Thesis--New York University. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-60).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2009. Graduate Programme in Physics and Astronomy. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-137). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR51675

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 53 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-53).

Thesis (M.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). "30th January 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-130). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-33). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Furthering our understanding of next generation hight harvesting devices has the potential to revolutionise energy storage and production. This thesis discusses the use of surface science techniques, principally soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, to study two types of molecular solar cell: dye sensitised solar cells and organic photovoltaic devices. Much of this work relies on electrospray deposition, which is becoming a well established technique allowing the in-situ deposition of fragile, non-volatile molecules in high vacuum environments. This thesis explores the potential use of electrospray deposition to build model photovoltaic devices, including bi-layer and bulk heterojucntion structures, to extend the use of the technique beyond the simple "molecule on a surface" type of experiment that have previously dominated the high-vacuum electrospray deposition literature. Firstly this thesis presents the development of two instruments that aim to aid the characterisation of electrospray. A novel ultra-fast exposure microscopy system is presented that used a pulsed laser and purpose-designed cell containing a fluorescent dye to produce short (< 20 ns) incoherent light pulses. Images of electrospray ionisation, highlighting the capabilities of the imaging system, are presented. Preliminary images showing the unusual behaviour when the liquid properties are severely changed by adding a high concentration of salt are also presented. We also include some proof-of-concept data, collected using a home-built image charge detection instrument, to measure velocity distributions of molecular ions that are landing on the surface. This instrument has led the way to a more refined image charge detection instrument that will be of great benefit to future studies. A series of three experiments are presented that highlight the capability and suitability of high vacuum deposition to produce the types of structures used in molecular photovoltaic devices. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to image a bi-layer structure, produced using electrospray from two molecules dissolved in the same solvent, showing there is little mixing between the layers. These structures are challenging to make using processes like spin casting where solvent compatibility results in mixing of the films. Two electrospray sources were used to co-deposit two molecules simultaneously from immiscible solvents, which is again not possible using standard techniques. Finally a complex polymer blend was deposited using electrospray, from a single solution, and analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) finding evidence of preferential deposition of one species. Bi-isonicotionic acid (the ligand of many popular organometallic photo-sensitisers) has been deposited onto Ag(111) in-situ via sublimation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) have been used to obtain chemical information and map out the density of states for the system. We find the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) lies below the Fermi level of the silver surface allowing ultra-fast bi-directional charge transfer between the molecule and surface. This was probed using resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (RPES) by observation of super-spectator and super-Auger decay mechanisms from the core excited state. In the final experimental chapter, films of phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), common acceptor and donor molecules used in organic photovoltaic devices, were successfully deposited in-situ in UHV using electrospray deposition on the Au(111) surface. Bi-layer heterojunction and bulk heterojunction structures of the two molecules were also produced using electrospray. Again, XPS, XAS and RPES were used to investigate chemical interactions, map out the density of states for the molecular systems and probe charge transfer between the molecules and surfaces. For PCBM, some interesting chemical behaviour regarding an oxygen group on the ligand is observed. Measurements also show the LUMO of PCBM lies below the surface Fermi level, but surprisingly no evidence of super-spectator or super-Auger decay is found. RPES was unable to show evidence of charge transfer between the two molecules in a bi-layer heterojunction structure. Finally, careful ionisation potential calibration of XPS spectra were used to try and infer the position of the valence band maximum of the two molecules when brought together in a heterojunction.

We are surrounded by microorganisms that are invisible to the bare eye. Just like us, bacteria, yeast cells and fungi have their own origin and story. In collaboration with M.D. Ph.D. Volkan Özenci* I want to use a lamp as a vessel to bring that story with us into our homes in a new way - one that will alleviate fear and promote an emotional bond.  “In a New Light” challenges us to see a new connection between object and user by creating a visible link through bacteria, yeast and fungi, shining a light on the very thing we thought should stay hidden and putting it on display.   *Department of clinical microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska university hospital, Huddinge

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices have been applied in the fields of display and solid-state lighting. In addition to phosphorescent OLEDs using heavy transition metals, a new approach of harvesting both singlet and triplet excitons generated in the OLED device by using pure organic materials has drawn a lot of attentions in recent years. It is thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) process, which makes it possible to obtain potential 100% internal quantum efficiency (IQE);TADF is a process existing in certain organic materials with small singlet-triplet exchange energy (EST), which is generally observed in the molecules with weak-coupled electron-donating (D) group and electron-accepting (A) group. Individual molecule containing D/A, which is named intramolecular exciplex, or intermolecular exciplex with D/A on separated molecules, can fulfill this requirement. Although at present the intramolecular exciplex attracts considerable research interests, it takes a lot of efforts to design an individual molecule with high fluorescent quantum yield as well as small EST. Intermolecular exciplex, which is achieved by physically blending individual D and A molecules with appropriate selection from present materials, has excellent performance comparable to the phosphorescent emitter.;In this work, we studied the TADF process in an intermolecular exciplex and its application in highly efficient OLED devices. By doping electron-donating material tris(4-carbazoyl-9-ylphenyl)amine (TCTA) with electron-accepting material 2,4,6-tris(3'-(pyridin-3-yl)biphenyl-3-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (Tm3PyBPZ), an exciplex with a green emission around 514 nm was demonstrated. The time-resolved photoluminescence of the exciplex under different temperatures from 12 K to 300 K demonstrated the existence of temperature-dependent delayed fluorescence. By applying this exciplex as the emissive layer, a highly efficient all-fluorescent organic lighting emitting diode with maximum efficiencies of 13.1% and 53.4 lm/W was realized with an extremely low turn-on voltage of only 2.4 V. The efficiencies of the device have outperformed conventional fluorescent OLED devices due to the contribution of triplet excitons. By doping this exciplex with other conventional green or yellow fluorescent dopants, we observed that the performances of these dopants also surpass the limitation of conventional fluorescent OLED (5̃ % external quantum efficiency)

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