Robust Dipolar Layers between Organic Semiconductors and Silver for Energy-Level Alignment

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216305%3A26620%2F24%3APU151210" target="_blank" >RIV/00216305:26620/24:PU151210 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11320/24:10492006

Result on the web

<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c18697" target="_blank" >https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c18697</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c18697" target="_blank" >10.1021/acsami.3c18697</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Robust Dipolar Layers between Organic Semiconductors and Silver for Energy-Level Alignment

Original language description

The interface between a metal electrode and an organic semiconductor (OS) layer has a defining role in the properties of the resulting device. To obtain the desired performance, interlayers are introduced to modify the adhesion and growth of OS and enhance the efficiency of charge transport through the interface. However, the employed interlayers face common challenges, including a lack of electric dipoles to tune the mutual position of energy levels, being too thick for efficient electronic transport, or being prone to intermixing with subsequently deposited OS layers. Here, we show that monolayers of 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene (BTB) with fully deprotonated carboxyl groups on silver substrates form a compact layer resistant to intermixing while capable of mediating energy-level alignment and showing a large insensitivity to substrate termination. Employing a combination of surface-sensitive techniques, i.e., low-energy electron microscopy and diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy, we have comprehensively characterized the compact layer and proven its robustness against mixing with the subsequently deposited organic semiconductor layer. Density functional theory calculations show that the robustness arises from a strong interaction of carboxylate groups with the Ag surface, and thus, the BTB in the first layer is energetically favored. Synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy shows that this layer displays considerable electrical dipoles that can be utilized for work function engineering and electronic alignment of molecular frontier orbitals with respect to the substrate Fermi level. Our work thus provides a widely applicable molecular interlayer and general insights necessary for engineering of charge injection layers for efficient organic electronics.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10302 - Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.)

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

—

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

ACS applied materials & interfaces

ISSN

1944-8244

e-ISSN

1944-8252

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

14

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

18099-18111

UT code for WoS article

001194455200001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85189370804