Linköping University Post Print Fermi level equilibrium at donor-acceptor interfaces in multi-layered thin film stack of TTF and TCNQ Fermi level pinning at donor-acceptor molecular hetero-junctions in multi-layered thin film stack of TTF and TCNQ

Abstract Organic hetero-junctions in a multi-layered thin film stacks comprising alternate layers of the molecular donor -tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and the acceptor -tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), have been studied by Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS). We show that the energy level alignment at the organic-organic interfaces in the stacks depends only upon the relative energy structure of the donor and acceptor molecules, in particular, the molecular integer charge transfer (ICT) states. The observed interfacial dipoles, across the multi-layered organic stacks, correspond to the difference in energy between the positive and the negative charge transfer states of the molecules constituting the interface. Consequently, Fermi level across the multi-layer system is pinned to those states, since the energetic conditions for the charge transfer across the interface are fulfilled. Hence the energy level alignment at donor-acceptor interfaces studied can be rationalized on the basis of integer charge transfer model (ICT-model). Moreover, we present the photoelectron spectra where 0.85eV shift of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of TTF during formation of TCNQ over-layer is directly observed. These studies contribute to the understanding of the nature of the offset between the frontier electronic levels of the donor and acceptor components which is of high importance in the engineering of efficient organic solar cells

Semi-metallic polymers

Polymers are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable materials that are promising for low-cost printed electronics as well as for mass-produced and large-area applications. Previous studies demonstrated that they can possess insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties; here we report that polymers can also be semi-metallic. Semi-metals, exemplified by bismuth, graphite and telluride alloys, have no energy bandgap and a very low density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, they typically have a higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivities compared with metals, thus being suitable for thermoelectric applications. We measure the thermoelectric properties of various poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) samples, and observe a marked increase in the Seebeck coefficient when the electrical conductivity is enhanced through molecular organization. This initiates the transition from a Fermi glass to a semi-metal. The high Seebeck value, the metallic conductivity at room temperature and the absence of unpaired electron spins makes polymer semi-metals attractive for thermoelectrics and spintronics. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

High-energy neutrino follow-up search of gravitational wave event GW150914 with ANTARES and IceCube

We present the high-energy-neutrino follow-up observations of the first gravitational wave transient GW150914 observed by the Advanced LIGO detectors on September 14, 2015. We search for coincident neutrino candidates within the data recorded by the IceCube and Antares neutrino detectors. A possible joint detection could be used in targeted electromagnetic follow-up observations, given the significantly better angular resolution of neutrino events compared to gravitational waves. We find no neutrino candidates in both temporal and spatial coincidence with the gravitational wave event. Within ±500  s of the gravitational wave event, the number of neutrino candidates detected by IceCube and Antares were three and zero, respectively. This is consistent with the expected atmospheric background, and none of the neutrino candidates were directionally coincident with GW150914. We use this nondetection to constrain neutrino emission from the gravitational-wave event.by Anand Sengupta et al

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field