Modulation of Ionically Generated Space Charge Effects at Hybrid Perovskite and Oxide Interfaces via Surface Modification

Advanced Materials

High‐performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) typically require interfacial passivation, yet this is challenging for the buried interface, owing to the dissolution of passivation agents during the deposition of perovskites. Here, this limitation is overcome with in situ buried‐interface passivation—achieved via directly adding a cyanoacrylic‐acid‐based molecular additive, namely BT‐T, into the perovskite precursor solution. Classical and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that BT‐T spontaneously may self‐assemble at the buried interface during the formation of the perovskite layer on a nickel oxide hole‐transporting layer. The preferential buried‐interface passivation results in facilitated hole transfer and suppressed charge recombination. In addition, residual BT‐T molecules in the perovskite layer enhance its stability and homogeneity. A power‐conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.48% for 1.0 cm2 inverted …

Nature

Solar fuels offer a promising approach to provide sustainable fuels by harnessing sunlight,. Following a decade of advancement, Cu2O photocathodes are capable of delivering a performance comparable to that of photoelectrodes with established photovoltaic materials, –. However, considerable bulk charge carrier recombination that is poorly understood still limits further advances in performance. Here we demonstrate performance of Cu2O photocathodes beyond the state-of-the-art by exploiting a new conceptual understanding of carrier recombination and transport in single-crystal Cu2O thin films. Using ambient liquid-phase epitaxy, we present a new method to grow single-crystal Cu2O samples with three crystal orientations. Broadband femtosecond transient reflection spectroscopy measurements were used to quantify anisotropic optoelectronic properties, through which the carrier mobility along the [111 …

Advanced Functional Materials

Perovskite solar cells have led the new surge of solar energy research. However, their instability is a pressing issue mostly attributed to the perovskite interface with charge‐selective transport layers. In this work, diethylammonium iodide (DEAI) surface treatment is used to mitigate interfacial non‐radiative recombination losses by forming a mixed phase of layered perovskite on the surface. This results in enhanced device performance with the power conversion efficiency of 23.3% and improved operational stability under thermal stress. Moreover, the DEAI treatment facilitates interfacial hole transfer, enabling a carbon‐based hole transport layer‐free perovskite solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 15.6%.

Advanced Materials

Efficient and robust n‐i‐p perovskite solar cells necessitate superior organic hole‐transport materials with both mechanical and electronic prowess. Deciphering the structure−property relationship of these materials is crucial for practical perovskite solar cell applications. Through direct arylation, we synthesized two high glass transition temperature molecular semiconductors, DBC‐ETPA (202 °C) and TPE‐ETPA (180 °C), using dibenzo[g,p]chrysene (DBC) and 1,1,2,2‐tetraphenylethene (TPE) tetrabromides with triphenylene–ethylenedioxythiophene‐dimethoxytriphenylamine (ETPA). In comparison to spiro‐OMeTAD, both semiconductors exhibit shallower HOMO energy levels, resulting in increased hole densities (generated by air oxidation doping) and accelerated hole extraction from photoexcited perovskite. Experimental and theoretical studies highlight the more rigid DBC core, enhancing hole mobility due to …

Scientific Reports

In this work we study in-depth the antireflection and filtering properties of ultrathin-metal-film-based transparent electrodes (MTEs) integrated in thin-film solar cells. Based on numerical optimization of the MTE design and the experimental characterization of thin-film perovskite solar cell (PSC) samples, we show that reflection in the visible spectrum can be strongly suppressed, in contrast to common belief (due to the compact metal layer). The optical loss of the optimized electrode (~ 2.9%), composed of a low-resistivity metal and an insulator, is significantly lower than that of a conventional transparent conductive oxide (TCO ~ 6.3%), thanks to the very high transmission of visible light within the cell (> 91%) and low thickness (< 70 nm), whereas the reflection of infrared light (~ 70%) improves by > 370%. To assess the application potentials, integrated current density > 25 mA/cm2, power conversion …

Joule

A widely used component of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the molecular hole-transport material (HTM) spiro-OMeTAD. This organic solid needs to be p-doped to acquire sufficient hole conductivity. However, the conventional doping method using LiTFSI in the air is slow, sensitive to the environment, and may lead to the deterioration of the PSCs by unintended oxidation or dopant migration. It is thus highly desirable to develop fast doping approaches that avoid exposing the PSC to ambient air and easy-to-move dopant ions. We report here that light absorption by spiro-OMeTAD itself triggers redox photochemistry that has so far been ignored. Strikingly, we found that Y(III) or La(III)-tBP complexes catalyze the symmetry-breaking charge separation of photo-excited spiro-OMeTAD, resulting in the efficient p-doping of the HTM. Using this photo-redox process, we realize PSCs with superior stability over …

Solar fuels offer a promising approach to provide sustainable fuels by harnessing sunlight. Following a decade of advancement, Cu2O photocathodes are capable of delivering a performance comparable to that of photoelectrodes with established photovoltaic materials. However, considerable bulk charge carrier recombination that is poorly understood still limits further advances in performance. Here we demonstrate performance of Cu2O photocathodes beyond the state-of-the-art by exploiting a new conceptual understanding of carrier recombination and transport in single-crystal Cu2O thin films. Using ambient liquid-phase epitaxy, we present a new method to grow single-crystal Cu2O samples with three crystal orientations. Broadband femtosecond transient reflection spectroscopy measurements were used to quantify anisotropic optoelectronic properties, through which the carrier mobility along the [111] orientation was found to be an order of magnitude higher than those along other orientations. Driven by these findings, we developed a polycrystalline Cu2O photocathode with an extraordinarily pure (111) orientation and (111) terminating facets using a simple and low-cost method, which delivers 7 mA cm− 2 current density (more than 70% improvement compared to that of state-of-the-art electrodeposited devices) at 0.5 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode under air mass 1.5 G illumination, and stable operation over at least 120 h.

Energy & Environmental Science

Light-induced degradation in metal halide perovskites is a major concern that can potentially hamper the commercialization of perovskite optoelectronic devices. The phenomena viz. ion migration, phase segregation, and defect intolerance are believed to be the factors behind the degradation. However, a detailed mechanistic understanding of how and why light reduces the long-term stability of perovskites is still lacking. Here, by combining multiscale characterization techniques and computational studies, we uncover the role of white light in the surface degradation of state-of-the-art FAPbI3-rich perovskite absorbers (reaching up to 22% PCE in solar cells). We unravel the degradation kinetics and found that white light triggers the chemical degradation of perovskite into secondary phases with higher work function and metallic I–V characteristics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that perovskite degradation is triggered …

Energy & Environmental Materials

The systematic advances in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been driven by the developments of perovskite materials, electron transport layer (ETL) materials, and interfacial passivation between the relevant layers. While zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising ETL in thin film photovoltaics, it is still highly desirable to develop novel synthetic methods that allow both fine‐tuning the versatility of ZnO nanomaterials and improving the ZnO/perovskite interface. Among various inorganic and organic additives, zwitterions have been effectively utilized to passivate the perovskite films. In this vein, we develop novel, well‐characterized betaine‐coated ZnO QDs and use them as an ETL in the planar n‐i‐p PSC architecture, combining the ZnO QDs‐based ETL with the ZnO/perovskite interface passivation by a series of ammonium halides (NH4X, where X = F, Cl, Br). The …

Experimental and theoretical works covering a wide range of photosynthetic and biohydrogen topics, from the primary processes of electron transfer and energy bioconversion to the physiological aspects of photosynthesis and applied aspects of hydrogen production are discussed at the conference. Considerable attention is paid to discussion of structural organization of photosynthetic reaction centers, structure and function of photosystems, artificial photosynthesis, mechanisms of hydrogen production etc. The book will be of interest to researchers and students involved in the study of photosynthesis and bio-hydrogen production

arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.03386

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are the most promising technology for advancing current photovoltaic performance. However, the main challenge for their practical deployment and commercialization is their operational stability, affected by solar illumination and heating, as well as the electric field that is generated in the PV device by light exposure. Here, we propose a transparent multispectral photonic electrode placed on top of the glass substrate of solar cells, which simultaneously reduces the device solar heating and enhances its efficiency. Specifically, the proposed photonic electrode, composed of a low-resistivity metal and a conductive layer, simultaneously serves as a highly-efficient infrared filter and an ultra-thin transparent front contact, decreasing devices' solar heating and operating temperature. At the same time, it simultaneously serves as an anti-reflection coating, enhancing the efficiency. We additionally enhance the device cooling by coating the front glass substrate side with a visibly transparent film (PDMS), which maximizes substrate's thermal radiation. To determine the potential of our photonic approach and fully explore the cooling potential of PSCs, we first provide experimental characterizations of the absorption properties (in both visible and infrared wavelengths) of state-of-the-art PSCs among the most promising ones regarding the efficiency, stability, and cost. We then numerically show that applying our approach to promising PSCs can result in lower operating temperatures by over 9.0 oC and an absolute efficiency increase higher than 1.3%. These results are insensitive to varying environmental conditions. Our approach …

Nature

Lead halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have demonstrated remarkable optoelectronic performance, –. However, there are potential toxicity issues with lead, and removing lead from the best-performing PeLEDs—without compromising their high external quantum efficiencies—remains a challenge. Here we report a tautomeric-mixture-coordination-induced electron localization strategy to stabilize the lead-free tin perovskite TEA2SnI4 (TEAI is 2-thiopheneethylammonium iodide) by incorporating cyanuric acid. We demonstrate that a crucial function of the coordination is to amplify the electronic effects, even for those Sn atoms that aren’t strongly bonded with cyanuric acid owing to the formation of hydrogen-bonded tautomeric dimer and trimer superstructures on the perovskite surface. This electron localization weakens adverse effects from Anderson localization and improves ordering in the crystal …

This dataset underpins the following article published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters:" The Impact of Spacer Size on Charge Transfer Excitons in Dion-Jacobson and Ruddlesden-Popper Layered Hybrid Perovskites" DOI: 10.1021/acs. jpclett. 3c01125 The dataset contains steady state absorption (UV/Vis), transient absorption (TA) and electroabsorption (EA) data acquired from experiments on 2D perovskites incorporating different organic spacers. The dataset also includes data acquired from temperature dependent measurements. The transient absorption data has been treated using a home-written matlab script in order to correct for the chirp.

Science

High-quality perovskite light harvesters and robust organic hole extraction layers are essential for achieving high-performing perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We introduce a phosphonic acid–functionalized fullerene derivative in mixed-cation perovskites as a grain boundary modulator to consolidate the crystal structure, which enhances the tolerance of the film against illumination, heat, and moisture. We also developed a redox-active radical polymer, poly(oxoammonium salt), that can effectively p-dope the hole-transporting material by hole injection and that also mitigates lithium ion diffusion. Power conversion efficiencies of 23.5% for 1-square-centimeter mixed–cation-anion PSCs and 21.4% for 17.1-square-centimeter minimodules were achieved. The PSCs retained 95.5% of their initial efficiencies after 3265 hours at maximum power point tracking under continuous 1-sun illumination at 70° ± 5°C.

Nature

Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) promise enhanced operating stability compared to their normal-structure counterparts, –. To improve efficiency further, it is crucial to combine effective light management with low interfacial losses,. Here we develop a conformal self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as the hole-selective contact on light-managing textured substrates. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that cluster formation during phosphonic acid adsorption leads to incomplete SAM coverage. We devise a co-adsorbent strategy that disassembles high-order clusters, thus homogenizing the distribution of phosphonic acid molecules, and thereby minimizing interfacial recombination and improving electronic structures. We report a laboratory-measured power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.3% and a certified quasi-steady-state PCE of 24.8% for inverted PSCs, with a photocurrent approaching 95% of the …

Angewandte Chemie

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials catalysts provide an atomic‐scale view on a fascinating arena for understanding the mechanism of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2 ECR). Here, we successfully exfoliated both layered and nonlayered ultra‐thin metal phosphorous trichalcogenides (MPCh3) nanosheets via wet grinding exfoliation (WGE), and systematically investigated the mechanism of MPCh3 as catalysts for CO2 ECR. Unlike the layered CoPS3 and NiPS3 nanosheets, the active Sn atoms tend to be exposed on the surfaces of nonlayered SnPS3 nanosheets. Correspondingly, the nonlayered SnPS3 nanosheets exhibit clearly improved catalytic activity, showing formic acid selectivity up to 31.6 % with −7.51 mA cm−2 at −0.65 V vs. RHE. The enhanced catalytic performance can be attributed to the formation of HCOO* via the first proton‐electron pair addition on the SnPS3 surface. These results …

Lead halide perovskites are promising semiconducting materials for solar energy harvesting. However, the presence of heavy-metal lead ions is problematic when considering potential harmful leakage into the environment from broken cells and also from a public acceptance point of view. Moreover, strict legislation on the use of lead around the world has driven innovation in the development of strategies for recycling end-of-life products by means of environmentally friendly and cost-effective routes. Lead immobilization is a strategy to transform water-soluble lead ions into insoluble, nonbioavailable and nontransportable forms over large pH and temperature ranges and to suppress lead leakage if the devices are damaged. An ideal methodology should ensure sufficient lead-chelating capability without substantially influencing the device performance, production cost and recycling. Here we analyse chemical …

Advanced Materials

The defects located at the interfaces and grain boundaries (GBs) of perovskite films are detrimental to the photovoltaic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. Manipulating the perovskite crystallization process and tailoring the interfaces with molecular passivators are the main effective strategies to mitigate performance loss and instability. Herein, a new strategy is reported to manipulate the crystallization process of FAPbI3‐rich perovskite by incorporating a small amount of alkali‐functionalized polymers into the antisolvent solution. The synergic effects of the alkali cations and poly(acrylic acid) anion effectively passivate the defects on the surface and GBs of perovskite films. As a result, the rubidium (Rb)‐functionalized poly(acrylic acid) significantly improves the power conversion efficiency of FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells to approaching 25% and reduces the risk of lead ion (Pb2+) leakage continuously …

Advanced Materials

Metal halide perovskites are ideal candidates for indoor photovoltaics (IPVs) because of their easy‐to‐adjust bandgaps, which can be designed to cover the spectrum of any artificial light source. However, the serious non‐radiative carrier recombination under low light illumination restrains the application of perovskite‐based IPVs (PIPVs). Herein, polar molecules of amino naphthalene sulfonates are employed to functionalize the TiO2 substrate, anchoring the CsPbI3 perovskite crystal grains with a strong ion–dipole interaction between the molecule‐level polar interlayer and the ionic perovskite film. The resulting high‐quality CsPbI3 films with the merit of defect‐immunity and large shunt resistance under low light conditions enable the corresponding PIPVs with an indoor power conversion efficiency of up to 41.2% (Pin: 334.11 µW cm−2, Pout: 137.66 µW cm−2) under illumination from a commonly used indoor light …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Molecular‐level insight into the interfacial composition of electrodes at the solid‐electrolyte and the solid‐electrode interface is essential to understanding the charge transfer processes, which are vital for electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. However, spectroscopic access to both interfaces, particularly upon application of an external bias, remains a challenge. Here, in situ surface sensitive vibrational sum‐frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy is used for the first time to directly access the interfacial structure of a cobalt‐containing Prussian blue analog (Co‐PBA) in contact with the electrolyte and TiO2/Au surface. Structural and compositional changes of the Prussian blue layer during electrochemical oxidation are studied by monitoring the stretching vibration of the CN group. At open circuit potential, VSFG reveals a non‐homogeneous distribution of oxidation states of metal …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Ultra‐thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) solar cells on transparent conductive oxide back contact reduce the material consumption of rare indium and gallium and simultaneously exhibit great potential for semi‐transparent bifacial application. For highly efficient CIGSe solar cells, a steep back Ga grading and Na treatment are expected. However, Na will promote the formation of highly resistive GaOx at the rear interface owing to Ga accumulation. In this work, the three‐stage co‐evaporation process is renewed and the effect of the deposition sequence in the first stage on the Ga distribution as well as the cross‐correlated influence of Na is explored. In particular, the standard deposition sequence of Ga+In is altered to start with In. When a thin In layer is pre‐deposited on the back contact, the fill factor and efficiency increase. The deposition of In+Ga+In in the first stage of CIGSe growth leads to efficiencies 28% (on average …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

“As a result of this bonding between seed layer and Au, the photoelectronic spectrum corresponding to V 2p and Mo 3d encountered a positive chemical shift of 600 and 100 meV respectively as depicted in Figures 3f–h and S3 (Supporting Information).” Error: The shift mentioned here is a negative one, not positive.

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Boron nitride (BN) is a promising 2D material as well as a potential wide‐bandgap semiconductor. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is commonly used to deposit single layers or thin films of BN, but the deposition process is insufficiently understood at an atomic scale. the CVD of BN is studied using two boron precursors, the organoboranes, triethylborane, and trimethylborane. Using high resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy, this study shows that hexagonal‐BN (h‐BN) nucleates and grows epitaxially for ≈4 nm before it either polytype transforms to rhombohedral‐BN (r‐BN), turns to less ordered turbostratic‐BN or is terminated by a layer of amorphous carbon. this study proposes that the carbon in the organoboranes deposits on the epitaxially growing h‐BN surface and this either leads to the polytype transition to r‐BN, the transition to less ordered BN …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

This study presents an integrated approach combining surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with a specialized deep learning algorithm, SFNet, to offer a rapid, accurate, and label‐free alternative for COVID‐19 diagnosis and viral load quantification. The SiO2‐coated silver nanorod arrays are employed as the SERS substrates, fabricated using a reliable and effective glancing angle deposition technique. A dataset of 4800 SERS spectra from 120 positive and 120 negative inactivated clinical human nasopharyngeal swabs are collected directly on the SERS substrates without any labels. A SFNet algorithm is tailored to adapt to the unique spectral features inherent to SERS data, achieving a test accuracy of 98.5% and a blind test accuracy of 99.04%. Moreover, an optimized SFNet algorithm unveils the capability of estimating SARS‐CoV‐2 viral loads, accurately predicting the cycle threshold values (Ct …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Surgical site infections (SSI) are major post‐operative complications following surgery. Reducing SSI is a global urgency as they account for huge pecuniary, physiological, and emotional burdens for patients. Antibiotic resistance is the main challenge for surgeons dealing with SSIs. Aggregation‐induced emission photosensitisers (AIE PS) with their distinct optical characteristics, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and target specificity, hold the potential for the treatment of SSI. Herein, a synergetic strategy combining plasma polymerization and AIE PS is adopted to develop coatings that can eradicate SSI‐causing bacteria. These coatings can preferentially kill Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria over mammalian cells after triggered by light irradiation. The cell viability and immunostaining studies confirmed their biocompatibility on mammalian cells. The antibacterial mechanistic studies explored their ability to …

ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES

Nanostructured surfaces are effective at physically killing bacterial cells, highlighting their prospective application as biomaterials. The benefits of application of mechano-bactericidal nanostructures as an alternative to chemical functionalisation are well documented, however, the effects of protein adsorption are not well understood. In this work, theoretical and experimental analyses are conducted by studying the adsorption of human serum proteins (HSP) to nanosheet titanium (Ti) and its subsequent effect on the mechano-bactericidal efficacy toward Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells. The nanosheet pattern exhibits enhanced antibiofouling behaviour mantaining high bactericidal efficiency toward both Gram-negative and Gram-positive cells in the presence of adsorbed HSP. To ascertain the immunomodulatory response, S. aureus cells are introduced to protein-conditioned Ti …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Efficient inverted perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are demonstrated by the introduction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)‐incorporated tin oxide (SnO2) interlayer between the SnO2 electron injection layer and the perovskite emission layer. The TEOS incorporation into the SnO2 solution spontaneously converts it to a SiO2–SnO2 composite colloidal solution with a wide band gap, thermal stability, transparency, and chemical stability toward perovskite. The TEOS‐incorporated SnO2 interlayer effectively restricts the charge transfer from perovskite into SnO2 and promotes electron injection from SnO2 into perovskite due to the shift toward favorable energy band alignment. In addition, the TEOS‐treated interlayer balances the electron injection rate and the hole injection rate, thereby facilitating radiative recombination of the charge carriers injected into perovskite. As a result, the inverted PeLEDs exhibit …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Slippery surfaces (i.e., surfaces that display high liquid droplet mobility) are receiving significant attention due to their biofluidic applications. Non‐textured, all‐solid, slippery hydrophilic (SLIC) surfaces are an emerging class of rare and counter‐intuitive surfaces. In this work, the interactions of blood and bacteria with SLIC surfaces are investigated. The SLIC surfaces demonstrate significantly lower platelet and leukocyte adhesion (≈97.2% decrease in surface coverage), and correspondingly low platelet activation, as well as significantly lower bacterial adhesion (≈99.7% decrease in surface coverage of live Escherichia Coli and ≈99.6% decrease in surface coverage of live Staphylococcus Aureus) and proliferation compared to untreated silicon substrates, indicating their potential for practical biomedical applications. The study envisions that the SLIC surfaces will pave the path to improved biomedical devices …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Transmembrane transport analysis is essential for understanding cell physiological processes. Based on an artificial simulation of internal and external cellular environment, this paper introduces an innovative approach to investigate the microscopic behavior of small molecules through porin protein under mechanical curvature of lipid membrane. A flexible device system is developed, enabling quantitative electronic transmembrane analysis. The key transistor comprises a flexible, microporous electrode covered with the support lipid bilayers (SLBs) to mimic artificial cellular membrane, serving as an extended gate of the field‐effect transistor (FET). The transmembrane behaviors of charged ions and small molecules can be effectively monitored in real time by this FET‐based flexible device system. The flexibility of the electrode allows analyzing the transmembrane behavior under different mechanical bends. In this …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

To date, there are very few experimental techniques, if any, that are suitable for the purpose of acquiring quantitative maps of the thermal expansivity of 2D materials and nanostructured thin films with nanoscale lateral resolution in spite of huge demand for nanoscale thermal management, for example in designing integrated circuitry for power electronics. Besides, contactless analytical tools for determining the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) are highly desirable because probes in contact with the sample significantly perturb any thermal measurements. Here, ω‐2ω near‐field thermoreflectance imaging is presented as a novel, all‐optical, and contactless technique to map the TEC at the nanoscale with precision. Testing of this technique is performed on nanogranular films of gold and multilayer graphene (ML‐G) platelets. With ω‐2ω near‐field thermoreflectance, it is demonstrated that the TEC of Au is higher at …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

An important exercise for understanding the emergent behavior in biology is to study it using minimal synthetic systems. Current biomimetic systems involving directed motion and collective migration require at least three components: two immiscible solvents to form an emulsion, and external agent(s), usually surfactants, to give rise to asymmetric interactions and induce transient non‐equilibrium conditions. Here, the most minimal system thinkable, consisting of only two components, is presented, in the form of micron‐sized oil (1‐decanol) droplets dispersed in a finite water reservoir. Spontaneous emergent dynamics within chemically identical droplet populations is reported, in the form of physical differentiation of droplets in a stochastic manner leading to an immediate repulsive behavior amongst their neighbors. Using a microfluidic production platform, fluorescence microscopy experiments, and modelling, it is …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Marine biofouling–the adhesion of marine organisms onto a ship hull–causes increased fuel consumption, leading to massive carbon dioxide emissions. Many attempts are made to address this issue, and antifouling polymer coatings are extensively investigated owing to their environmental friendliness. Zwitterionic polymers, polysaccharides, and polyethylene glycol are frequently used as surface coatings, demonstrating excellent marine antifouling performance. However, these hydrophilic polymer coatings have a major drawback: when exposed to sediment, various minerals are easily adsorbed by the coatings, causing them to lose their inherent antifouling properties. Amphiphilic polymer coatings have therefore been proposed as alternatives to hydrophilic polymer coatings. In this study, the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers composed of carboxybetaine methacrylamide and trifluoroethyl methacrylate and …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Nanoglasses have attracted considerable interest among material scientists due to their novel and surprising properties. However, there is still a significant gap in understanding how nanoglasses interact with biomaterials and their effects on living cells. Previous cell studies have reported indications of possible proliferation effects, but a comprehensive understanding of differentiating nanoglass influences from distinct material or topography effects is yet to be established. In this study, the interaction between nanoglass surfaces and phospholipids, which are fundamental components of cell membranes, is investigated. The findings reveal a unique stabilizing effect exhibited by nanoglasses on structures created using lipid dip‐pen nanolithography, preventing their spreading over the surface (“confinement”). This discovery suggests that nanoglasses can potentially influence the structure of cell membranes …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Sepsis, whole‐body inflammation caused by the contamination of blood by bacteria and endotoxins, affects millions of patients annually with high mortality rates. A recent promising approach to treat sepsis involves the removal of bacteria and endotoxins using extracorporeal blood‐cleansing devices. However, poor specificity, slow recognition of pathogens, and high costs remain the main limitations. Here, the melanin, a biologically derived pigment, is reported for the rapid binding of bacteria and endotoxins from the contaminated blood . This novel approach utilizes the specific binding between Zn2+‐loaded melanin and bacteria/endotoxins with minimal nonspecific interactions with human blood components. Melanin contains various chemical functional groups that allow reversible chelation of metallic ions such as Zn2+ via redox reactions. Zn2+ enables rapid and specific binding with bacteria/endotoxins due …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Characterization of multilayer coatings in 3D presents many challenges, as composition can change by area and by depth. Compositional characteristics of the interior of multilayer coatings emerge during analysis, so are frequently discovered only through exacting retrospective investigations. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) can be used to elucidate such complex systems; however, data analysis is a challenge. In this work a detail presentation is done of 3D chemical characterization of a low emissivity (low‐E) double silver coating on glass using ToF‐SIMS and machine learning. An unsupervised machine learning technique, the self‐organizing map with relational perspective mapping, is used to visualize the chemical similarity between different layers of the low‐E film. Repeating layers are easily identified at the single‐voxel level, based on their entire mass spectra, and are classified …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Transparent photothermal coatings based on plasmonic noble metals often face a trade‐off between achieved temperatures and transmittances. This challenge arises from the fact that plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs), which rely on their size and structures, selectively absorb light of various wavelengths and convert it into heat. In the cases of randomly arranged plasmonic NPs, absorbances are predominantly in the visible range, leading to lowered transmittances. In this work, the self‐assembly behavior of a biotemplate containing flexible potato virus A (PVA) is used to produce network‐like surface patterns with controllable intermittent vacancies. These templates effectively anchor silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), forming dense arrays of plasmonic hotspots interspersed with vacant regions. With this approach, a temperature increase of 21 °C above ambient temperature under 1‐sun radiation is achieved while …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Complex oxide heterointerfaces provide a spacious arena for creating emergent phenomena that are unattainable in the constituent bulk counterparts. Herein, The BaTiO3/La1‐xSrxMnO3 [BTO/LSMO (x)] superlattice (SL) as a model system to investigate the intimately coupled interfacial effects and their resultant phenomena is focused on. The experimental and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the induced magnetism on Ti originates from both the charge transfer process between Mn and Ti at the titanate/manganite heterointerfaces and the cation intermixing, both contributing comparably to the overall magnetic effect. Upon changing x, the orbital reconstruction of the Mn 3d electrons, tailored by the strain state of the LSMO (x) layers, efficiently modifies the magnetic exchange coupling between Mn–Ti and Mn–Mn at the interfaces, which are proved to account for the modulations of the …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Semiconducting single‐walled carbon nanotube (CNT) is a promising candidate as a channel material for advanced logic transistors, attributed to the ultra‐thin 1‐nm cylindrical geometry, high mobility, and high carrier injection velocity. However, the presence of undesired CNT bundles in the CNT arrays for wafer‐scale device fabrication, even when utilizing the state‐of‐the‐art dimension‐limited self‐alignment (DLSA) method, poses challenges. These CNT bundles degrade the transistor gate's efficiency in controlling the flow of charge carriers in the CNT channel, leading to pronounced device‐to‐device variability. Here, a novel method is introduced to alleviate bundling in CNT arrays assembled via DLSA, by involving small molecule additive to screen the attractive van der Waals force between neighboring CNTs during the DLSA process, resulting in over 50% reduction in CNT bundling. Furthermore, a …

Advanced Materials Interfaces

5Ni+3Sr/10Zr+Al catalyst is synthesized using the impregnation method, characterized, and tested for dry reforming of methane. The influence of reaction temperature, feed ratio (CO2/CH4), and gas hour space velocity are examined using multiple response surface methodology through three factors in, a four‐level central composite design. Second and higher‐order regression models are applied to evaluate the interaction between the process parameters and responses. The results indicate that the reaction temperature is the most influential followed by the space velocity, while the feed ratio has a weak effect. The optimum values that maximize each of the response variables are found to be the reaction temperature at 746 °C, the space velocity of 12 000 ccg−1h−1, and the feed ratio of 0.958. Under these conditions, the predicted CH4 and CO2 conversions are 86.83% and 92.27%, respectively. While the H2/CO …