Kam Sing Wong

Boron Doping of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Significantly Enhances Hole Extraction in Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells

Compared to the conventional perovskite solar cells (PSCs) containing hole-transport materials (HTM), carbon materials based HTM-free PSCs (C-PSCs) have often suffered from inferior power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) arising at least partially from the inefficient hole extraction at the perovskite-carbon interface. Here, we show that boron (B) doping of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (B-MWNTs) electrodes are superior in enabling enhanced hole extraction and transport by increasing work function, carrier concentration, and conductivity of MWNTs. The C-PSCs prepared using the B-MWNTs as the counter electrodes to extract and transport hole carriers have achieved remarkably higher performances than that with the undoped MWNTs, with the resulting PCE being considerably improved from 10.70% (average of 9.58%) to 14.60% (average of 13.70%). Significantly, these cells show negligible hysteretic behavior. Moreover, by coating a thin layer of insulating aluminum oxide (Al2O3) on the mesoporous TiO2 film as a physical barrier to substantially reduce the charge losses, the PCE has been further pushed to 15.23% (average 14.20%). Finally, the impressive durability and stability of the prepared C-PSCs were also testified under various conditions, including long-term air exposure, heat treatment, and high humidity.

Non-conventional fluorescent biogenic and synthetic polymers without aromatic rings

Non-conventional fluorescent materials without aromatic structures have attracted much research attention in recent years. However, the working mechanism responsible for their fluorescence remains mysterious. Here we decipher the origin of fluorescence by studying the photophysical properties of a series of non-aromatic biogenic and synthetic peptides. An experimental study suggests that the turn-on fluorescence in the aggregation state/condensed phase is associated with the communication of amide groups, where hydrogen bonds are playing a critical role in bringing these functionalities into close proximity. This explanation is further justified by the study of the hierarchical influence on fluorescence and applied to biomimetic polymers in a more general content. This discovery provides a more comprehensive insight into the bioluminescence system. It may stimulate future development of new fluorescent materials, and inspire research on disease diagnostics, biomechanics measurements, etc. that are associated with protein morphology.

Optical Modulation of Amplified Emission in a Polyfluorene–Diarylethene Blend

A novel system for the modulation of amplified emission based on a polyfluorene/diarylethene (namely F8BT/DTP) blend is shown. The high sensitivity of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is exploited to achieve efficient emission modulation with a low-intensity control signal. Modulation is then characterized by photoluminescence (PL) lifetime measurements, photocurrent experiments, and density functional theory calculations. This system can also act as a photocurrent switch based on the same principle. This technique may represent a useful tool for fluorescence quenching and sensing as well as find application in organic photonics.

Development of benzylidene-methyloxazolone based AIEgens and decipherment of their working mechanism

Based on an analogue of green fluorescent protein chromophore benzylidene-methyloxazolone (BMO), a series of fluorophores with an additional phenyl group, BMO-PH, BMO-PF, BMO-PM and BMO-PC, have been prepared and are found to be AIE-active. Their solutions are weakly emissive and their aggregation or solid states are highly emissive. Although these compounds readily undergo efficient E/Z isomerization (EZI) upon UV irradiation in solution, the intramolecular rotation around the double bond and phenyl rotation around the single bond serve as the key non-radiative decay channels to dissipate the excited-state energies. The EZI is only the phenomenal result. In aggregates, these intramolecular motions are greatly restricted by multiple intermolecular interactions, resulting in the AIE effect. To ensure a high solid-state quantum yield, prevention of detrimental π–π stacking is of essence. An additional phenyl group to BMO is found to increase the π–π distance and weaken the π–π interaction. Thus, the quantum yields are increased. Strong electron-donating groups and extended conjugation are effective at tuning the emission color bathochromically. Based on these principles, we succeeded in increasing the solid-state quantum yield up to 50% and obtaining a red emission maximum of 635 nm. Moreover, these compounds are promising for applications in photoswitches and fluorescent patterns, and their crystals are good candidates for luminescent waveguides with low light loss efficiency.

Tuning the A-site cation composition of FA perovskites for efficient and stable NiO-based p-i-n perovskite solar cells

Cation mixing has proved to be effective in stabilizing the high-temperature phase of formamidinium (FA)-based perovskites, affording high-performance n–i–p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, optimum cation mixing is found to be inapplicable directly to NiO p–i–n PSCs due to the energy band misalignment. In the present study, we reveal the role of mixing cesium (Cs), methylammonium (MA) and formamidinium (FA) in the energy band alignments and the crystallization of perovskites in such a device structure. By tuning the composition of mixed cations, we have significantly improved the energy band alignments of perovskites in p–i–n NiO-based PSCs. The relative amount of Cs to MA cations also plays a decisive role in shaping the nature of perovskite precursors, thus impacting the quality of the resulting perovskite layer in NiO p–i–n PSCs. These insights and the associated engineering efforts led to a significantly improved power conversion efficiency of 18.6% based on the NiO p–i–n PSCs, in addition to their superior ambient stability to typical n–i–p PSCs.

Endoplasmic Reticulum-Localized Two-Photon-Absorbing Boron Dipyrromethenes as Advanced Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy

Two advanced boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) based photosensitizers have been synthesized and characterized. With a glibenclamide analogous moiety, these compounds can localize in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells and HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells. The BODIPY π skeleton is conjugated with two styryl or carbazolylethenyl groups, which can substantially red-shift the Q-band absorption and fluorescence emission and impart two-photon absorption (TPA) property to the chromophores. The TPA cross section of the carbazole-containing analogue reaches a value of 453 GM at 1010 nm. These compounds also behave as singlet oxygen generators with high photostability. Upon irradiation at λ > 610 nm, these photosensitizers cause photocytotoxicity to these two cell lines with IC50 values down to 0.09 μM, for which the cell death is triggered mainly by ER stress. The two-photon photodynamic activity of the distyryl derivative upon excitation at λ = 800 nm has also been demonstrated.

Room-temperature InP/InGaAs nano-ridge lasers grown on Si and emitting at telecom bands

Semiconductor nano-lasers grown on silicon and emitting at the telecom bands are advantageous ultra-compact coherent light sources for potential Si-based photonic integrated circuit applications. However, realizing room-temperature lasing inside nano-cavities at telecom bands is challenging and has only been demonstrated up to the E band. Here, we report on InP/InGaAs nano-ridge lasers with emission wavelengths ranging from the O, E, and S bands to the C band operating at room temperature with ultra-low lasing thresholds. Using a cycled growth procedure, ridge InGaAs quantum wells inside InP nano-ridges grown on patterned (001) Si substrates are designed as active gain materials. Room-temperature lasing at the telecom bands is achieved by transferring the InP/InGaAs nano-ridges onto a SiO2/Si substrate for optical excitation. We also show that the operation wavelength of InP/InGaAs nano-lasers can be adjusted by altering the excitation power density and the length of the nano-ridges formed in a single growth run. These results indicate the excellent optical properties of the InP/InGaAs nano-ridges grown on (001) Si substrates and pave the way towards telecom InP/InGaAs nano-laser arrays on CMOS standard Si or silicon-on-insulator substrates.