Grazing Incidence Wide-angle X-ray Scattering Research Articles

Following in Situ the Deposition of Gold Electrodes on Low Band Gap Polymer Films.

Metal top electrodes such as gold are widely used in organic solar cells. The active layer can be optimized by modifications of the polymer band gap via side-chain engineering, and low band gap polymers based on benzodithiophene units such as PTB7 and PTB7-Th are successfully used. The growth of gold contacts on PTB7 and PTB7-Th films is investigated with in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) during the sputter deposition of gold. From GIWAXS, the crystal structure of the gold film is determined. Independent of the type of side chain, gold crystals form in the very early stages and improve in quality during the sputter deposition until the late stages. From GISAXS, the nanoscale structure is determined. Differences in terms of gold cluster size and growth phase limits for the two polymers are caused by the side-chain modification and result in a different surface coverage in the early phases. The changes in the diffusion and coalescence behavior of the forming gold nanoparticles cause differences in the morphology of the gold contact in the fully percolated regime, which is attributed to the different amount of thiophene rings of the side chains acting as nucleation sites.

Efficient Anti-solvent-free Spin-Coated and Printed Sn-Perovskite Solar Cells with Crystal-Based Precursor Solutions

Summary Tin-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs), with more consummate optical band gaps, lower exciton-binding energies, and higher charge-carrier mobility, have not attracted tremendous research efforts compared with the lead-based ones that have a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.2%. The major challenges for Sn-based research are significantly low open-circuit voltage, poor reproducibility, and environmental instability. It has been identified that the oxidation processes take place during the preparation of precursor solutions and fabrication of films, due to the low redox potential of the stannous absorption layer. Herein, we propose two strategies of crystal-resolving and recrystallization technology to reduce the oxidation process. As a result, PCEs of 8.9% (active area of 0.04 cm2) and 5.5% (active area = 1.01 cm2) are attained using the inverted p-i-n structure, which will lead to a revival of lead-free PSC research.

The effect of alkyl chain branching positions on the electron mobility and photovoltaic performance of naphthodithiophene diimide (NDTI)-based polymers

Conjugated polymers are widely used in organic optoelectronic devices due to their solution processability, thermal stability and structural diversity. Generally, alkyl side chains must be utilized to increase the solubility of final polymers in the processing solvent. However, the effects of different type alkyl chains on the properties of n-type photovoltaic polymers have rarely been investigated. In this article, we synthesized three naphthodithiophene diimide (NDTI) based polymers containing bulky alkyl chains with different branching position, named as NDTI-1, NDTI-2 and NDTI-3, respectively. We systematically investigated the effect of different branching point on the molecular packing, charge transport and photovoltaic performance. When moving the branching point away from the backbone, the intermolecular interaction became stronger, which could be proved by 2D grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurement. Therefore, the electron mobilities in organic field-effect transistors gradually increased from 2.11×10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 for NDTI-1 to 4.70×10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1 for NDTI-2 and 9.27×10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1 for NDTI-3, which are quite high values for polymers with face-on orientation. In addition, the NDTI-2 and NDTI-3 thin films exhibited red-shifted absorption spectra compared with NDTI-1. When blending with three classic donor polymers PBDB-T, PTB7-Th and PE61, NDTI-2 based devices always showed the higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) than the other two polymers (beside the comparable result of PTB7-Th:NDTI-3 combination) as a result of the high photocurrent response and high fill factor. Our results indicate that bulky alkyl chain with branching point at 2-position should be a good and safe choice for the design of naphthodithiophene diimide-based and even naphthalene diimide-based n-type photovoltaic polymers.

Unrestricted hartree-fock computational simulation in a protonated rhodochrosite crystal

In this paper, compact effective potentials, charge distribution, Atomic Polar Tensor (APT) and Mulliken charges were studied using a unrestricted Hartree-Fock computational simulation in a protonated rhodochrosite crystal. The rhodochrosite crystal unit cell of structure CMn6O8, where the charge distribution by the molecule was verified in the UHF CEP-4G (Effective core potential (ECP) minimal basis), UHF CEP-31G (ECP split valance) and UHF CEP-121G (ECP triple-split basis). The largest load variation in the APT and Mulliken methods were obtained in the CEP-121G basis set, with δ=2.922 e δ=2.650 u.a., respectively, being δAPT> δMulliken. The maximum absorbance peaks in the CEP-4G, CEP-31G and CEP-121G basis set are present at the frequencies 2172.23 cm-1, with a normalized intensity of 0.65; 2231.4 cm-1 and 0.454; and 2177.24 cm-1 and 1.0, respectively. An in-depth study is necessary to verify the absorption by the tumoral and non-tumoral tissues of rhodochrosite, before and after irradiating of synchrotron radiation using Small–Angle X–Ray Scattering (SAXS), Ultra–Small Angle X–Ray Scattering (USAXS), Fluctuation X–Ray Scattering (FXS), Wide–Angle X–Ray Scattering (WAXS), Grazing–Incidence Small–Angle X–Ray Scattering (GISAXS), Grazing–Incidence Wide–Angle X–Ray Scattering (GIWAXS), Small–Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS), Grazing–Incidence Small–Angle Neutron Scattering (GISANS), X–Ray Diffraction (XRD), Powder X–Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Wide–Angle X–Ray Diffraction (WAXD), Grazing– Incidence X–Ray Diffraction (GIXD) and Energy–Dispersive X–Ray Diffraction (EDXRD). Later studies could check the advantages and disadvantages of rhodochrosite in the treatment of cancer through synchrotron radiation, such as one oscillator crystal.

Determination of the Surface Facets of Gold Nanorods in Wet‐Coated Thin Films with Grazing‐Incidence Wide Angle X‐Ray Scattering

AbstractThis work studies the surface facets of gold nanorods (AuNRs) in wet‐coated nanoparticle thin films with synchrotron‐light‐based grazing‐incidence wide angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS), which provides statistically relevant results on many nanoparticles. Air‐brush spraying deposits the monodisperse AuNRs into sparse monolayers where the long axis of rods is parallel to the substrate surface. It is found that the crystalline facets of individual AuNRs in the sparse monolayer are all in the same orientation, as indicated by narrow azimuthal widths of (200) reflections, over a macroscopic scale comparable to the substrate. This alignment is probably due to the rods' sitting on high‐index surface facets such as (520) and (250). A quantitative analysis of the angles between bulk facets and the surface facets leads to a “nested‐octagon” model for the cross sections of AuNRs: shell octagon with high‐index crystalline facets (520), (5‐20), (2‐50), (‐2‐50), (‐5‐20), (‐520), (‐250), and (250), and core octagon consisting of low‐index crystalline facets (100), (1‐10), (0‐10), (‐1‐10), (‐100), (‐110), (010), and (110).

Effect of Solvent Additives on the Morphology and Device Performance of Printed Nonfullerene Acceptor Based Organic Solar Cells.

Printing of active layers of high-efficiency organic solar cells and morphology control by processing with varying solvent additive concentrations are important to realize real-world use of bulk-heterojunction photovoltaics as it enables both up-scaling and optimization of the device performance. In this work, active layers of the conjugated polymer with benzodithiophene units PBDB-T-SF and the nonfullerene small molecule acceptor IT-4F are printed using meniscus guided slot-die coating. 1,8-Diiodooctane (DIO) is added to optimize the power conversion efficiency (PCE). The effect on the inner nanostructure and surface morphology of the material is studied for different solvent additive concentrations with grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties are studied with photoluminescence (PL), UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements and correlated to the corresponding PCEs. The addition of 0.25 vol % DIO enhances the average PCE from 3.5 to 7.9%, whereas at higher concentrations the positive effect is less pronounced. A solar cell performance of 8.95% is obtained for the best printed device processed with an optimum solvent additive concentration. Thus, with the large-scale preparation method printing similarly well working solar cells can be realized as with the spin-coating method.

How Confinement Affects the Nucleation, Crystallization, and Dielectric Relaxation of Poly(butylene succinate) and Poly(butylene adipate) Infiltrated within Nanoporous Alumina Templates.

This work describes the successful melt infiltration of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) within 70 nm diameter anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The infiltrated samples were characterized by SEM, Raman, and FTIR spectroscopy. The crystallization behaviors and crystalline structures of both polymers, bulk and confined, were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). DSC revealed that a change in the nucleation process occurred from heterogeneous nucleation for bulk samples to homogeneous nucleation for infiltrated PBA and to surface-induced nucleation for infiltrated PBS. GIWAXS results indicate that PBS nanofibers crystallize in the α-phase, as well as their bulk samples. However, PBA nanofibers crystallize just in the β-phase, whereas PBA bulk samples crystallize in a mixture of α- and β-phases. The crystal orientation within the pores was determined, and differences between PBS and PBA were also found. Finally, broadband dielectric spectroscopy was applied to study the segmental dynamics for bulk and infiltrated samples. The glass temperature was found to significantly decrease in the PBS case upon infiltration, while that of PBA remained unchanged. These differences were correlated with the higher affinity of PBS to the AAO walls than PBA, in accordance with their nucleation behavior (surface-induced versus homogeneous nucleation, respectively).

Molecular engineering of a conjugated polymer as a hole transporting layer for versatile p–i–n perovskite solar cells

Along with the development of perovskite materials, which have enormous potential for optoelectronics such as solar cells and light-emitting diode devices, numerous organic semiconductor polymers, which have been critically adopted into the hole and electron transporting layers, have been synthesized and studied. In n–i–p-structured perovskite solar cells, various outstanding polymer materials have been successfully applied. However, in p–i–n-structured solar cells, the hydrophobic nature of the polymers makes the sequential deposition of a perovskite thin film difficult. Several destructive methods have been proposed; however, a more efficacious and fundamental method is urgently needed. Here, we present a nondestructive polymer hole-transporting layer (HTL) thin-film formation process based on molecular engineering via a simple solvent process. When we used various solvents with different volatilities, perovskite film formation was achieved on polymer thin films formed from highly volatile solvents. In addition, we elucidated the structure and orientation of the molecules in the films and revealed that the molecular structure of face-on orientation for the horizontally aligned hydrophobic alkyl groups induced a lower surface energy of the film, as determined by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements. Furthermore, the tilt angle of the molecules, which was calculated from the results of quantitative near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis, was found to correlate with the surface energy. This result provides guidance for polymer-orientation and surface-energy studies, and perovskite solar cells fabricated using the polymer HTL demonstrated good durability and flexibility. We expect that our approach represents a new route for fabricating p–i–n-structured solar cells and that numerous valuable p-type conjugated polymers will be developed via our proposed molecular engineering process.

Globular/semiglobular Poly(ethylene glycol) nanostructures enveloped between polythiophenes with/without side chains via Y-Shaped copolymers

Y-type block copolymers were synthesized based on the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polythiophene (PTh), and poly(3-dodecyl thiophene) (PDDTh) precursors including PEG-b-(PTh)2 and PEG-b-(PDDTh)2. Polymers were applied in designing the semiglobular (semiglob(PEG-star-PTh)) and globular (glob(PEG-star-PDDTh)) nanostructures, in which the PEG lamellar crystals were confined between the PTh and PDDTh chains without and with alkyl side chains, respectively. The designed scrolled configurations were comprehensively investigated from the perspectives of curvature, crystal dimension, side chain effect, etc. Thanks to a low enough crystallization temperature (Tc = 10 °C), the PEG blocks were capable of being assembled into the ordered lamellar structures, which was verified by the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns. According to (120) growth prisms in grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), the average d-spacing values of 4.70 and 4.75 Å were acquired for the sandwiched PEG crystals between PTh and PDDTh chains, respectively, demonstrating the higher ordering in alkyl side chain-less systems. The molecular weights of PDDTh and PTh arms were to some extent the same and this was the role of alkyl side chains in PDDTh chains which provided a higher surface stress on the PEG arrangements. The narrower PEG crystals (16–22 nm versus 45–50 nm) as well as a higher degree of curvature were reached in the glob(PEG-star-PDDTh) nanostructures.

In−situ monitoring Poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanowire formation and shape evolution in solution via small angle neutron scattering

The crystallization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) to form nanowires has attracted considerable interest because this process significantly increases the hole mobility when compared to amorphous P3HT, leading to improved performance in photovoltaic and other organic electronic devices. However, full characterization of the crystallization self-assembly of the polymer chains in solution has not been achieved yet, due to limited use of in−situ not destructive techniques. Here, we investigate the ageing-driven formation and evolution of regioregular (rr) P3HT nanostructures in chlorobenzene solution using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. We have monitored how the shape of the rr-P3HT aggregates evolves. The initial states for rr-P3HT chains are the random coils, which straighten to form rods. These subsequently π - π stack to form 2D lamellae, which further stack to create nanowires. The formation of nanowires is promoted both by the length of ageing and by low temperatures (4∘C). Temperatures above >40∘C reverse the formation of nanowires. Additionally, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and grazing incidence wide angle x-ray scattering (GIWAXS) reveal that the nanowires can be successfully aligned during deposition by off-axis spin coating. Finally, the anisotropic conductivity of the aligned rr-P3HT nanowire films is reported. This is significant for applications such as gas sensing or organic thin film transistors, where increased conductivity and controlled nanostructure are desirable.

Cold Crystallization Temperature Correlated Phase Separation, Performance, and Stability of Polymer Solar Cells

Summary Fabrication of non-fullerene (NF)-based polymer solar cells (PSCs) has been an arduous task involving various approaches to optimize the morphology of blend film for superior performance. In this work, unique exothermic peaks can be observed in differential scanning calorimetry first heating scan of the blend films, which are assigned to the cold crystallization temperature (TCC) of NF acceptors when blended with different degree of crystallinity polymers, and TCC contains the phase information at quenched stage of the film development. A linear correlation between the phase separation parameters and TCC was established, which helps to select the appropriate donor for a specific acceptor. Utilizing multiple polymer-NF blend systems, we report an expectation TCC value between 210°C and 230°C, which would promise balanced domain size, purity, and consequentially superior performance. Further investigation revealed that TCC can also be used to evaluate the thermal stability.

Dopant-Induced Ordering of Amorphous Regions in Regiorandom P3HT.

Despite the fact that molecular doping of semiconducting polymers has emerged as a valuable strategy for improving the performance of organic electronic devices, the fundamental dopant-polymer interactions are not fully understood. Here we use 2-D grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) to demonstrate that adding oxidizing small-molecule dopants, such as 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ) and FeCl3, into the amorphous conjugated polymer, regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (RRa-P3HT), improves polymer ordering and induces a change in domain orientation from isotropic to mostly edge-on. Doping thus causes RRa-P3HT to behave similarly to the more ordered regioregular P3HT. By comparing the optical, electrical, and structural properties of RRa-P3HT films doped with F4TNCQ and FeCl3 and those infiltrated with 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), which occupies a similar volume as F4TCNQ but does not dope RRa-P3HT, we show that the increased ordering results not from the ability of the dopant to fill space but instead from the need to delocalize charge on the polymer in more than one dimension.

Evolution of Perovskite Crystallization in Printed Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells

Additives are frequently used to enhance material properties. The addition of the processing additive 5‐aminovaleric acid iodide (5‐AVAI) into printed mesoscopic perovskite solar cells is shown to have a strong impact on the device performance and stability. Although it is difficult to understand the impact of 5‐AVAI as a processing additive by examining only the final thin films, the evolution of morphology with and without 5‐AVAI reveals that 5‐AVAI influences the crystallization behavior of the perovskite. In situ grazing incidence wide angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS) is performed to follow the perovskite formation within the printable all‐porous TiO2/ZrO2/carbon architecture and investigate the influence of 5‐AVAI on the perovskite crystallization within the scaffold. Using such time‐resolved measurements, the suppression of large crystalline perovskite grains is identified early in the fabrication process when 5‐AVAI is present, resulting in improved material backfilling. These observations highlight the importance of 5‐AVAI in the precursor solution for reliable fabrication of printed perovskite solar cells relying on the infiltration of a scaffold structure.

Copper(I)-Based Highly Emissive All-Inorganic Rare-Earth Halide Clusters

Summary The development of new environmentally friendly luminescent materials is crucial for future solid-state lighting, sensor, and display applications. Here, a Cu(I)-based all-inorganic rare-earth halide material, Rb 8 CuSc 3 Cl 18 , has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. In this compound, two Cu(I) ions are connected to three rare-earth halide octahedra to form a paddle-wheel-like cluster. The Cu(I) coordinated rare-earth halide clusters contribute to a strong blue photoluminescence emission. This Cu(I)-regulated emission can be extended to other isostructural compounds, such as Rb 8 CuY 3 Cl 18 . Moreover, the crucial role of Cu(I) has been illustrated by the isostructural non-emissive Rb 8 AgSc 3 Cl 18 . On the basis of comprehensive spectroscopy studies and density functional theory calculations, we found that Cu(I) photo-oxidation and correct orbital-energy-level alignment are crucial for the observed bright-blue emission through a proposed metal (Cu)-to-octahedra ([ScCl 6 ] 3− ) charge-transfer mechanism. The discovery of Cu(I)-based all-inorganic rare-earth halide clusters establishes a new strategy for constructing promising emissive halide materials.

In Situ Observation of Alignment Templating by Seed Crystals in Highly Anisotropic Polymer Transistors.

Due to the highly directional nature of transport in polymer-based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), alignment of the polymer backbone can significantly affect device performance. While many methods of alignment have been detailed, the mechanism of alignment is rarely revealed-especially in cases of flow-induced alignment. Polymer aggregates are often observed in highly aligned systems, but their role is similarly unclear. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of blade-coated P(NDI2OD-T2) (N2200) for OFET applications, including a rigorous, multimodal characterization of its in-plane alignment. Film thickness follows the expected power-law dependence on coating speed, while bulk polymer backbone orientation transitions from perpendicular to parallel to the coating direction as speed is increased. Charge carrier mobility >2 cm2/(V s) is achieved parallel to the coating direction for aligned N2200 coated at 5 mm/s and is found to be strongly correlated with the in-plane alignment of the fibrillar morphology at the film's surface, characterized with atomic force microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption. We develop a model of N2200 crystal anisotropy through rotational scans of grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and use it to analyze simultaneous in situ GIWAXS and UV-vis reflectance data from polymer solutions coated at 5 mm/s. A small population of crystals align early in the drying process, but bulk alignment occurs very late in the drying process, likely mediated by a lyotropic liquid crystal phase transition templated by the aligned crystals. Our characterization also suggests that the majority of material in N2200 thin films is noncrystalline at these conditions.

Conducting and Stretchable PEDOT:PSS Electrodes: Role of Additives on Self-Assembly, Morphology, and Transport.

The addition of dimethylsulfoxide and Zonyl into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) can be combined to achieve excellent electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. We demonstrate that it is possible to produce highly transparent conducting electrodes (FoM > 35) with low Young's modulus and high carrier density. We investigated the relationship between the transport properties of PEDOT:PSS and the morphology and microstructure of these films by performing Hall effect measurement, atomic force microscopy, and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). Our analysis reveals the distinctive impact of the two additives on the PEDOT and PSS components in the solid-state PEDOT:PSS films. Both additives induce fibrillar formation in the film, and the combination of the two additives only enhances the fibrillary nature and the aggregations of both PEDOT and PSS components of the film. In situ GIWAXS allows to time-resolve the morphology evolution. Our analysis reveals the influence of additives on the aggregation and self-assembly behaviors of the PEDOT and PSS components. Aggregation occurs during the transition from wet to dry film, which is observed exclusively during the thermal annealing step of the as-cast hydrated film. These results indicate that the additives directly influence the self-assembly behaviors of PEDOT and PSS during the ink-to-solid phase transformation of the hydrated film, which occurs primarily during the initial seconds of post-deposition thermal annealing.

Molecular Structure of Aromatic Reverse Osmosis Polyamide Barrier Layers.

The molecular structures of polyamide barrier layers in reverse osmosis membranes, made by interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine and trimesoyl chloride under different reaction and post-treatment conditions, were characterized by grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). The molecular backbone packing is consistent with two different aromatic molecular packing motifs (parallel and perpendicular) with preferential surface-induced orientation. The results suggest that the perpendicular, T-shaped, packing motif (5 Å spacing) might be associated with optimal membrane permeance, compared with the parallel packings (3.5-4.0 Å spacings).

Ionic Liquids as Post-Treatment Agents for Simultaneous Improvement of Seebeck Coefficient and Electrical Conductivity in PEDOT:PSS Films.

Ionic liquid (IL) post-treatment for thin films of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is employed for the simultaneous enhancement of Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivities. Through systematic variation of the ILs, by changing the anions while keeping the cation unchanged, changes in thermoelectric, spectroscopic, and morphological properties are investigated by means of UV-vis spectroscopy and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) as a function of the IL concentration. The simultaneous enhancement in the two important thermoelectric properties is ascribed to the binary nature of the ILs, which complements that of PEDOT:PSS. The anions of the ILs primarily interact with the positively charged, conducting PEDOT, while the cations interact with negatively charged insulating PSS. Therefore, post-treatment with ILs allows for primary and secondary doping of PEDOT:PSS at the same time. Differences in the obtained Seebeck coefficients for the investigated ILs are ascribed to the chemical properties of the anions. Additionally, the choice of the latter has implications on the morphology of the treated PEDOT:PSS films regarding average π-π-stacking distances of PEDOT chains, PEDOT-to-PSS ratios, and edge-on-to-face-on ratios, influencing charge transport properties macroscopically. A morphological model is presented, highlighting the influence of each IL in comparison with pristine PEDOT:PSS films.

Significant Improvement of Unipolar n-Type Transistor Performances by Manipulating the Coplanar Backbone Conformation of Electron-Deficient Polymers via Hydrogen Bonding.

The development of high-performance unipolar n-type semiconducting polymers still remains a significant challenge. Only a few examples exhibit a unipolar electron mobility over 5 cm2 V-1 s-1. In this study, a series of new poly(benzothiadiazole-naphthalenediimide) derivatives with a high unipolar electron mobility (μe) up to 7.16 cm2 V-1 s-1 in thin-film transistors are reported. The dramatically increased μe is achieved by finely optimizing the coplanar backbone conformation through the introduction of vinylene bridges, which can form intramolecular hydrogen bonds with the neighboring fluorine and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen-bonding functionalities are fused to the backbone to ensure a much more planar conformation of the conjugated π-system, as demonstrated by the density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations. The theoretical prediction is in good agreement with the experimental results. As the coplanarity is promoted by the hydrogen bonding, the thin-film crystallinity and molecular packing strength are also improved, which is evidenced by the synchrotron two-dimensional grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. Notably, the GIWAXS measurements reveal an extremely short π-π stacking distance of 3.40 Å. Overall, this study marks a significant advance in the unipolar n-type semiconducting polymers and offers a general approach for further increasing the electron mobility of semiconducting polymers in organic electronics.

Impact of the Solvation State of Lead Iodide on Its Two‐Step Conversion to MAPbI3: An In Situ Investigation

AbstractProducing high efficiency solar cells without high‐temperature processing or use of additives still remains a challenge with the two‐step process. Here, the solution processing of MAPbI3 from PbI2 films in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) is investigated. In‐situ grazing incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements reveal a sol–gel process involving three PbI2‐DMF solvate complexes—disordered (P0) and ordered (P1, P2)—prior to PbI2 formation. When the appropriate solvated state of PbI2 is exposed to MAI (methylammonium Iodide), it can lead to rapid and complete room temperature conversion into MAPbI3 with higher quality films and improved solar cell performance. Complementary in‐situ optical reflectance, absorbance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM‐D) measurements show that dry PbI2 can take up only one third of the MAI taken up by the solvated‐crystalline P2 phase of PbI2, requiring additional annealing and yet still underperforming. The perovskite solar cells fabricated from the ordered P2 precursor show higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) and reproducibility than devices fabricated from other cases. The average PCE of the solar cells is greatly improved from 13.2(±0.53)% (from annealed PbI2) to 15.7(±0.35)% (from P2) reaching up to 16.2%. This work demonstrates the importance of controlling the solvation of PbI2 as an effective strategy for the growth of high‐quality perovskite films and their application in high efficiency and reproducible solar cells.