Hongzhu Liu

ZnO-based graphite-insulator-semiconductor diode for transferable and low thermal resistance high-power devices

ZnO-based graphite-insulator-semiconductor (GIS) diode was fabricated on the high thermal and electrical conductive graphite substrate, with a SiO2 thin layer employed as the insulator layer. The current-voltage characteristics exhibit an excellent rectifying diode-like behavior with an obvious turn on voltage of 2.0 V and rather low leakage current of ∼10−4 A. An interesting negative capacitance phenomenon was also observed from the GIS diode. The excellent heat dissipation performance of the GIS diode compared with conventional sapphire based devices was experimentally demonstrated, which was of special interest for the development of high-power semiconductor devices with sufficient power durability.

Synthesis and Characterization of Waterborne Fluoropolymers Prepared by the One-Step Semi-Continuous Emulsion Polymerization of Chlorotrifluoroethylene, Vinyl Acetate, Butyl Acrylate, Veova 10 and Acrylic Acid

Waterborne fluoropolymer emulsions were synthesized using the one-step semi-continuous seed emulsion polymerization of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), vinyl acetate (VAc), n-butyl acrylate (BA), Veova 10, and acrylic acid (AA). The main physical parameters of the polymer emulsions were tested and analyzed. Characteristics of the polymer films such as thermal stability, glass transition temperature, film-forming properties, and IR spectrum were studied. Meanwhile, the weatherability of fluoride coatings formulated by the waterborne fluoropolymer and other coatings were evaluated by the quick ultraviolet (QUV) accelerated weathering test, and the results showed that the fluoropolymer with more than 12% fluoride content possessed outstanding weather resistance. Moreover, scale-up and industrial-scale experiments of waterborne fluoropolymer emulsions were also performed and investigated.

VO2 Thermochromic Films on Quartz Glass Substrate Grown by RF-Plasma-Assisted Oxide Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) thermochromic thin films with various thicknesses were grown on quartz glass substrates by radio frequency (RF)-plasma assisted oxide molecular beam epitaxy (O-MBE). The crystal structure, morphology and chemical stoichiometry were investigated systemically by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. An excellent reversible metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) characteristics accompanied by an abrupt change in both electrical resistivity and optical infrared (IR) transmittance was observed from the optimized sample. Remarkably, the transition temperature (TMIT) deduced from the resistivity-temperature curve was reasonably consistent with that obtained from the temperature-dependent IR transmittance. Based on Raman measurement and XPS analyses, the observations were interpreted in terms of residual stresses and chemical stoichiometry. This achievement will be of great benefit for practical application of VO2-based smart windows.

Engineered Multifunctional Fluorinated Film Based on Semicontinuous Emulsion Polymerization Using Polymerizable Quaternary Ammonium Emulsifiers

Along with society’s progress, high-quality coatings are widely used. Although fluorinated polymers were successfully prepared by semicontinuous emulsion polymerization with surfactants, chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), and acrylate monomers, the optimization collocation of surfactants still has room for improvement. The traditional emulsifiers are physically absorbed onto the surface of latex particles. The latex film generated by latex particles is unstable in water, which limits its application. Herein, a novel series of cationic quaternary ammonium polymerizable surfactant was selected because it can react with CTFE and acrylate monomers and can become a part of the polymers. We also studied the effects of emulsifier type on resultant emulsion properties. In addition, wonderful weatherability, water resistance, and antibacterial and antifouling of the multifunctional fluorinated films were observed, which would open up a bright future for coating industries.

Enhanced stability of perovskite solar cells using hydrophobic organic fluoropolymer

Hydrophobic organic fluoropolymers (HOFPs) with excellent hydrophobic, heat-resistant, and sunlight-transparent properties were synthesized by emulsion polymerization. The HOFP layer was inserted between a (FAMA)Pb(IBr)3 active layer and a hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The performance of the resulting PSC devices depends highly on the thickness of the HOFP layer. Under optimized HOFP thickness, a moderate steady power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.9% was achieved. Remarkably, the optimized PSCs without any encapsulation exhibit outstanding shelf stability under ambient conditions, and the PCE could maintain 80% of its initial value after 2400 h (100 days), which was among the ever reported best stability whereas, the reference device without HOFP shows rapid severe degradation after only a few days. The significantly improved stability of PSCs was mainly ascribed to the impermeable barrier properties of the HOFP layer, which protect the perovskite active layer against moisture and oxygen from the ambient atmosphere.Hydrophobic organic fluoropolymers (HOFPs) with excellent hydrophobic, heat-resistant, and sunlight-transparent properties were synthesized by emulsion polymerization. The HOFP layer was inserted between a (FAMA)Pb(IBr)3 active layer and a hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The performance of the resulting PSC devices depends highly on the thickness of the HOFP layer. Under optimized HOFP thickness, a moderate steady power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.9% was achieved. Remarkably, the optimized PSCs without any encapsulation exhibit outstanding shelf stability under ambient conditions, and the PCE could maintain 80% of its initial value after 2400 h (100 days), which was among the ever reported best stability whereas, the reference device without HOFP shows rapid severe degradation after only a few days. The significantly improved stability of PSCs was mainly ascribed to the impermeable barrier properties of the HOFP layer, which protect the perovskite active layer against moisture...

Synthesis of SiO2/β-SiC/graphite hybrid composite by low temperature hot filament chemical vapor deposition

β-SiC thin films were synthesized directly on graphite by hot filament chemical vapor deposition at low temperature. SiH4 diluted in hydrogen was employed as the silicon source, while graphite was functioned as both substrate and carbon source for the as-grown β-SiC films. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analysis indicate that SiO2/β-SiC/graphite hybrid composite was formed after post annealing treatment, and its crystalline quality can be remarkably improved under optimized annealing conditions. The possible growth mechanism was proposed based on in situ etching of graphite by reactive hydrogen radicals at the atomic level.