Wencai Zhou

Photoinduced Charge-Carrier Generation in Epitaxial MOF Thin Films: High Efficiency as a Result of an Indirect Electronic Band Gap?

For inorganic semiconductors crystalline order leads to a band structure which gives rise to drastic differences to the disordered material. An example is the presence of an indirect band gap. For organic semiconductors such effects are typically not considered, since the bands are normally flat, and the band-gap therefore is direct. Herein we show results from electronic structure calculations demonstrating that ordered arrays of porphyrins reveal a small dispersion of occupied and unoccupied bands leading to the formation of a small indirect band gap. We demonstrate herein that such ordered structures can be fabricated by liquid-phase epitaxy and that the corresponding crystalline organic semiconductors exhibit superior photophysical properties, including large charge-carrier mobility and an unusually large charge-carrier generation efficiency. We have fabricated a prototype organic photovoltaic device based on this novel material exhibiting a remarkable efficiency.

Liquid- and Gas-Phase Diffusion of Ferrocene in Thin Films of Metal-Organic Frameworks

The mass transfer of the guest molecules in nanoporous host materials, in particular in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), is among the crucial features of their applications. By using thin surface-mounted MOF films in combination with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), the diffusion of ferrocene vapor and of ethanolic and hexanic ferrocene solution in HKUST-1 was investigated. For the first time, liquid- and gas-phase diffusion in MOFs was compared directly in the identical sample. The diffusion coefficients are in the same order of magnitude (~10−16 m2·s−1), whereas the diffusion coefficient of ferrocene in the empty framework is roughly 3-times smaller than in the MOF which is filled with ethanol or n-hexane.

A new class of epitaxial porphyrin metal–organic framework thin films with extremely high photocarrier generation efficiency: promising materials for all-solid-state solar cells

We demonstrate the fabrication of a new class of epitaxial porphyrin metal–organic framework thin films whose photophysical properties can be tuned by the introduction of electron-donating diphenylamine (DPA) groups into the porphyrin skeleton. The attachment of DPA groups results in strongly improved absorption characteristics, yielding the highest photocarrier generation efficiency reported so far. DFT calculations identify a shift of the charge localization pattern in the VBM (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital), confirming that the introduction of the DPA groups is the main reason for the shift of the optical absorption spectrum and the improved photocurrent generation.

Electrochromic switching of monolithic Prussian blue thin film devices

Monolithic, crystalline and highly oriented coordination network compound (CNC) Prussian blue (PB) thin films have been deposited though different routes on conductive substrates. Characterization of the monolithic thin films reveals a long-term stability, even after many redox cycles the crystallinity as well as the high orientation remain intact during the electrochromic switching process.

Linear Chains of Magnetic Ions Stacked with Variable Distance: Ferromagnetic Ordering with a Curie Temperature above 20 K.

We have studied the magnetic properties of the SURMOF-2 series of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Contrary to bulk MOF-2 crystals, where Cu(2+) ions form paddlewheels and are antiferromagnetically coupled, in this case the Cu(2+) ions are connected via carboxylate groups in a zipper-like fashion. This unusual coupling of the spin 1/2 ions within the resulting one-dimensional chains is found to stabilize a low-temperature, ferromagnetic (FM) phase. In contrast to other ordered 1D systems, no strong magnetic fields are needed to induce the ferromagnetism. The magnetic coupling constants describing the interaction between the individual metal ions have been determined in SQUID experiments. They are fully consistent with the results of ab initio DFT electronic structure calculations. The theoretical results allow the unusual magnetic behavior of this exotic, yet easy-to-fabricate, material to be described in a detailed fashion.

High Antimicrobial Activity of Metal–Organic Framework-Templated Porphyrin Polymer Thin Films

Development of surface coatings with high antimicrobial activity is urgently required to fight bacteria and other microorganisms on technical and hygiene relevant surfaces. Control over structure and topology of the surface coatings, combined with the ability to include functional molecules within the structure, is crucial for optimizing their performance. Herein, we describe a novel strategy to synthesize structurally well-defined porphyrin polymer thin films via a template approach. In this approach, bisazido-functionalized porphyrin molecules are preorganized within a metal-organic framework (MOF) structure. Afterward, porphyrin units within the MOF are covalently connected via a secondary linker. Removal of the metal ions of the MOF results in water-stable porphyrin polymer thin films that demonstrate high antibacterial activity against pathogens via visible-light-promoted generation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, this approach offers the inherent possibility to incorporate guest molecules within the structures, to functionalize the surface with biomolecules, and to create hierarchically structured materials.

Thermal cis-to-trans Isomerization of Azobenzene Side Groups in Metal-Organic Frameworks investigated by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy [in press]

Abstract The energy barrier for cis-to-trans isomerization is among the key parameters for photoswitchable molecules such as azobenzene. Recently, we introduced a well-defined model system based on thin films of crystalline, nanoporous metal-organic frameworks, MOFs. The system enables the precise investigation of the thermal cis-to-trans relaxation of virtually isolated azobenzene pendant groups by means of infrared spectroscopy in vacuum. Here, this approach is extended by using localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. This simple and relatively inexpensive setup enables the investigation of the thermal cis-to-trans isomerization in different environments, here in argon gas or in liquid butanediol. The energy barrier for the cis-to-trans-relaxation in argon, 1.17±0.20eV, is identical to the barrier in vacuum, while the energy barrier in liquid butanediol is slightly larger, 1.26±0.15eV.