Direct observation of the potential distribution within organic light emitting diodes under operation

We show the first direct measurement of the potential distribution within organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) under operation and hereby confirm existing hypotheses about charge transport and accumulation in the layer stack. Using a focused ion beam to mill holes in the diodes we gain access to the cross section of the devices and explore the spatially resolved potential distribution in situ by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy under different bias conditions. In bilayer OLEDs consisting of tris(hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq_3)/N, N ′-bis(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N ′-bis(phenyl) benzidine (NPB) the potential exclusively drops across the Alq_3 layer for applied bias between onset voltage and a given transition voltage. These findings are consistent with previously performed capacitance–voltage measurements. The behavior can be attributed to charge accumulation at the interface between the different organic materials. Furthermore, we show the potential distribution of devices with different cathode structures and degraded devices to identify the cathode interface as main culprit for decreased performance

Simulation and experimental verification of the thermal behaviour of self-written waveguides

In this work, we investigated the optical response of a self-written waveguide (SWW) in detail by heating the structure from room temperature up to 60 °C. Previous results indicated a decrease in the optical transmission with increasing temperature for certain waveguide parameters. Based on new experimental measurements, we have identified material parameters resulting in opposite behaviour. An experimental setup was conceived to verify these results. Hereby, we were able to show that we can adjust material parameters such as refractive index and the corresponding density of the material by adapting the curing time applied during the fabrication of the waveguides. This, in turn, affects the material’s response during the heating process. We showed that a limitation of the external curing time changes the internal conditions of the SWW and the cladding in a manner that the numerical aperture increases with the temperature, which subsequently also results in an increase in the optical transmission. In this study, we explain this unexpected behavior of the SWW and point towards possible future applications. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

A2BC-Type Porphyrin SAM on Gold Surface for Bacteria Detection Applications: Synthesis and Surface Functionalization

Currently used elaborate technologies for the detection of bacteria can be improved in regard to their time consumption, labor intensity, accuracy and reproducibility. Well-known electrical measurement methods might connect highly sensitive sensing systems with biological requirements. The development of modified sensor surfaces with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) from functionalized porphyrin for bacteria trapping can lead to a highly sensitive sensor for bacteria detection. Different A2BC-type porphyrin structures were synthesized and examined regarding their optical behavior. We achieved the synthesis of a porphyrin for SAM formation on a gold surface as electrode material. Two possible bio linkers were attached on the opposite meso-position of the porphyrin, which allows the porphyrin to react as a linker on the surface for bacteria trapping. Different porphyrin structures were attached to a gold surface, the SAM formation and the respective coverage was investigated

Single-Mode Polymer Ridge Waveguide Integration of Organic Thin-Film Laser

Organic thin-film lasers (OLAS) are promising optical sources when it comes to flexibility and small-scale manufacturing. These properties are required especially for integrating organic thin-film lasers into single-mode waveguides. Optical sensors based on single-mode ridge waveguide systems, especially for Lab-on-a-chip (LoC) applications, usually need external laser sources, free-space optics, and coupling structures, which suffer from coupling losses and mechanical stabilization problems. In this paper, we report on the first successful integration of organic thin-film lasers directly into polymeric single-mode ridge waveguides forming a monolithic laser device for LoC applications. The integrated waveguide laser is achieved by three production steps: nanoimprint of Bragg gratings onto the waveguide cladding material EpoClad, UV-Lithography of the waveguide core material EpoCore, and thermal evaporation of the OLAS material Alq3:DCM2 on top of the single-mode waveguides and the Bragg grating area. Here, the laser light is analyzed out of the waveguide facet with optical spectroscopy presenting single-mode characteristics even with high pump energy densities. This kind of integrated waveguide laser is very suitable for photonic LoC applications based on intensity and interferometric sensors where single-mode operation is required

8-(Biphenyl-2-yl)-7,9-diphenyl-8H-cyclo­penta­[a]acenaphthylen-8-ol

In the title compound, C39H26O, the cyclo­penta­[a]acenaphthyl­ene skeleton displays the expected distortions, with formal sp 2 bond angles as high as C—C—C = 142.50 (10)°. The OH group forms inter­molecular hydrogen bonds via x-axis translation to the centroid (Cg) of the pendant phenyl ring of the biphenyl system, with H⋯Cg = 2.41 Å and O—H⋯Cg = 153°

Blue-emission tuning of perovskite light-emitting diodes with a simple TPBi surface treatment

We demonstrate a simple approach for blue-emission tuning of quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes through a surface treatment of 2,2′,2″-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole) (TPBi). By increasing the TPBi concentration, we achieved tunable electroluminescence of the perovskite layer with wavelength shifted from the blue-green (506 nm) to blue (481 nm) regions of the visible spectrum. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy were conducted to study the morphological and optoelectronic properties of the films. Our results suggest that the TPBi molecules accumulated on the surface and grain boundaries of the perovskite layer changed the perovskite electronic structure causing the observed blue shifts