Higher Light Extraction Efficiency in Organic Light-Emitting Devices by Employing 2D Periodic Corrugation

Photons trapped in the form of waveguide (WG) modes associated with the organic–organic interface and in the form of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes associated with the metallic electrode–organic interface result in a large energy loss in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Introducing gratings onto the metallic electrode is especially crucial for recovering the power lost to the associated SPP modes. In our research, we demonstrate the efficient outcoupling of SPP modes in TE mode by two-dimensional (2D) grating, which cannot excited in one-dimensional (1D) grating OLED. This causes a 62.5% increase in efficiency from 2D grating OLED than 1D grating OLED. The efficient outcoupling of the WG and SPP modes is verified by the numerical simulation of both the emission spectra and the field distribution.

Electrical behaviour and evolutionary computation in thin films of bovine brain microtubules

We report on the electrical behaviour of thin films of bovine brain microtubules (MTs). For samples in both their dried and hydrated states, the measured currents reveal a power law dependence on the applied DC voltage. We attribute this to the injection of space-charge from the metallic electrode(s). The MTs are thought to form a complex electrical network, which can be manipulated with an applied voltage. This feature has been exploited to undertake some experiments on the use of the MT mesh as a medium for computation. We show that it is possible to evolve MT films into binary classifiers following an evolution in materio approach. The accuracy of the system is, on average, similar to that of early carbon nanotube classifiers developed using the same methodology.

Influence of HAP on the Morpho-Structural Properties and Corrosion Resistance of ZrO2-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications

In the present work, ZrO2-based composites were prepared by adding different amounts of antibacterial magnesium oxide and bioactive and biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HAP) to the inert zirconia. The composites were synthesized by the conventional ceramic processing route and morpho-structurally analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Two metallic dental alloys (i.e., Ni–Cr and Co–Cr) coated with a chitosan (Chit) membrane containing the prepared composites were exposed to aerated artificial saliva solutions of different pHs (i.e., 4.3, 5, 6) and the corrosion resistances were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The obtained results using the two investigated metallic dental alloys shown quasi-similar anticorrosive properties, having quasi-similar charge transfer resistance, when coated with different ZrO2-based composites. This behavior could be explained by the synergetic effect between the diffusion process through the Chit-composite layer and the roughness of the metallic electrode surface.

Atomistic Insights into Aluminum Doping Effect on Surface Roughness of Deposited Ultra-Thin Silver Films

Ultra-thin and continuous metallic silver films are attracting growing interest due to the applications in flexible transparent conducting electrodes. The surface morphology and structure of silver film are very important for its electrical resistivity and optical loss. Therefore, roughness control is essential for the production of ultra-thin metallic electrode film. We have investigated the effect of aluminum doping on the improvement of surface morphology of ultra-thin silver films using molecular dynamics simulations. Al-doped silver films showed smaller surface roughness than pure silver films at various substrate temperatures. When the temperature of the substrate was 600 K, the roughness of Al-doped silver film first decreased, and then increased with the increase of the incident velocity of silver atoms. Silver atoms were more likely to agglomerate on the surface of the substrate after adding aluminum atoms, as aluminum dopants promoted the immobilization of silver atoms on SiO2 substrate due to the anchoring effect. The smoother surface could be attributable to the reduced mean free path of silver due to the cage effect by the aluminum dopant.

Molecular Simulation of Electrode-Solution Interfaces

Many key industrial processes, from electricity production, conversion, and storage to electrocatalysis or electrochemistry in general, rely on physical mechanisms occurring at the interface between a metallic electrode and an electrolyte solution, summarized by the concept of an electric double layer, with the accumulation/depletion of electrons on the metal side and of ions on the liquid side. While electrostatic interactions play an essential role in the structure, thermodynamics, dynamics, and reactivity of electrode-electrolyte interfaces, these properties also crucially depend on the nature of the ions and solvent, as well as that of the metal itself. Such interfaces pose many challenges for modeling because they are a place where quantum chemistry meets statistical physics. In the present review, we explore the recent advances in the description and understanding of electrode-electrolyte interfaces with classical molecular simulations, with a focus on planar interfaces and solvent-based liquids, from pure solvent to water-in-salt-electrolytes. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Volume 72 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.