News

Congratulations to Andreas and Adrian for publishing their research work on highly efficient n-type OECTs involving acceptor-acceptor linkage strategy in Adv. Electron. Mater. 2023, 2300026; DOI: 10.1002/aelm.202300026. Two different acceptor moieties were so selected that there is negligible torsional angle between them leading to high planarity and excellent mixed ion-electron conduction properties.

Congrats to Alexander on publication of the Clickable multifunctional SPEs for the application in all solid state Lithium Metal Batteries, published in Journal of Energy Storage, 2023 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.107348).

Congrats to Adrian and Andreas for the Adv. Funct. Mater. (https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202300614) paper on a new and facile route for n-doping of conjugated acceptor copolymers and for the detailed elucidation of doping mechanism. The doped system is successfully tested for thermoelectrics.

Dr. Aruna from Rathinam College, Coimbatore is a specialist for electrocatalysis using diverse semiconductors. She spends three weeks in our group.

Harimohan published a detailed study of influence of composition, morphology and additives on performance of LiFePO4 cathode for applications in all solid-state lithium metal batteries in Scientific Reports, 12(1):5454, 2022. This is very useful for all groups working in all solid state batteries

Andreas published record bulk electron mobilities for fullerene-functionalized polynorbornenes with tuneable glass transition temperature and fullerene contents. The bulk charge carrier mobilities were determined in SCLC devices. DOI: 10.1039/D2TC00496H  J. Mater. Chem. C, 2022, Advance Article

Dominic, Alexander and Harimohan published together a new concept for matrix polymers based on polyesters to realize solid polymer electrolytes with high lithium transport number as well as good specific capacity retention in a wide range of T of 40-80°C and even at high C-rates in solvent-free all solid-state Lithium metal batteries. J. Mater. Chem. A,  2022, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TA00800A

Under the VAJRA scheme of the Department of Science and Technology, India, Prof. Thelakkat started the visiting faulty position. It involves teahing and research at JNCASR, Bangalore and interactions with other research institutions of interest in India. Teaching classes and practical on New Generation Solar Cells werde conducted for a period of about 3-4 weeks.

We report the high efficacy of p-doping of conjugated polymers using the HOMO-SOMO(HOMO)-doping process involving multi cation salts capable of accepting more than one electron per dopant. In this concept, one can rediuce the molar dopant ratio radically and still achieve appreciably good charge carrier density and high conductivity for low degrees of doping below 5 mol%. The main credit goes to Gert and Adrian ! See Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2021, 42, 2100443; https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202100443

A comprehensive investigation of four polydiketopyrrolopyrroles (PDPPs) with increasing ethylene glycol (EG) content and varying nature of comonomer is studied, and guidelines for the design of efficient mixed ion‐electron conductors (MIECs) are published in Adv. Funct. mater. 2021. A considerable cycling stability for 1200 cycles and an outstanding cell compatibility render these PDPPs as viable candidates for in vitro and in vivo bioelectronics.