Hoichang Yang

Bio: Hoichang Yang is an academic researcher from Inha University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Pentacene & Thin-film transistor. The author has an hindex of 45, co-authored 144 publications receiving 11290 citations. Previous affiliations of Hoichang Yang include University of California, Los Angeles & Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Selective Gas Transport Through Few-Layered Graphene and Graphene Oxide Membranes

Abstract: Graphene is a distinct two-dimensional material that offers a wide range of opportunities for membrane applications because of ultimate thinness, flexibility, chemical stability, and mechanical strength. We demonstrate that few- and several-layered graphene and graphene oxide (GO) sheets can be engineered to exhibit the desired gas separation characteristics. Selective gas diffusion can be achieved by controlling gas flow channels and pores via different stacking methods. For layered (3- to 10-nanometer) GO membranes, tunable gas transport behavior was strongly dependent on the degree of interlocking within the GO stacking structure. High carbon dioxide/nitrogen selectivity was achieved by well-interlocked GO membranes in high relative humidity, which is most suitable for postcombustion carbon dioxide capture processes, including a humidified feed stream.

“Solvent Annealing” Effect in Polymer Solar Cells Based on Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) and Methanofullerenes

Abstract: The self-organization of the polymer in solar cells based on regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is studied systematically as a function of the spin-coating time ts (varied from 20–80 s), which controls the solvent annealing time ta, the time taken by the solvent to dry after the spin-coating process. These blend films are characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) measurements. The results indicate that the π-conjugated structure of RR-P3HT in the films is optimally developed when ta is greater than 1 min (ts ∼ 50 s). For ts < 50 s, both the short-circuit current (JSC) and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the corresponding polymer solar cells show a plateau region, whereas for 50 < ts < 55 s, the JSC and PCE values are significantly decreased, suggesting that there is a major change in the ordering of the polymer in this time window. The PCE decreases from 3.6 % for a film with a highly ordered π-conjugated structure of RR-P3HT to 1.2 % for a less-ordered film. GIXRD results confirm the change in the ordering of the polymer. In particular, the incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency spectrum of the less-ordered solar cell shows a clear loss in both the overall magnitude and the long-wavelength response. The solvent annealing effect is also studied for devices with different concentrations of PCBM (PCBM concentrations ranging from 25 to 67 wt %). Under “solvent annealing” conditions, the polymer is seen to be ordered even at 67 wt % PCBM loading. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) is also affected by the ordering of the polymer and the PCBM loading in the active layer.

Quantitative equivalence between polymer nanocomposites and thin polymer films

Abstract: The thermomechanical responses of polymers, which provide limitations to their practical use, are favourably altered by the addition of trace amounts of a nanofiller. However, the resulting changes in polymer properties are poorly understood, primarily due to the non-uniform spatial distribution of nanoparticles. Here we show that the thermomechanical properties of ‘polymer nanocomposites’ are quantitatively equivalent to the well-documented case of planar polymer films. We quantify this equivalence by drawing a direct analogy between film thickness and an appropriate experimental interparticle spacing. We show that the changes in glass-transition temperature with decreasing interparticle spacing for two filler surface treatments are quantitatively equivalent to the corresponding thin-film data with a non-wetting and a wetting polymer–particle interface. Our results offer new insights into the role of confinement on the glass transition, and we conclude that the mere presence of regions of modified mobility in the vicinity of the particle surfaces, that is, a simple two-layer model, is insufficient to explain our results. Rather, we conjecture that the glass-transition process requires that the interphase regions surrounding different particles interact.

Effect of Mesoscale Crystalline Structure on the Field‐Effect Mobility of Regioregular Poly(3‐hexyl thiophene) in Thin‐Film Transistors

Abstract: Regioregular poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (RR P3HT) is drop-cast to fabricate field-effect transistor (FET) devices from different solvents with different boiling points and solubilities for RR P3HT, such as methylene chloride, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, and chloroform. A Petri dish is used to cover the solution, and it takes less than 30 min for the solvents to evaporate at room temperature. The mesoscale crystalline morphology of RR P3HT thin films can be manipulated from well-dispersed nanofibrils to well-developed spherulites by changing solution processing conditions. The morphological correlation with the charge-carrier mobility in RR P3HT thin-film transistor (TFT) devices is investigated. The TFT devices show charge-carrier mobilities in the range of 10 - 4 ∼10 - 2 cm 2 V - 1 s - 1 depending on the solvent used, although grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) reveals that all films develop the same π-π-stacking orientation, where the -axis is normal to the polymer films. By combining results from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and GIXD, it is found that the morphological connectivity of crystalline nanofibrils and the -axis orientation distribution of the π-π-stacking plane with respect to the film normal play important roles on the charge-carrier mobility of RR P3HT for TFT applications.

Efficient Visible Quasi-2D Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes

Abstract: Efficient quasi-2D-structure perovskite light-emitting diodes (4.90 cd A(-1) ) are demonstrated by mixing a 3D-structured perovskite material (methyl ammonium lead bromide) and a 2D-structured perovskite material (phenylethyl ammonium lead bromide), which can be ascribed to better film uniformity, enhanced exciton confinement, and reduced trap density.

Aggregation-Induced Emission: Together We Shine, United We Soar!

Abstract: Ju Mei,†,‡,∥ Nelson L. C. Leung,†,‡,∥ Ryan T. K. Kwok,†,‡ Jacky W. Y. Lam,†,‡ and Ben Zhong Tang*,†,‡,§ †HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute, Hi-Tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China ‡Department of Chemistry, HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, Institute of Molecular Functional Materials, Division of Biomedical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China Guangdong Innovative Research Team, SCUT-HKUST Joint Research Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China

Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract: Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vass. Constantinou Avenue, 116 35 Athens, Greece, Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, UPR9021 CNRS, Immunologie et Chimie Therapeutiques, 67084 Strasbourg, France, and Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Universita di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy

Polymer solar cells

Abstract: This Review summarizes recent progress in the development of polymer solar cells. It covers the scientific origins and basic properties of polymer solar cell technology, material requirements and device operation mechanisms, while also providing a synopsis of major achievements in the field over the past few years. Potential future developments and the applications of this technology are also briefly discussed.

Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers for Organic Solar Cell Applications

Abstract: -phenylenevinylene)s L4. Fluorene-Based Conjugated Polymers L4.1. Fluorene-Based Copolymers ContainingElectron-Rich MoietiesM4.2. Fluorene-Based Copolymers ContainingElectron-Deficient MoietiesN4.3. Fluorene-Based Copolymers ContainingPhosphorescent ComplexesQ5. Carbazole-Based Conjugated Polymers R5.1. Poly(2,7-carbazole)-Based Polymers R5.2. Indolo[3,2-