Sarah E. Atanasov

Platinum-free cathode for dye-sensitized solar cells using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) formed via oxidative molecular layer deposition.

Thin ∼ 20 nm conformal poly(3,4-ehylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films are incorporated in highly conductive mesoporous indium tin oxide (m-ITO) by oxidative molecular layer deposition (oMLD). These three-dimensional catalytic/conductive networks are successfully employed as Pt-free cathodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with open circuit voltage equivalent to Pt cathode devices. Thin and conformal PEDOT films on m-ITO by oMLD create high surface area and efficient electron transport paths to promote productive reduction reaction on the PEDOT film. Because of these two synergetic effects, PEDOT-coated m-ITO by oMLD shows power conversion efficiency, 7.18%, comparable to 7.26% of Pt, and higher than that of planar PEDOT coatings, which is 4.85%. Thus, PEDOT-coated m-ITO is an exceptional opportunity to compete with Pt catalysts for low-cost energy conversion devices.

Improved cut-resistance of Kevlar® using controlled interface reactions during atomic layer deposition of ultrathin (<50 Å) inorganic coatings

Conformal atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 and TiO2 thin films on Kevlar®, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) fibers at 50 and 100 °C affects the fiber cut resistance. Systematic studies of ALD coatings between 10 to 400 A thick formed at 50 and 100 °C revealed excellent conformality, and trends in cutting performance depended on materials and process details. A 50 A/50 A TiO2/Al2O3 bilayer formed at 50 °C increased cut resistance of PPTA by 30% compared to untreated fiber materials. In situ infrared analysis shows that trimethylaluminum (TMA) Al2O3 precursor reacts sub-surface with PPTA and tends to degraded mechanical performance. The TiCl4 TiO2 precursor reacts to form a barrier that limits TMA/PPTA interactions, allowing a harder Al2O3 layer to form on top of TiO2. The thin ALD coatings do not substantially affect durability, flexibility, or weight of the PPTA, making ALD a potentially viable means to enhance the protective properties of Kevlar and other polymer fiber systems.

Inherent substrate-dependent growth initiation and selective-area atomic layer deposition of TiO2 using “water-free” metal-halide/metal alkoxide reactants

Titanium dioxide atomic layer deposition (ALD) is shown to proceed selectively on oxidized surfaces with minimal deposition on hydrogen-terminated silicon using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and titanium tetra-isopropoxide [Ti(OCH(CH3)2)4, TTIP] precursors. Ex situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows a more rapid ALD nucleation rate on both Si–OH and Si–H surfaces when water is the oxygen source. Eliminating water delays the oxidation of the hydrogen-terminated silicon, thereby impeding TiO2 film growth. For deposition at 170 °C, the authors achieve ∼2 nm of TiO2 on SiO2 before substantial growth takes place on Si–H. On both Si–H and Si–OH, the surface reactions proceed during the first few TiCl4/TTIP ALD exposure steps where the resulting products act to impede subsequent growth, especially on Si–H surfaces. Insight from this work helps expand understanding of “inherent” substrate selective ALD, where native differences in substrate surface reaction chemistry are used to promote desired selective-are...