Magnus Berggren

Optimization of the thermoelectric figure of merit in the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) transform a heat flow into electricity. Thermoelectric materials are being investigated for electricity production from waste heat (co-generation) and natural heat sources. For temperatures below 200 °C, the best commercially available inorganic semiconductors are bismuth telluride (Bi(2)Te(3))-based alloys, which possess a figure of merit ZT close to one. Most of the recently discovered thermoelectric materials with ZT>2 exhibit one common property, namely their low lattice thermal conductivities. Nevertheless, a high ZT value is not enough to create a viable technology platform for energy harvesting. To generate electricity from large volumes of warm fluids, heat exchangers must be functionalized with TEGs. This requires thermoelectric materials that are readily synthesized, air stable, environmentally friendly and solution processable to create patterns on large areas. Here we show that conducting polymers might be capable of meeting these demands. The accurate control of the oxidation level in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) combined with its low intrinsic thermal conductivity (λ=0.37 W m(-1) K(-1)) yields a ZT=0.25 at room temperature that approaches the values required for efficient devices.

Semi-metallic polymers

Polymers are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable materials that are promising for low-cost printed electronics as well as for mass-produced and large-area applications. Previous studies demonstrated that they can possess insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties; here we report that polymers can also be semi-metallic. Semi-metals, exemplified by bismuth, graphite and telluride alloys, have no energy bandgap and a very low density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, they typically have a higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivities compared with metals, thus being suitable for thermoelectric applications. We measure the thermoelectric properties of various poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) samples, and observe a marked increase in the Seebeck coefficient when the electrical conductivity is enhanced through molecular organization. This initiates the transition from a Fermi glass to a semi-metal. The high Seebeck value, the metallic conductivity at room temperature and the absence of unpaired electron spins makes polymer semi-metals attractive for thermoelectrics and spintronics.

Active Matrix Displays Based on All‐Organic Electrochemical Smart Pixels Printed on Paper

An organic electronic paper display technology (see Figure and also inside front cover) is presented. The electrochromic display cell together with the addressing electrochemical transistor form si ...

Light amplification in organic thin films using cascade energy transfer

There is currently renewed interest in the development of lasers using solid-state organic and polymeric materials as the gain media. These materials have a number of properties that make them good candidates for such applications — for example, emission bands that are displaced (via a Stokes shift) from absorption bands, and the ease with which the emitting species can be embedded in a suitable host material. But despite these advantages, the threshold power densities required for light amplification that have been reported so far have been high. Here we describe an approach, based on energy transfer between molecular species, that can lower the threshold for stimulated emission and laser action while improving markedly the waveguiding properties of the active material. In our materials, an initial molecular excited state is generated in the host compound by absorption of light; this state is then resonantly and non-radiatively transferred down in energy (through one or more steps) between suitably matched dye molecules dispersed in the host, so ensuring that the absorption losses at the final emission wavelengths are very small. Such composite gain media provide provide broad tunability of the emission wavelength, and also decouple the optical emission properties from the transport properties, so providing greater flexibility for the design of future electrically driven device structures.

Micrometer- and Nanometer-Sized Polymeric Light-Emitting Diodes

A method for the fabrication of micrometer-and submicrometer-sized polymeric light-emitting diodes is presented. Such diodes have a variety of applications. Light sources of dimensions around 100 nanometers are required for subwavelength, near-field optical microscopy. Another possible application is patterning on the micrometer and nanometer scale. The diodes have been made in the form of a sandwich structure, with the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) polymerized in the pores of commercially available microfiltration membranes defining the hole-injecting contacts, poly[3-(4-octylphenyl)-2,2;-bithiophene] as the light-emitting layer, and a thin film of calcium-aluminum as the electron injector.

Organic electronics for precise delivery of neurotransmitters to modulate mammalian sensory function

Significant advances have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology, molecular targets and therapies for the treatment of a variety of nervous-system disorders. Particular therapies involve electrical sensing and stimulation of neural activity, and significant effort has therefore been devoted to the refinement of neural electrodes. However, direct electrical interfacing suffers from some inherent problems, such as the inability to discriminate amongst cell types. Thus, there is a need for novel devices to specifically interface nerve cells. Here, we demonstrate an organic electronic device capable of precisely delivering neurotransmitters in vitro and in vivo. In converting electronic addressing into delivery of neurotransmitters, the device mimics the nerve synapse. Using the peripheral auditory system, we show that out of a diverse population of cells, the device can selectively stimulate nerve cells responding to a specific neurotransmitter. This is achieved by precise electronic control of electrophoretic migration through a polymer film. This mechanism provides several sought-after features for regulation of cell signalling: exact dosage determination through electrochemical relationships, minimally disruptive delivery due to lack of fluid flow, and on-off switching. This technology has great potential as a therapeutic platform and could help accelerate the development of therapeutic strategies for nervous-system disorders.

A Water‐Gate Organic Field‐Effect Transistor

High-dielectric-constant insulators, organic monolayers, and electrolytes have been successfully used to generate organic field-effect transistors operating at low voltages. Here, we report on a de ...

Complete Transection of the Median and Radial Nerves During Arthroscopic Release of Post-traumatic Elbow Contracture

Arthroscopic debridement and capsular release was performed in a 57-year-old woman because of post-traumatic stiffness in the dominant right elbow joint. During this procedure, the median and radial nerves were completely transected. A few recent reports of small series have described encouraging results after arthroscopic capsular release of post-traumatic elbow contracture, but the present case demonstrates the inherent risk of damage to neurovascular structures.

Stimulated emission and lasing in dye-doped organic thin films with Forster transfer

Optically pumped stimulated emission and lasing in thin films of an absorbing host 8-hydroxyquinolinato aluminum(Alq) doped with small amounts of the laser dye DCM II is observed. Forster transfer of the excitation from the Alq molecules to the DCM II molecules results in a high absorption coefficient at pump wavelength (337 nm) as well as low absorption loss at the emission wavelengths (610–650 nm).

Tuning the thermoelectric properties of conducting polymers in an electrochemical transistor.

While organic field-effect transistors allow the investigation of interfacial charge transport at the semiconductor-dielectric interface, an electrochemical transistor truly modifies the oxidation level and conductivity throughout the bulk of an organic semiconductor. In this work, the thermoelectric properties of the bulk of the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) were controlled electrically by varying the gate voltage. In light of the growing interest in conducting polymers as thermoelectric generators, this method provides an easy tool to study the physics behind the thermoelectric properties and to optimize polymer thermoelectrics.