Abstract
Existing gels are mostly polar, whose nature limits their role in soft devices. The intermolecular interactions of nonpolar polymer-liquid system are typically weak, which makes the gel brittle. Here we report highly soft and transparent nonpolar organogels. Even though their elements are only carbon and hydrogen, their elastic modulus, transparency, and stretchability are comparable to common soft hydrogels. A key strategy is introducing aromatic interaction into the polymer-solvent system, resulting in a high swelling ratio that enables efficient plasticization of the polymer networks. As a proof of applicability, soft perovskite nanocomposites are synthesized, where the nonpolar environment of organogels enables stable formation and preservation of highly concentrated perovskite nanocrystals, showing high photoluminescence efficiency (~99.8%) after water-exposure and environmental stabilities against air, water, acid, base, heat, light, and mechanical deformation. Their superb properties enable the demonstration of soft electroluminescent devices that stably emit bright and pure green light under diverse deformations.
Highlights
Existing gels are mostly polar, whose nature limits their role in soft devices
Their elastic moduli are the range of several megapascals, which is incompatible with recently developed soft ISELDs4
The nanocomposite retains PL intensity and photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE) compared to its initial values for more than 100 days with additional blue-shift of λem and broadening of FWHM. We propose that this behavior of the V-perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs)@aromatic interaction-induced nonpolar organogels (AINOs) in water arises from the following reasons: (i) the elastomeric nature of the AINOs enables the infiltration of water molecules, (ii) the infiltrated water molecules hydrate the surface lead (Pb) of the PNCs, which results in reduction of luminescence quenching site, and enhances PL intensities and PLQE, while (iii) the ligands of the V-PNC, chemically anchored to PS chains, are hard to be dissolved out into water, whereas that of the M-PNC, only physically dispersible in polymer networks, is relatively vulnerable to being dissolved out (Supplementary Figs. 22–25)
Summary
Existing gels are mostly polar, whose nature limits their role in soft devices. The intermolecular interactions of nonpolar polymer-liquid system are typically weak, which makes the gel brittle. As a proof of applicability, soft perovskite nanocomposites are synthesized, where the nonpolar environment of organogels enables stable formation and preservation of highly concentrated perovskite nanocrystals, showing high photoluminescence efficiency (~99.8%) after water-exposure and environmental stabilities against air, water, acid, base, heat, light, and mechanical deformation Their superb properties enable the demonstration of soft electroluminescent devices that stably emit bright and pure green light under diverse deformations. Gels composed of rigid polymer network swollen by solvent have recently been utilized as functional components of soft devices[16,17,18] While these gels are generally soft, stretchable, and transparent, their role in such devices is mostly limited by their nature; existing gels are mostly made up of polar materials that are capable of hydrogen bonding[16], ion–dipole[17], or dipole–dipole interaction[18], because non-covalently mixed polymer–solvent system requires strong intermolecular forces. A conception that combines perovskite ionic crystals with nonpolar organogels, which could materialize a mechanically soft perovskite emitter, has not been studied so far
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