Low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) offers good scalability, substrate compatibility, and solvent-free processing for metal halide perovskite films fabrication, yet limited control over the film composition has hindered the device performance compared to solution-based methods. Herein, we investigate how the substrate surface property affect the composition and optoelectronic properties of perovskite films fabricated by CVD. By changing the hole transporting layers (HTLs), different crystallization process and chemical stoichiometry of perovskite films have been observed. Perovskite films grown on nickel oxide|self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) exhibit a more stoichiometric buried surface, along with a higher work function (WF) and enhanced p-type character that are favorable for hole transport. Leveraging these insights, we demonstrate all vapor-deposited semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) with a champion efficiency of 18.0%, retaining ∼100% of the initial performance after 500 h of continuous operation (ISOS-L-1). Furthermore, we achieve a champion efficiency of 17.5% for semitransparent mini-modules fabricated via the all-vacuum process.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) long-term stability remains constrained by intrinsic strain induced by thermal processes and fluctuating operating conditions. Here, we introduce a carbazole-based self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hole transporting layer, (6-(3,6-diphenyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)hexyl) phosphonic acid, termed as Torsioner SAM, which features reversible, thermally driven phenyl torsion behavior. Spectroscopic and theoretical investigations confirm a dynamic, linear modulation of the torsion angle by 0.07° K-1 within the critical temperature window spanning perovskite deposition and practical operation. The Torsioner SAM with two thermal driven phenyl units serves as a molecular buffer, effectively releasing residual strain caused by interfacial mismatch. Furthermore, the Torsioner SAM mitigates thermal activated lattice distortions and continuously dissipates additional strain under operational temperature variations. As a result, the corresponding devices exhibit markedly improved isothermal and thermocycling stabilities, retaining over 91.3% of their initial efficiency after 1000 h under the ISOS-D-2I protocol and 94.4% after over 200 thermal cycles (25-85 °C) under the ISOS-T-1 protocol. The incorporation of the Torsioner SAM also suppresses non-radiative recombination and enhances hole transport, yielding champion power conversion efficiencies of 26.26% (0.09 cm2) and 24.24% (1 cm2).

Solid surfaces can be relatively easily modified and the surface properties can be tailored through functionalisation with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Degradation or damage of these layers can affect the surface properties introduced through the functionalisation with self-assembled monolayers, and hence the functionality of the respective surface in an application. In this study, we investigated the damage induced by X-ray exposure to the structure of carboxylic-terminated SAMs. The integrity of both the carboxylic and thiol groups, with thiol groups being essential for anchoring the monolayers to the gold substrate, was compromised through X-ray exposure. Analysis of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and metastable impact electron spectroscopy (MIES) data shows that such damage leads to changes in the work function and affects the electronic distribution within the outermost layer. The change is caused by the alteration of the electronic structure at the interface, leading to a change of the dipole formed at this interface. Both changes can occur independent of each other. It can be expected that exposure to UV light has a similar influence on the structure of the SAMs to that of X-ray radiation.

Plasmonic nanoarrays coated with a thermoresponsive self-assembled monolayer (SAM) operate as an optically programmable write-erase chemical memory. Optical addressing through pulsed laser illumination writes a collapsed interfacial state, the SAM stores this state for days, and passive rehydration erases it to restore chemical functionality. Unlike previous PNIPAM systems, where laser-induced collapse is transient on nanosecond-minute timescales, the SAM forms a kinetically trapped, long-lived state that enables durable storage of chemical information. By tuning the wavelength and polarisation of uniform illumination, individual nanoarrays can be addressed selectively. Switching is detected through spectral shifts in the localised surface plasmon resonance and suppression of biomolecular binding, and supported by electromagnetic and transient thermal simulations based on measured nanostructure geometries. These results establish a general framework for multiplexed, optically programmable write-erase surface chemistry, opening routes to erasable nanofabrication strategies and multiplexed biosensing.

Rational modulation of conjugation degree and anchoring groups in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hole-transport materials (HTMs) significantly enhances charge transport behavior and perovskite interfacial performance.

(Self-assembled monolayers) SAMs are capable of improving the quality of perovskite and passivating defects, but their inhomogeneous layer formation hinders molecular connectivity and charge transport. To address these issues, a...

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are increasingly utilized as effective hole-collecting material to boost the efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, issues such as incomplete surface coverage and suboptimal interfacial...

Bifunctional integration of indoor organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and photodetectors (OPDs) faces fundamental challenges because of incompatible interfacial thermodynamics: indoor OPVs require unimpeded charge extraction under low-light conditions (200-1000lx), whereas OPDs require stringent suppression of noise current. Conventional hole transport layers (HTLs) fail to satisfy these opposing charge-dynamic requirements concurrently with commercial practicality (large-area uniformity, photostability, and cost-effective manufacturability). This study introduces benzene-phosphonic acid (BPA)-a minimalist self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-based HTL with a benzene core and phosphonic acid anchoring group-enabling cost-effective synthesis and excellent ITO interfacial properties such as energy alignment, uniform monolayer, and stability. This molecular design resolves core limitations and achieves high indoor OPV efficiency (28.6% PCE at 1000lx LED 2700 K), maintains 93% PCE retention when scaled by ≈220× area, and delivers competitive self-powered (V = 0V) OPD performance (noise equivalent power = 584 fW at bandwidth = 1Hz and wavelength = 730nm; 3dB frequency = 103kHz). Simplified synthesis of BPA reduces production costs by 720% ($0.042 cm-2) and achieves 9× higher power-per-cost ratio (19.25 mW∙$-1) relative to itscounterpart SAM. Synergy between performance and commercial practicality positions BPA-HTL as a transformative enabler for self-powered IoT and wearable optoelectronics.

Efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells employing self-assembled hole-transporting monolayers with enhanced interface interaction

Boric acid anchoring-based self-assembled monolayer for promoting the crystallinity of perovskite films to achieve efficient perovskite solar cells

The formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the use of solid electrolytes in place of traditional organic liquid electrolytes are two promising strategies to mitigate dendrite-related issues associated with lithium metal anodes. However, poor interfacial compatibility between the SEI and solid electrolyte results in high thermal resistance and interfacial impedance, compromising battery safety and performance. This work investigates thermal and Li+ transport across the interface between LiF (serving as the SEI) and polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based solid electrolyte. Polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and polyethylene (PE) are introduced as self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to modulate interfacial properties. Non-equilibrium MD simulations show that all SAMs enhance interfacial thermal conductance, with PAA exhibiting the most substantial improvement-from 116.60 to 495.65 MW m-2 K-1 (a 325.09% increase)-followed by PAN (196.48%) and PE (124.09%). The enhancement is attributed to the fact that SAMs facilitate vibrational coupling, and their polar functional groups (e.g., the -COOH group in PAA) strengthen non-bonded interactions. Conversely, free energy and interfacial impedance analysis reveal that SAMs hinder Li+ transport across the interface. The -COOH group in PAA competes with ether oxygen atoms of PEO for coordination with Li+, imposing additional constraints on ion mobility. PAN introduces steric hindrance, whereas PE, with its minimal Li+ affinity and flexible chains, causes the least inhibition to ionic transport. These results highlight a trade-off between thermal and ionic transport optimization. The mechanistic insights provided in this work will be helpful for the comprehensive consideration of the interface SAM engineering, contributing to the practical application of lithium metal anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Pristine graphene exhibits unique physical and chemical properties. However, during its fabrication different imperfections are inevitably formed, which can induce changes to the properties of the material. Bottom-up methologies make it possible to synthesise graphene nanostructures incorporating selected defects in different positions. These graphene-like molecules of reduced size are being increasingly used, first as simple models to investigate the impact of different kind of structural defects, and secondly for achieving structures with selected properties for specific purposes. Some of these defects are able to induce curvature in the structure, but their impact on electron transport has scarcely been investigated. We report the first electron-transport study through saddle-shaped nanographenes, including experimental and theoretical perspectives. For the studied systems, we demonstrate that the inclusion of this kind of curvature by means of a tropone ring at the edge of the structure has no significant effect in terms of both single-molecule and self-assembled monolayer conductance, while enhancing solubility and processability considerably when compared to the defect-free analogues. These results aim at finding useful correlations between out-of-plane distortion on nanographenes and the electron transport through them, in view of the increasing interest in processable carbon nanostructures as potential candidates for the next generation of electronic technologies.

Co-assembled Me-4PACz/TMLA mixed SAMs stabilise the buried interface to withstand DMF/NMP inks, enabling dense ultrathin perovskite films with suppressed nanoporosity and ∼15% efficient semitransparent ST-PSCs for day–night ambient-light harvesting.

Terminal group optimization of 3,6-diphenyl-9H-carbazol-based self-assembled monolayer for efficient perovskite solar cells

High-performance Sn/AuNP-based spectroscopic ellipsometric sensor for patulin.

A Calix[4]arene-based wettability interface sensor for rapid ATP detection.

We developed a new class of self-assembled monolayers as hole-selective layers for organic solar cells (OSCs) through the asymmetric π-expansion of a carbazole core. When employed to modify indium tin oxide substrates, the brominated derivative 2Br-BACz demonstrates superior and robust interfacial characteristics, which facilitate a champion power conversion efficiency of 20.0% in the resulting OSCs.

Advancements in Self-Assembled Monolayers for Perovskite Solar Cells

Optical fibers are gaining increasing attention in biomedical applications due to their unique advantages, including flexibility, biocompatibility, immunity to electromagnetic interference, potential for miniaturization, and the ability to perform remote, real-time, and in situ sensing. Label-free optical fiber biosensors represent a promising alternative to conventional cancer diagnostics, offering comparable sensitivity and specificity while enabling real-time detection at ultra-low concentrations without the need for complex labeling procedures. However, the sensing performance of biosensors is fundamentally governed by surface modification. The choice of optimal functionalization strategy is dictated by the sensor type, target biomarker, and detection environment. This review paper presents a comprehensive and expanded overview of various surface functionalization methods specifically designed for cancer biomarker detection using optical fiber biosensors, including silanization, self-assembled monolayers, polymer-based coatings, and different dimensional nanomaterials (0D, 1D, and 2D). Furthermore, the emerging integration of computational methods and machine learning in optimizing functionalized optical sensing has been discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that consolidates existing surface modification approaches into a single, cohesive resource, providing valuable insights for researchers developing next-generation fiber optic biosensors for cancer diagnostics. Moreover, the paper points out the current technical challenges and outlines the future perspectives of optical fiber-based biosensors.

Abstract Chiral materials can induce spin selectivity (CISS) in electron transport, creating spin-polarization without the need of external magnetic fields. This effect has received attention in chiral soft matter, where symmetries like centro-, axial and helical chirality are accessible by molecular design and transform into the specific spin polarization of electrons in interaction with solid matter. We here have designed helices as achiral transducers of chirality to transmit a CISS effect over ~ 6 nm, linked to a centrochiral molecule distant to the surface solely via an induced helical chirality. Based on a 3 10 -helix built from the achiral amino acid, α -aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), dynamic helices are generated in their oligomeric forms A* -(Aib)n– S (n = 7 − 15, A* : chiral head group; S : sulfur)), enhanced by the chirality of only one centrochiral molecule ( A* ) attached as head group. When adsorbed on a gold surface a self-assembled monolayer of 4 ~ 6 nm height is formed, further probing the CISS effect of the respective R - and S -forms and the induced left-handed M - or right-handed P -helices. By conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements, we demonstrate that it is possible to transfer the effect of chirality of a centrochiral molecule via an achiral transmitting-block to induce CISS effects of high efficiency, now spatially separated from the source of chirality. The electron-transporting abilities and the unique folding into a 3 10 -helix are hold responsible to reach the here observed high spin polarization (up to 99 % by c-AFM, up to 90 % by STM), which is among the highest reported for peptide-based molecules.