mg due to its higher solubility and its capability to contribute to the VB, improving holes dispersion.