Anto Regis Inigo

Nanoimprinted Organic Semiconductor Laser Pumped by a Light‐Emitting Diode

An organic semiconductor laser, simply fabricated by UV-nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL), that is pumped with a pulsed InGaN LED is demonstrated. Molecular weight optimization of the polymer gain medium on a nanoimprinted polymer distributed feedback resonator enables the lowest reported UV-NIL laser threshold density of 770 W cm(-2) , establishing the potential for scalable organic laser fabrication compatible with mass-produced LEDs.

An Organic Down‐Converting Material for White‐Light Emission from Hybrid LEDs

A novel BODIPY-containing organic small molecule is synthesized and employed as a down-converting layer on a commercial blue light-emitting diode (LED). The resulting hybrid device demonstrates white-light emission under low-current operation, with color coordinates of (0.34, 0.31) and an efficacy of 13.6 lm/W; four times greater than the parent blue LED.

BODIPY-based conjugated polymers for broadband light sensing and harvesting applications

The synthesis of novel low band-gap polymers has significantly improved light sensing and harvesting in polymer–fullerene devices. Here the synthesis of two low band-gap polymers based on the 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene core (BODIPY), and either bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (bis-EDOT) or its all-sulfur analogue bis(3,4-ethylenedithiathiophene) (bis-EDTT) are described. The polymers demonstrate ambipolar charge transport and are shown to be suitable for broadband light sensing and solar energy harvesting in solution-processable polymer–fullerene devices.

Structure and charge transport properties in MEH-PPV

The charge carrier transport in MEH-PPV is investigated with respect to different molecular weight distributions and with different tetrahedral defect densities. The defect density influences the charge transport behaviors significantly. With smaller defect density, MEH-PPV exhibits better charge transport which further depends upon the morphology. Position disorder parameter which is due to the morphology difference dominates the charge transport properties of low defect samples.

Role of Metal Phthalocyanine in Redox Complex Conductivity of Polyaniline and Aniline Black

Polyaniline (PA) and aniline black (AB) were prepared in powder form by the chemical method of oxidative polymerization, from which free-standing thin films were obtained by solvent evaporation using N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP). The thin films contained 2, 4, 6 or 8 wt% AB. Electrical measurements showed that the samples containing 4% AB exhibited the highest photoconductivity of the four concentrations. Thus there appears to be a critical ratio of PA to AB for maximum photoconductivity. Annealing up to 570 K has little effect on the conductivity. Upon adding a small quantity of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) to the PA + AB, the electrical conductivity increased considerably and the optical absorption was extended from the UV to the near IR. The electrical conductivity mechanism is a consequence of a redox process, since AB is the oxidized state of PA and, upon illumination, there is an exchange of charge carriers. The extension of the range of optical absorption upon addition of CuPc is interpreted to suggest that CuPc photosensitizes the material and enhances the carrier transport process in the redox couple. The activation energy from the temperature-dependent conductivity and the band gap from the electrolyte electroreflectance method were determined. The activation energy for 0.4% CuPc is lowest (0.52 eV) and the corresponding band gap is determined to be 3.0 eV. This organic compound could be a good candidate for inexpensive, reliable and efficient solar energy-converting devices.

High brightness solution-processed OLEDs employing linear, small molecule emitters

Two novel linear oligomers that can be solution-processed to form green organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are reported. Each oligomer has a donor–acceptor structure, incorporating a benzothiadiazole core with bifluorene arms attached at the 4- and 7-positions. Further electron donor behaviour is inferred from a terminal triphenylamine unit in Green 2. The resulting solution-processed OLEDs exhibited excellent performance, with a maximum luminance of 20 388 cd m−2 recorded for Green 2.

Copper phthalocyanine as an efficient dopant in development of solar cells

Organic semiconductors having conjugate bonds, such as phthalocyanines, are well known photoconductors. Phthalocyanines absorb light on either side of blue-green region in the visible spectrum. And polyaniline which has conjugate bonds is photosensitive. When polyaniline thin films are prepared with copper phthalocyanine powder the magnitude of absorption of the films not only increases but also broadens, indicating a wide absorption region between 1.7 and 2.3 eV and above 3.0 eV of the visible spectrum. Thus copper phthalocyanine is shown to increase the efficiency of solar cells made of conducting polymers such as polyaniline. The use of iodine along with copper phthalocyanine in preparation of thin films is shown to smooth the broadening effect in absorption of solar cells. Attempts are underway to increase the absorption on either end of the visible spectrum, viz., infrared as well as ultraviolet regions, using suitable dopants. This would ensure the overall efficiency of solar cells made of organic photoconductive materials to absorb solar energy from infrared to ultraviolet regions of the optical spectrum, thereby making them more efficient solar energy converters.

Fully spray-coated organic solar cells on woven polyester cotton fabrics for wearable energy harvesting applications

This paper presents the novel use of spray-coating to fabricate organic solar cells on fabrics for wearable energy harvesting applications. The surface roughness of a standard woven 65/35 polyester cotton fabric used in this work is of the order of 150 μm and this is reduced to a few microns by a screen printed interface layer. This pre-treated fabric substrate with reduced surface roughness was used as the target substrate for the spray-coated fabric organic solar cells that contain multiple layers of electrodes and active materials. Fully spray-coated photovoltaic (PV) devices fabricated on fabric substrates have been successfully demonstrated with power conversion efficiency comparable to that of their glass based counterparts. All PV devices are characterised under simulated AM 1.5 conditions. Device morphologies were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This approach is potentially suitable for the low cost integration of PV devices into clothing and other decorative textiles.

Highly efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescence of an oligofluorene-truxene star-shaped compound incorporating 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole units

The incorporation of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole units within the arms of a trigonal quarterfluorene–truxene star-shaped system leads to a monodisperse material with stable multi-electron p- and n-doped states and highly efficient yellow electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). The quantum yield for ECL is 7 times greater than that of the common blue ECL emitter 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA).

Solution processable diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) cored small molecules with BODIPY end groups as novel donors for organic solar cells

Summary Two novel triads based on a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) central core and two 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) units attached by thiophene rings have been synthesised having high molar extinction coefficients. These triads were characterised and used as donor materials in small molecule, solution processable organic solar cells. Both triads were blended with PC71BM as an acceptor in different ratios by wt % and their photovoltaic properties were studied. For both the triads a modest photovoltaic performance was observed, having an efficiency of 0.65%. Moreover, in order to understand the ground and excited state properties and vertical absorption profile of DPP and BODIPY units within the triads, theoretical DFT and TDDFT calculations were performed.