Researchers from the University of Hong Kong report how solution shearing of organic semiconductor crystals is influenced by a surface tension gradient. Using a Marangoni-effect-assisted bar coating method, ultrathin, uniform layers of crystals with large domain sizes are obtained that show excellent performance in organic field-effect transistors.
Flexible Electroluminescent Device for Modular Sensing Applications
Researchers introduce a new device concept for electroluminescent displays, which does not require transparent electrodes and can be used as remotely readable, spatially-responsive sensors that emit light in response to the accumulation and distribution of materials on the device surface.
Anisogel: A New Hybrid Hydrogel for Tissue Regenerative Therapy
A new type of hybrid hydrogel for tissue regenerative therapy—Anisogel—is developed by Abdolrahman Omidinia-Anarkoli, Laura De Laporte, and co-workers from the Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in Aachen, Germany. This low-invasive hydrogel is promising for healing body tissues that consist of an aligned architecture, such as the heart, kidney, muscles, and nerves.
A Unified Model for Hafnium-Oxide-Based Resistive Random Access Memory
Lambert Alff and his team from Darmstadt University of Technology (TU Darmstadt) in Germany, along with their collaborators, propose a novel unified model for hafnium-oxide resistive random access memory (RRAM) based on the role of oxygen vacancy defects.
Aqueous-Processed Hole-Transport Layer for High-Performance Solar Cells
Thomas D. Anthopoulos and colleagues report a simple, environmentally-friendly processing method for copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN), a next-generation hole-transport layer (HTL) for organic and hybrid perovskite solar cells. The power conversion efficiency reaches 17.5%—a remarkable improvement over conventional polymer HTLs.
Defect Engineering an Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst
University of Waterloo researchers develop a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst based on graphene that can recharge zinc-air batteries more efficiently.
Reducing Light-Induced Burn-In in Polymer Solar Cells
Jordi Matorell and co-workers achieve a longer lifetime of polymer solar cells by addressing the issue and mechanism of UV-induced “burn-in”, a phenomenon linked to rapid degradation of electron transport.
High-Performance Carbon Quantum Dots for Warm WLEDs
Highly efficient, red-emissive carbon quantum dots (R-CQDs) with a quantum yield of 53% are prepared and a CQD-phosphors-based warm white-light-emitting diode (WLED) is realized for the first time.
3D-Printed, Bioinspired Blood Vessels for Treatment of Ischemic Diseases
Researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology and Pusan National University engineer a bioinspired blood vessel for treating ischemic diseases using a 3D bioprinting technique.
Improved Fabrication Method for Flexible Spinel-Ferrite-Based Devices
Chunrui Ma, Ming Liu, and colleagues develop a practical way to transfer flexible, centimeter-scale, single-crystalline spinel ferrite oxide thin films onto flexible substrates for applications in flexible and wearable electronics.