Ternary blend bulk heterojunction organic solar cells comprising either a polythiophene donor and two fullerene acceptors or two polythiophene donors and a fullerene acceptor are shown to have unique electronic properties. Measurements of the photocurrent spectral response and the open-circuit voltage show that the HOMO and LUMO levels change continuously with composition in the respective two-component acceptor or donor pair, consistent with the formation of an organic alloy. However, optical absorption of the exciton states retains the individual molecular properties of the two materials across the blend composition. This difference is attributed to the highly localized molecular nature of the exciton and the more delocalized intermolecular nature of electrons and holes that reflect the average composition of the alloy. As established here, the combination of molecular excitations that can harvest a wide range of photon energies and electronic alloy states that can adjust the open-circuit voltage provides the underlying basis of ternary blends as a platform for highly efficient next-generation organic solar cells.
A modified liquefied gas electrolyte with the addition of fully coordinated cosolvent enables unique Li solvation structures. Their favorable properties lead to dendrite-free high Coulombic efficiency Li-metal anode cycling and enable lowtemperature operation even down to À60 C with high Li-metal efficiency. The system shows potential for improved energy density and low-temperature operation of Li-metal batteries.
Liquefied gas electrolytes with unique solvation structure enable high ionic conductivity in extended temperature ranges, supporting wide-temperature high-voltage lithium metal batteries.
The kinetics of light-induced recombination centers in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells are measured as a function of exposure time, intensity, and the illumination photon energy. The density of induced centers increases with exposure but stabilizes partially due to self-annealing. UV exposure is roughly 50 times more effective for defect creation than white light or yellow-filtered white light. Light-induced breaking of C-H bonds to create H-related localized states is proposed as the underlying mechanism.
In the originally published version of this article, the unit on the y axes of Figures 3B and 3C was incorrectly written as ''mV.'' The correct unit is ''V.'' Figure 3 has now been corrected online and is shown below. The authors regret this error.
Haptic devices are in general more adept at mimicking the bulk properties of materials than they are at mimicking the surface properties. Herein, a haptic glove is described which is capable of producing sensations reminiscent of three types of near‐surface properties: hardness, temperature, and roughness. To accomplish this mixed mode of stimulation, three types of haptic actuators are combined: vibrotactile motors, thermoelectric devices, and electrotactile electrodes made from a stretchable conductive polymer synthesized in the laboratory. This polymer consists of a stretchable polyanion which serves as a scaffold for the polymerization of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene). The scaffold is synthesized using controlled radical polymerization to afford material of low dispersity, relatively high conductivity, and low impedance relative to metals. The glove is equipped with flex sensors to make it possible to control a robotic hand and a hand in virtual reality (VR). In psychophysical experiments, human participants are able to discern combinations of electrotactile, vibrotactile, and thermal stimulation in VR. Participants trained to associate these sensations with roughness, hardness, and temperature have an overall accuracy of 98%, whereas untrained participants have an accuracy of 85%. Sensations can similarly be conveyed using a robotic hand equipped with sensors for pressure and temperature.
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