1
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Hou X, Coker JF, Yan J, Shi X, Azzouzi M, Eisner FD, McGettrick JD, Tuladhar SM, Abrahams I, Frost JM, Li Z, Dennis TJS, Nelson J. Structure-Property Relationships for the Electronic Applications of Bis-Adduct Isomers of Phenyl-C 61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2024; 36:425-438. [PMID: 38222935 PMCID: PMC10782444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Higher adducts of a fullerene, such as the bis-adduct of PCBM (bis-PCBM), can be used to achieve shallower molecular orbital energy levels than, for example, PCBM or C60. Substituting the bis-adduct for the parent fullerene is useful to increase the open-circuit voltage of organic solar cells or achieve better energy alignment as electron transport layers in, for example, perovskite solar cells. However, bis-PCBM is usually synthesized as a mixture of structural isomers, which can lead to both energetic and morphological disorder, negatively affecting device performance. Here, we present a comprehensive study on the molecular properties of 19 pure bis-isomers of PCBM using a variety of characterization methods, including ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, single crystal structure, and (time-dependent) density functional theory calculation. We find that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of such bis-isomers can be tuned to be up to 170 meV shallower than PCBM and up to 100 meV shallower than the mixture of unseparated isomers. The isolated bis-isomers also show an electron mobility in organic field-effect transistors of up to 4.5 × 10-2 cm2/(V s), which is an order of magnitude higher than that of the mixture of bis-isomers. These properties enable the fabrication of the highest performing bis-PCBM organic solar cell to date, with the best device showing a power conversion efficiency of 7.2%. Interestingly, we find that the crystallinity of bis-isomers correlates negatively with electron mobility and organic solar cell device performance, which we relate to their molecular symmetry, with a lower symmetry leading to more amorphous bis-isomers, less energetic disorder, and higher dimensional electron transport. This work demonstrates the potential of side chain engineering for optimizing the performance of fullerene-based organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Hou
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- School
of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Jack F. Coker
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Jun Yan
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- School
of Science and Engineering, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518172, P. R. China
| | - Xingyuan Shi
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Mohammed Azzouzi
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Flurin D. Eisner
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | | | | | - Isaac Abrahams
- School
of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Jarvist M. Frost
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Zhe Li
- School
of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - T. John S. Dennis
- Department
of Chemistry, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool
University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jenny Nelson
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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2
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Steudel FM, Ubasart E, Leanza L, Pujals M, Parella T, Pavan GM, Ribas X, von Delius M. Synthesis of C 60 /[10]CPP-Catenanes by Regioselective, Nanocapsule-Templated Bingel Bis-Addition. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309393. [PMID: 37607866 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
The addition of two unsymmetric malonate esters to the Buckminster fullerene C60 can lead to 22 spectroscopically distinguishable isomeric products and therefore represents a formidable synthesis challenge. In this work, we achieve 87 % selectivity for the formation of a single (in,out-trans-3) isomer by combining three approaches: (i) we use a starting material, in which the two malonates are covalently connected (tether approach); (ii) we form the strong supramolecular complex of C60 with the shape-persistent [10]CPP macrocycle (template approach) and (iii) we embed this complex further within a self-assembled nanocapsule (shadow mask approach). Variation of the spacer chain shed light on the limitations of the approach and the ring dynamics in the unusual [2]catenanes were studied in silico with atomistic resolution. This work significantly widens the scope of mechanically interlocked architectures comprising cycloparaphenylenes (CPP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian M Steudel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ernest Ubasart
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi, Universitat de Girona, C/M. Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Luigi Leanza
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Torino, Italy
| | - Míriam Pujals
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi, Universitat de Girona, C/M. Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Teodor Parella
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Torino, Italy
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus Est, Via la Santa 1, 6962, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Xavi Ribas
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi, Universitat de Girona, C/M. Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Max von Delius
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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3
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Hou X, Clarke AJ, Azzouzi M, Yan J, Eisner F, Shi X, Wyatt MF, Dennis TJS, Li Z, Nelson J. Relationship between molecular properties and degradation mechanisms of organic solar cells based on bis-adducts of phenyl-C 61 butyric acid methyl ester. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2022; 10:7875-7885. [PMID: 35746953 PMCID: PMC9134990 DOI: 10.1039/d1tc05768e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stability remains a major challenge for the commercialisation of organic solar cells and degradation pathways remain poorly understood. Designing materials for improved device stability requires an understanding of the relationship between the properties of the donor or acceptor molecule and different degradation mechanisms. Here we study the correlations between various molecular parameters of the fullerene derivative bis-PCBM and the degradation rate of polymer:bis-PCBM organic solar cells, based on the same carbazole-alt-benzothiadiazole polymer, in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We compare eight high purity bis-PCBM isomers with different electronic, chemical and packing properties along with PCBM and the mixture of bis isomers. In the case of aerobic photodegradation, we find that device degradation rate is positively correlated to the LUMO energy of the bis-PCBM isomer and to the degree of crystallinity of the isomer, while the correlation of degradation with driving force for epoxide formation is unclear. These results support the idea that in these samples, aerobic photodegradation proceeds via superoxide formation by the photogenerated polaron on the fullerene, followed by further chemical reaction. In the absence of air, photodegradation rate is correlated with molecular structure, supporting the mechanism of microstructural degradation via fullerene dimerization. The approach and findings presented here show how control of specific molecular parameters through chemical design can serve as a strategy to enhance stability of organic solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Hou
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 China
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Andrew J Clarke
- SPECIFIC, Swansea University Bay Campus Swansea Wales SA1 8EN UK
| | - Mohammed Azzouzi
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Flurin Eisner
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Xingyuan Shi
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Mark F Wyatt
- National Mass Spectrometry Facility, Swansea University Medical School Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP UK
| | - T John S Dennis
- State Key Laboratory of Motor Vehicle Biofuel Technology, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
- Haina-Carbon Nanostructure Research Center, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University Jiaxing 314006 China
| | - Zhe Li
- School of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London E1 4NS UK
| | - Jenny Nelson
- Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
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4
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Shi W, Salerno F, Ward MD, Santana-Bonilla A, Wade J, Hou X, Liu T, Dennis TJS, Campbell AJ, Jelfs KE, Fuchter MJ. Fullerene Desymmetrization as a Means to Achieve Single-Enantiomer Electron Acceptors with Maximized Chiroptical Responsiveness. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2004115. [PMID: 33225503 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Solubilized fullerene derivatives have revolutionized the development of organic photovoltaic devices, acting as excellent electron acceptors. The addition of solubilizing addends to the fullerene cage results in a large number of isomers, which are generally employed as isomeric mixtures. Moreover, a significant number of these isomers are chiral, which further adds to the isomeric complexity. The opportunities presented by single-isomer, and particularly single-enantiomer, fullerenes in organic electronic materials and devices are poorly understood however. Here, ten pairs of enantiomers are separated from the 19 structural isomers of bis[60]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, using them to elucidate important chiroptical relationships and demonstrating their application to a circularly polarized light (CPL)-detecting device. Larger chiroptical responses are found, occurring through the inherent chirality of the fullerene. When used in a single-enantiomer organic field-effect transistor, the potential to discriminate CPL with a fast light response time and with a very high photocurrent dissymmetry factor (gph = 1.27 ± 0.06) is demonstrated. This study thus provides key strategies to design fullerenes with large chiroptical responses for use as chiral components of organic electronic devices. It is anticipated that this data will position chiral fullerenes as an exciting material class for the growing field of chiral electronic technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenda Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Francesco Salerno
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Center for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matthew D Ward
- Center for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alejandro Santana-Bonilla
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Jessica Wade
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Center for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Xueyan Hou
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Materials Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Materials Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - T John S Dennis
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Materials Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Alasdair J Campbell
- Center for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kim E Jelfs
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Center for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matthew J Fuchter
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
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5
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Liu T, Abrahams I, Dennis TJS. Conformational Analysis of [60]PCBM via Second-Order Proton NMR Spin-Spin Coupling Effects. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:5397-5401. [PMID: 32551707 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The 1H NMR spectrum of phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester ([60]PCBM) was recorded at high resolution (600 MHz). All of the 1H resonances expected of the Cs-symmetric molecule were observed. The spin-spin couplings in the 1H NMR spectrum were not as expected at first order. Instead, the effects of AA'BB'-type second-order couplings were clearly observed for the protons attached to both ester carbons C3 and C4, which were analyzed in terms of seven coupling constants. This indicates that there is no free rotation of the σ bonds of the alkyl chain in the ester group, although rotation becomes free at a larger distance from the fullerene bridge carbon (C61). The 1H NMR results further indicated that there is a 1:6:1 population ratio of the three staggered conformers (gauche:anti:gauche') about the ester group C3-C4 bond. These results may aid in the understanding of the morphological interactions between [60]PCBM and its surroundings in condensed-phase organic electronic devices such as organic and perovskite photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Liu
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, U.K
| | - Isaac Abrahams
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, U.K
| | - T John S Dennis
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, U.K
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6
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Tulyabaev AR, Khalilov LM. How regioisomeric fullerene C60 bis-cycloadducts can be distinguished with 13C NMR? Quantum-chemical assessment and empirical correction. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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7
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Eisner FD, Azzouzi M, Fei Z, Hou X, Anthopoulos TD, Dennis TJS, Heeney M, Nelson J. Hybridization of Local Exciton and Charge-Transfer States Reduces Nonradiative Voltage Losses in Organic Solar Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:6362-6374. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b01465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Flurin D. Eisner
- Department of Physics and The Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Mohammed Azzouzi
- Department of Physics and The Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Zhuping Fei
- Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Xueyan Hou
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K
| | - Thomas D. Anthopoulos
- Department of Physics and The Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - T. John S. Dennis
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K
| | - Martin Heeney
- Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Jenny Nelson
- Department of Physics and The Centre for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
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8
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Tukhbatullina AA, Khamitov EM, Sabirov DS. Distributed polarizability of fullerene [2+1]-adducts C60X (n = 1 and 2) with symmetric addends X = CH2 and O: A fresh view on the effect of positional isomerism. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2018.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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9
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Gao J, Zhang H, Ye C, Yuan Q, Chee KWA, Su W, Yu A, Yu J, Lin CT, Dai D, Fu L. Electrochemical Enantiomer Recognition Based on sp³-to-sp² Converted Regenerative Graphene/Diamond Electrode. NANOMATERIALS 2018; 8:nano8121050. [PMID: 30558215 PMCID: PMC6316030 DOI: 10.3390/nano8121050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
It is of great significance to distinguish enantiomers due to their different, even completely opposite biological, physiological and pharmacological activities compared to those with different stereochemistry. A sp3-to-sp2 converted highly stable and regenerative graphene/diamond electrode (G/D) was proposed as an enantiomer recognition platform after a simple β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) drop casting process. The proposed enantiomer recognition sensor has been successfully used for d and l-phenylalanine recognition. In addition, the G/D electrode can be simply regenerated by half-minute sonication due to the strong interfacial bonding between graphene and diamond. Therefore, the proposed G/D electrode showed significant potential as a reusable sensing platform for enantiomer recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
| | - Haoyang Zhang
- College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Chen Ye
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
| | - Qilong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham, Ningbo 315100, China.
| | - Kuan W A Chee
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham, Ningbo 315100, China.
| | - Weitao Su
- College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Aimin Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Jinhong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
| | - Cheng-Te Lin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
| | - Dan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
| | - Li Fu
- College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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