DOCSLIB.ORG

Structural Characterization of Poly(Heterocycles)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Structural Characterization of Poly(Heterocycles) Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2006 Structural Characterization of Poly(heterocycles) Formed Using Oxidative Methods Rebecca Marie Brauch Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Chemistry Commons Recommended Citation Brauch, Rebecca Marie, "Structural Characterization of Poly(heterocycles) Formed Using Oxidative Methods" (2006). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2101. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2101 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(HETEROCYCLES) FORMED USING OXIDATIVE METHODS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Chemistry by Rebecca M. Brauch B.S., Ohio University, 2002 December, 2006 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my mom April and my dad Ken I am so grateful to you for all the sacrifices you both so willingly made for me to receive the education that I have. It was never unnoticed or unappreciated. Without your love and support I would never have been able to achieve this. ii Acknowledgements First and foremost I’d like to thank my parents. You have both been my biggest fans throughout these past years and were always there for me when I needed words of encouragement and support, no matter how many states separated us. I believe in myself because you both believed in me so much. I also want to acknowledge my sister, Stephanie. Thank you for being such a source of wisdom and strength. I know that I’m the older one but sometimes I find myself looking up to you. And to my twin brother Eric, I couldn’t think of a person I’d rather be stuck with from day one. You both have been there for me through it all, thank you. My advisor Dr. Robin McCarley deserves much acknowledgment. I am very honored to have had the opportunity to work in your group and be a part of your research efforts. I appreciate all the guidance and encouragement you have given me over these past years. I have learned so much from you. Thank you for everything and especially for being so dedicated to your students. I am so grateful to have been a member of the McCarley group and have had the chance to work with such kind, supportive and gifted people. I’d specifically like to acknowledge Winston and Sreelatha for all their help and support with my graduate research. Thank you for all the lengthy discussions and insights you both had to offer. I can’t imagine having better role- models and colleagues. I’d like to thank Amy and Mariah. Your friendship at and away from school has meant a great deal to me. Your children will be so lucky to have you as mothers. I’d also like to thank my office-mates Henry, Chet and Winston for all the much needed laughter. I know I complained about being “stuck” in the office with you guys but I never meant it. You all iii have made me laugh more times than I can remember and that made the tough times at school bearable. I want to express heartfelt appreciation to Colleen. You’ve been there for me for all the ups and down of my southern expedition. Your friendship gave me a home away from home. I doubt I would have made it through these past four years here with out it. Thank you. I’d like to thank Jill, a dear friend and my lab partner and class-mate in undergraduate. During our time at OU, thanks for knocking on my door, bright and early, and dragging me to chemistry class. You’ve always been there for me when I needed it the most. I also want to thank all my Ohio friends especially Julie, Megan, Stephanie, Emily, Kate and Ryan, for all their love and support these past years when I moved off and missed numerous wedding showers, birthdays, and other big events. The supportive cards, emails and phone calls from you all meant more to me than you’ll ever realize. No matter where the rest of my life takes me, I will always look forward to coming home and hanging out with you guys. You’re the best. Last but not least, I’d like to acknowledge two important people that have contributed greatly to my education and research work at LSU, Dr. Tracy McCarley for all her assistance in the mass spectrometry facility and Dr. Rafael Cueto for all his help with the GPC, light scattering and HPLC. I learned more from the two of you than I ever learned from a text book or in a classroom. Thank you. iv Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... xvi Abstract......................................................................................................................... xviii Chapter 1 Introduction and Background .............................................................1 1.1 Research Overview................................................................................1 1.2 Background............................................................................................3 1.2.1 A Historical Perspective on Conducting Polymers..............3 1.2.2 Mechanism of Heterocyclic Polymerization.........................4 1.2.3 Mechanism of Conductivity in Heterocyclic Polymers .......9 1.2.4 Pyrrole Polymer Systems-Insoluble Films and Powders ..10 1.2.5 Soluble Pyrrole Polymers.....................................................14 1.2.6 Thiophene Polymer Systems – Electrochemical and Chemical Synthesis ...............................................................18 1.2.7 Thiophene Polymer Systems – Regioregular Methods......21 1.2.8 Structure–Property Relationships in Poly(3-hexylthiophene).........................................................22 1.2.9 Applications of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)..............................25 1.3 MALDI-MS Analysis of Synthetic Polymers....................................26 1.3.1 Background and History......................................................26 1.3.2 MALDI-MS of Poly(alkylthiophene) Systems....................28 1.3.3 End-Group Specific Discrimination in MALDI-MS .........29 1.4 References ............................................................................................31 Chapter 2 Materials and Methods.......................................................................40 2.1 Experimental.......................................................................................40 2.1.1 Chemicals...............................................................................40 2.1.2 Synthetic Methods................................................................40 2.2 End-Group Analysis...........................................................................42 2.3 Molecular Weight Studies ..................................................................50 2.4 Analysis................................................................................................53 2.4.1 MALDI-TOF MS..................................................................53 2.4.2 Gel-Permeation Chromatography (GPC) Analysis with Multi-Angle Laser Light Scattering (MALLS) and Differential Refractive Index (DRI) Detection...................54 2.4.3 Measurement of dn/dc ..........................................................54 v 2.4.4 Reverse-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis (RP-HPLC) ............................................................55 2.4.5 Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis .....55 2.4.6 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis (FT-IR) ..................................................................................56 2.4.7 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Analysis..................56 2.4.8 Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) .......56 2.4.9 Elemental Analysis................................................................56 2.5 References............................................................................................57 Chapter 3 Studies on Substituted Pyrrole Polymers .........................................60 3.1 Introduction.........................................................................................60 3.2 Polymer End-Group Studies ..............................................................60 3.2.1 Evaluation of Poly(N-hexylpyrrole) ....................................61 3.2.2 Evaluation of Poly(N-heptylpyrrole)...................................63 3.2.3 Evaluation of Poly(3-(3,6,9-trioxadecanyl) pyrrole)..........64 3.3 Pyrrole Coupling Studies – 1H-NMR Analysis of Polymers............66 3.4 Optical Properties Studies..................................................................70 3.5
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Electronic Polymers
    Electronic Polymers Insulators Semiconductors Metals Superconductors σ <10-7 10−7< σ <102 σ >102 σ >>1020 σ ranges 10-20 to 1020 Requires doping (oxidation or reduction) for conductivity Electrical Properties Electric conductivity of inorganic (I) and organic (O) compounds, I O measured in S/cm. Triniobium germanide (Nb3Ge) and poly(thiazyl) (SN)n are superconducting materials at very low temperatures near 20 zero kelvin. The conductivities for conducting (C), semi-conducting S Nb3Ge, (SN)n 10 (SC) and insulating (I) compounds are given for 20oC (= 293.16 K = 68oF). Cu = Copper, Hg = mercury, Ge = germanium, Si = silicon, 1015 AgBr = silver bromide, G = glass, S = sulfur, (SiO2)n= quartz, TTF = tetrathiafulvalene, TCNQ = 7,7,8,8 tetracyanoquinodimethane, NBR C 1010 = nitrile rubber (a copolymer from acrylonitrile and butadiene), DNA = deoxyribonucleic acid, PVC = polyvinyl chloride, PE = polyethylene, PTFE = polytetrafluoroethylene. Cu 105 TTF/TCNQ Hg 1 Siemens = 1 Ohm-1 (SN)n 1 Ge 1040 change in material property ! SC dP Si 10-5 AgBr Material Conductivity (S/cm) NBR -10 G 10 -7 DNA Insulators σ < 10 PVC 10-15 Semiconductors 10−7 < σ < 102 I S (SiO ) PE 2 n Metals σ > 102 10-20 PTFE Superconductors σ >> 1020 n = # carriers/cm3 Figure by MIT OCW. σ = nμq μ= mobility (cm2/V•sec) q = charge Types of Charge • Usual carriers: electrons, holes, ions(cations & anions) • New for conducting polymers – solitons, polarons, bipolarons Ji = σijEj where Ji is the current, σij is the conductivity and Ej is the applied field Battery Application – Li-polymer vs Pb. – Weight: 1/10th – volume: 1/3rd – power density: 10x – processable into any shape; dry, no toxic fumes etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Effect of Polythiophene Content on Thermomechanical Properties of Electroconductive Composites
    molecules Article Effect of Polythiophene Content on Thermomechanical Properties of Electroconductive Composites Katarzyna Bednarczyk 1 , Tomasz Kukulski 2 , Ryszard Fryczkowski 2 , Ewa Schab-Balcerzak 1,3 and Marcin Libera 1,* 1 Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia in Katowice, 9 Szkolna Str., 40-006 Katowice, Poland; [email protected] (K.B.); [email protected] (E.S.-B.) 2 Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, Willowa 2 Str., 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland; [email protected] (T.K.); [email protected] (R.F.) 3 Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 M. Curie-Sklodowskej Str., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-50-518-7647 Abstract: The thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of polymeric composites combined using polythiophene (PT) dopped by FeCl3 and polyamide 6 (PA), in the aspect of conductive constructive elements for organic solar cells, depend on the molecular structure and morphology of materials as well as the method of preparing the species. This study was focused on disclosing the impact of the polythiophene content on properties of electrospun fibers. The elements for investigation were prepared using electrospinning applying two substrates. The study revealed the impact of the substrate on the conductive properties of composites. In this study composites exhibited Citation: Bednarczyk, K.; Kukulski, ◦ good thermal stability, with T5 values in the range of 230–268 C that increased with increasing T.; Fryczkowski, R.; Schab-Balcerzak, PT content. The prepared composites exhibited comparable PA Tg values, which indicates their E.; Libera, M.
    [Show full text]
  • Synthesizing and Processing Conducting Polythiophene Derivatives for Charge Dissipation in Electron-Beam Lithography
    Synthesizing and processing conducting polythiophene derivatives for charge dissipation in electron-beam lithography Wu-Song Huang IBM M/croe/ectronics Division, Hopewe// Junction, New York 12533, USA (Received 27 December 1993; revised 15 March 1994) In electron-beam lithography, charging on the photoresist usually causes image distortion and placement error. To dissipate the charge, a conductive polymeric layer can be introduced either over or under the photoresist coating. In this paper, we will discuss the approach of using toluene and xylene-soluble poly(alkylthiophene) in combination with a photoacid generator as a discharge underlayer or interlayer beneath the photoresist to dissipate the accumulated charge during electron-beam exposure. We will also discuss the use of water-soluble acid or ammonium salt forms of polyl-3-(ethanesulfonate)thiophene] as the discharge top layer. During the resist image developing process, the top layer will be removed by aqueous base. Therefore, it is advantageous to use a discharge top layer owing to its simplicity. In this study, the salt and acid forms ofpoly[3-(ethanesulfonate)thiophene] were synthesized through chemical polymerization of the corresponding methanesulfonate ester. They exhibit the same properties as those of electrochemically synthesized polymer reported in the literature. (Keywords: polythiophene derivatives; synthesis; conducting polymers) INTRODUCTION materials have been developed. Among these polymers, In electron-beam lithography, many studies have shown polythiophene and its derivatives have gained considerable that resist charging during electron-beam exposure can attention owing to their high conductivity and remarkable lead to image distortion and pattern placement error TM. stability 12. Polythiophene is not a processable polymer.
    [Show full text]
  • Polythiophene-Based Supercapacitors
    Journal of Power Sources 80Ž. 1999 142±148 Polythiophene-based supercapacitors Alexis Laforgue, Patrice Simon ), Christian Sarrazin, Jean-FrancËois Fauvarque Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Industrielle du CNAM, 2 rue Conte, 75003 Paris, France Abstract PolythiopheneŽ. Pth and polyparafluorophenylthiophene Ž PFPT . have been chemically synthesized for use as active materials in supercapacitor electrodes. Electrochemical characterization has been performed by cyclic voltammetry and an electrode study has been achieved to get the maximum capacity out of the polymers and give good cyclability. Specific capacity values of 7 mAh gy1 and 40 mAh gy1 were obtained for PFPT and polythiophene, respectively. Supercapacitors have been built to characterize this type of system. Energy storage levels of 260 F gy1 were obtained with Pth and 110 F gy1 with PFPT. q 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved. Keywords: Supercapacitors; Polythiophene 1. Introduction thesized polymers, made by electro-oxidation of the monomer when dissolved in an electrolytewx 5±7 . These are In the research fields of energy storage, and more synthesized directly onto the current collector, but the specifically of supplying high powers, electrochemical su- thickness of these electrodes cannot exceed 100 mm. This percapacitors have been among the most studied systems way, the fabrication of large electrodes is not easy to for many yearswx 1±4 . achieve. It was therefore decided to chemically synthesize One of the possible applications is in electric vehicles. the polymers, in order to obtain powders that were easier We have been working on electronically conducting poly- to manipulate during the making of the electrodes. mers for use as active materials for electrodes in superca- pacitors.
    [Show full text]
  • Photophysical Study of Polymer-Based Solar Cells with an Organo-Boron Molecule in the Active Layer
    Materials 2015, 8, 4258-4272; doi:10.3390/ma8074258 OPEN ACCESS materials ISSN 1996-1944 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials Article Photophysical Study of Polymer-Based Solar Cells with an Organo-Boron Molecule in the Active Layer Sergio Romero-Servin 1,†, Manuel de Anda Villa 1,†, R. Carriles 1,†,*, Gabriel Ramos-Ortíz 1,†,*, José-Luis Maldonado 1, Mario Rodríguez 1 and M. Güizado-Rodríguez 2 1 Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica, A.P. 1-948, León, Gto. 37150, Mexico; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.R.-S.); [email protected] (M.A.V.); [email protected] (J.-L.M.); [email protected] (M.R.) 2 Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas (CIICAp), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad No. 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Mor. C.P. 62209, Mexico; E-Mail: [email protected] † These authors contributed equally to this work. * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.C.); [email protected] (G.R.-O.); Tel.: +52-477-441-4200 (ext. 152) (R.C.). Academic Editor: Douglas Ivey Received: 20 May 2015 / Accepted: 6 July 2015 / Published: 13 July 2015 Abstract: Our group previously reported the synthesis of four polythiophene derivatives (P1–P4) used for solar cells. The cells were prepared under room conditions by spin coating, leading to low efficiencies. However, after the addition of 6-nitro-3-(E)-3-(4- dimethylaminophenyl)allylidene)-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]-[1,3,2] oxazaborole (M1) to their active layers, the efficiencies of the cells showed approximately a two-fold improvement. In this paper, we study this enhancement mechanism by performing ultrafast transient absorption (TA) experiments on the active layer of the different cells.
    [Show full text]
  • Graphene-Polythiophene Nanocomposite As Novel Supercapacitor Electrode Material
    Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems 15, 89-95 (2012) © J. New Mat. Electrochem. Systems Graphene-Polythiophene Nanocomposite as Novel Supercapacitor Electrode Material Farah Alvi1, Punya A. Basnayaka2, Manoj K. Ram2,3, Humberto Gomez2, Elias Stefanako1,3, Yogi Goswami3,4 and Ashok Kumar2,3 1Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, ENB 118, Tampa, FL, 33620 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, ENB 118, Tampa, FL, 33620 3Nanotechnology Education and Research Center, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, ENB 118, Tampa, FL, 33620 4Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Department, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, ENB 118, Tampa, FL, 33620 Received: June 17, 2011, Accepted: November 16, 2011, Available online: December 22, 2011 Abstract: The graphene (G)-polythiophene (PTh) nanocomposite was synthesized by a chemical oxidative polymerization technique and characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Raman Spectroscopy, Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray-diffraction (XRD), Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The electrochemical properties of G-PTh nanocomposite supercapacitor elec- trodes were investigated in different electrolytes solutions and a specific discharge capacitance of 154 F/g was estimated from different charge/discharge current cycles. Our proposed research is transformative as the G-conducting polymer based electrode material with unique and excellent properties, such as, high conductivity, wider tunable potential window, high stability of the electrode material in doped form, faster charge transfer rate, and short charging times, that allows the fabrication of high performance supercapacitors for practical applications.
    [Show full text]
  • Polythiophene Nanocomposites for Photodegradation Applications: Past, Present and Future
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector Journal of Saudi Chemical Society (2015) 19, 494–504 King Saud University Journal of Saudi Chemical Society www.ksu.edu.sa www.sciencedirect.com REVIEW ARTICLE Polythiophene nanocomposites for photodegradation applications: Past, present and future Mohd Omaish Ansari a, Mohammad Mansoob Khan b,*, Sajid Ali Ansari a, Moo Hwan Cho a,* a School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk 712-749, South Korea b Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam Received 28 February 2015; revised 9 June 2015; accepted 15 June 2015 Available online 25 June 2015 KEYWORDS Abstract Polythiophene (PTh) has been the subject of considerable interest because of its good Polythiophene; environmental stability, unique redox electrical behavior, stability in doped or neutral states, ease Photocatalysis; of synthesis, and wide range of applications in many fields. Apart from its applications in the elec- Photodegradation; trical or electronic field, PTh has shown promising applications in photocatalytic degradation. The Visible light; fabrication of a catalyst, metal oxides with PTh, extends the absorption range of the modified com- UV irradiation; posite system, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity under UV or visible light irradiation. Polythiophene; Substituted PTh, such as alkyl substitution, modifies the electronic properties of the polymer, Nanocomposites thereby enlarging the potential for industrial applications. PTh or substituted PTh when combined with metal, metal oxide or a combination of both, can exhibit tailorable photocatalytic properties. This review focuses on the chemistry of the band gap engineering of PTh or PTh based systems and the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation.
    [Show full text]
  • Synthesis of Polythiophene Derivatives and Their Application for Electrochemical DNA Sensor
    Polymer Journal, Vol. 36, No. 12, pp. 937—942 (2004) Synthesis of Polythiophene Derivatives and Their Application for Electrochemical DNA Sensor Seung Ku KANG,1 Ji-Heung KIM,2 Jeongho AN,1 Eun Kyu LEE,3 Junhoe CHA,4 y Geunbae LIM,4 Yong Soon PARK,5 and Dong June CHUNG1; 1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, 425-791, Korea 4Biochip Project Team, MEMS Lab., Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 111, Suwon, Korea 5Department of Medical Information Engineering, Kwangju Health College, Kwangju, 506-701, Korea (Received June 10, 2004; Accepted September 24, 2004; Published December 15, 2004) ABSTRACT: In this study, we synthesized thiophene derivatives by the protection of the carboxyl group of 3-thi- ophene acetic acid(monomer) with different substituted benzyl groups for hybridized electrochemical DNA sensors composed of a conductive polymer and oligo-DNA (ODN). In general, while 3-thiophene acetic acid is not suitable for direct electro-polymerization because of the electron withdrawing effect of the –COOH group in above monomer, our synthesized thiophene monomer derivatives are easily electro-oxidized to form stable electro-active polymer films by the protection of –COOH group. These polymer films showed the specific electrochemical characteristics of poly 3-alkylthiophenes with a reversible redox transition in the range of 0.8–1.6 V in CV (cyclic voltammogram) measure- ment. Biological recognition was monitored by comparison with the CV signal from the hybridization of single and double strands of ODN.
    [Show full text]
  • Malononitriledctbas Matrix
    Research Article Received: 12 July 2010 Accepted: 21 December 2010 Published online in Wiley Online Library: 2011 (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI 10.1002/jms.1886 MALDI-ToF analysis of polythiophene: use of trans-2-[3-(4-t-butyl-phenyl)-2-methyl- 2-propenylidene]malononitrile – DCTB – as matrix Julien De Winter,a,b Gaelle¨ Deshayes,b Florian Boon,b Olivier Coulembier,b Philippe Duboisb and Pascal Gerbauxa∗ Nowadays, numerous experimental and theoretical studies are devoted to the research field of polythiophenes and other electroconjugated polymers due to the huge potentialities of those conducting polymers. Synthetic procedures are now developed to reach the highest control over both polymerization and analytical methodologies allowing an in-depth and straightforward characterization of the polymer samples without any required doubt. Mass spectrometry methodologies and in particular MALDI-ToF measurements are definitively suitable to meet the characterization requirements. In the present study, trans-2-[3-(4-t-butyl-phenyl)-2-methyl-2-propenylidene]malononitrile (DCTB) was shown to afford better results than the reported terthiophene and dithranol matrices as far as sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio are concerned. We tentatively proposed that the ionization of the P3HT molecules is performed by charge exchange in the condensed phase (clusters) with matrix molecule radical cations and subsequent neutral matrix molecule evaporation from the clusters. The putative key parameters to account for the really high efficiency of DCTB for the MALDI analysis of P3HT are (1) the highest ionization energy of DCTB amongst the three matrices, (2) the really high absorptivity of the matrix molecule at the laser wavelength and (3) the presence of the tertiobutyl group on the matrix molecule.
    [Show full text]
  • Oligo- and Polythiophene/Zno Hybrid Nanowire Solar Cells
    pubs.acs.org/NanoLett Oligo- and Polythiophene/ZnO Hybrid Nanowire Solar Cells Alejandro L. Briseno, Thomas W. Holcombe, Akram I. Boukai, Erik C. Garnett, Steve W. Shelton, Jean J. M. Fre´chet,* and Peidong Yang* Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 ABSTRACT We demonstrate the basic operation of an organic/inorganic hybrid single nanowire solar cell. End-functionalized oligo- and polythiophenes were grafted onto ZnO nanowires to produce p-n heterojunction nanowires. The hybrid nanostructures were characterized via absorption and electron microscopy to determine the optoelectronic properties and to probe the morphology at the organic/inorganic interface. Individual nanowire solar cell devices exhibited well-resolved characteristics with efficiencies as high as 2 2 0.036%, Jsc ) 0.32 mA/cm , Voc ) 0.4 V, and a FF ) 0.28 under AM 1.5 illumination with 100 mW/cm light intensity. These individual test structures will enable detailed analysis to be carried out in areas that have been difficult to study in bulk heterojunction devices. ybrid solar cells composed of organic semiconduc- version efficiencies. While nanowire array and bulk inorganic/ tors1 and inorganic nanostructures2 are an area of organic blend devices are technologically relevant, their immense study as they are alternatives to organic electrical properties depend on nanostructure size, unifor- H3 4,5 bilayer and bulk heterojunction device structures. The mity, crystallinity, phase segregation, interfacial interactions, organic/inorganic hybrid system6-9 has opened new op- mobility, trap density, and many other factors. For macro- portunities for the development of future generation solar scopic devices, these parameters can vary significantly over cells, new device technologies, and a platform to study three- the active area, making it difficult to attribute any change in dimensional morphology.10 A multitude of concepts have performance to a particular phenomenon.
    [Show full text]
  • Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Properties of Polythiophene-Sensitized Zinc Oxide Hybrid Nanocomposites
    Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 26 (2014) 540–547 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/mssp Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic properties of polythiophene-sensitized zinc oxide hybrid nanocomposites M. Khatamian n, M. Fazayeli, B. Divband Inorganic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, C.P. 51664, Tabriz, Iran article info abstract Available online 7 June 2014 The composites of polythiophene (PT)/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with different PT wt Keywords: %, (2%, 4%, 6%, 10% and 20%), were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative Polythiophene polymerization method. Zinc oxide nanoparticles, prepared by polymer pyrolysis method, ZnO nanoparticles with average particle size of 30 nm were used as inorganic phase of these composites. The Organic–inorganic hybrid composites particle size of ZnO powder was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Photocatalytic activities FTIR measurements and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that PT/ZnO composites were Methyl orange successfully synthesized. Optical properties of the prepared composites were investigated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) that showed a broad peak in the visible region. The morphologies of the obtained composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also Barrett–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique was used to measure the specific surface area of the samples. The photocatalytic activities of the composites were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution under visible light (9 W LED lamp) and sunlight irradiation. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Recently, the combination of conjugated polymers and semiconductor photocatalysts has attracted considerable In the last decades, organic–inorganic hybrid structures attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene/Polythiophene (GR/PT) Nanocomposites: Evaluation As High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes
    Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., 12 (2017) 2933 – 2948, doi: 10.20964/2017.04.09 International Journal of ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE www.electrochemsci.org Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene/Polythiophene (GR/PT) Nanocomposites: Evaluation as High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes J. P. Melo1, E. N. Schulz2, 3, C. Morales-Verdejo1, S. L. Horswell3, M. B. Camarada1,* 1 Universidad Bernardo OHiggins, Centro de Biología y Química Integrativa (CIBQA), General Gana 1702, Santiago, Chile 2 Instituto de Ingeniería Electroquímica y Corrosión, INIEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca, 8000, Argentina. 3 School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom. *E-mail: [email protected] Received: 19 December 2016 / Accepted: 1 February 2017 / Published: 12 March 2017 Composites of polythiophene (PT) and graphene (GR) with different mass proportions were studied for their application as supercapacitors. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) along with High Resolution Scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) were employed in order to characterize the morphology and composition of the resulting composites. The electrochemical behaviour of these composites was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and specific capacitance curves were derived from these measurements. The Faradaic impedance spectroscopy response of the different composites, along with that of GR, was also studied. From these measurements it was found that a 1:1 in mass composite of GR and PT showed a higher specific capacitance, even when compared with GR alone. The introduction of the GR in that proportion also showed an enhanced cyclic stability in comparison with the sole polymer. The high specific capacitance (365 F g−1 at 1 A g-1) of this composite material indicates its potential for use as an electrode material for supercapacitors.
    [Show full text]