John E. Sohn

Bio: John E. Sohn is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Solid-state chemistry & Nonlinear system. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 669 citations.

Materials for Nonlinear Optics Chemical Perspectives

Abstract: Linear and Nonlinear Polarizability: a Primer Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Processes in Molecules and Solids Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Effects in Molecular and Polymeric Materials Nonlinear Optical Properties of Molecules and Materials Electronic Hyperpolarizability and Chemical Structure Electrooptic Polymer Waveguide Devices: Status and Applications Waveguiding and Waveguide Applications of Nonlinear Organic Materials Nonlinear Optical Materials: The Great and Near Great Donor- and Acceptor-Substituted Organic and Organometallic Compounds: Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties Use of a Sulfonyl Group in Materials for Nonlinear Optical Materials: A Bifunctional Electron Acceptor Organic and Organometallic Compounds: Second-Order Molecular and Macroscopic Optical Nonlinearities Chemistry of Anomalous-Dispersion Phase-Matched Second Harmonic Generation Applications of Organic Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Materials Chromophore-Polymer Assemblies for Nonlinear Optical Materials: Routes to New Thin-Film Frequency-Doubling Materials Novel Covalently Functionalized Amorphous *y^2 Nonlinear Optical Polymer: Synthesis and Characterization Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Polyphosphazanes Molecular Design for Enhanced Electric Field Orientation of Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Chromophores Nonlinear Optical Chromophores in Photocrosslinked Matrices: Synthesis, Poling, and Second-Harmonic Generation Thermal Effects on Dopant Orientation in Poled, Doped Polymers: Use of Second Harmonic Generation Organic Polymers as Guided Wave Materials Observing High Second Harmonic Generation and Control of Molecular Alignment in One Dimension: Cyclobutenediones as a Promising New Acceptor for Nonlinear Optical Materials Strategy and Tactics in the Search for New Harmonic-Generating Crystals Development of New Nonlinear Optical Crystals in the Borate Series What is Materials Chemistry? Defect Properties and the Photorefractive Effect in Barium Titanate Defect Chemistry of Nonlinear Optical Oxide Crystals From Molecular to Supramolecular Nonlinear Optical Properties Control of Symmetry and Asymmetry in Hydrogen-Bonded Nitroaniline Materials Molecular Orbital Modeling of Monomeric Aggregates in Materials with Potentially Nonlinear Optical Properties Strategies for Design of Solids with Polar Arrangement Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Designed For Electronic Nonlinear Optical Applications Model Polymers with Distyrylbenzene Segments for Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties Composites: Novel Materials for Second Harmonic Generation Clathrasils: New Materials for Nonlinear Optical Applications Inorganic Sol-Gel Glasses as Matrices for Nonlinear Optical Materials Intrazeolite Semiconductor Quantum Dots and Quantum Supralattices: New Materials for Nonlinear Optical Applications Small Semiconductor Particles: Preparation and Characterization Synthetic Approaches to Polymeric Nonlinear Optical Materials Based on Ferrocene Systems Transition Metal Acetylides for Nonlinear Optical Properties Third-Order Near-Resonance Nonlinearities in Dithiolenes and Rare Earth Metallocenes Nonlinear Optical Properties of Substituted Phthalocyanines Nonlinear Optical Properties of Substituted Polysilanes and Polygermanes Design of New Nonlinear Optic-Active Polymers: Use of Delocalized Polaronic or Bipolaronic Charge States New Polymeric Materials with Cubic Optical Nonlinearities: From Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Polymers and an Unusual Molecular Crystal with Nonlinear Optical Properties Quadratic Electrooptic Effect in Small Molecules Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic Materials

Polymer photovoltaic cells : enhanced efficiencies via a network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions

Abstract: The carrier collection efficiency (ηc) and energy conversion efficiency (ηe) of polymer photovoltaic cells were improved by blending of the semiconducting polymer with C60 or its functionalized derivatives. Composite films of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and fullerenes exhibit ηc of about 29 percent of electrons per photon and ηe of about 2.9 percent, efficiencies that are better by more than two orders of magnitude than those that have been achieved with devices made with pure MEH-PPV. The efficient charge separation results from photoinduced electron transfer from the MEH-PPV (as donor) to C60 (as acceptor); the high collection efficiency results from a bicontinuous network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions.

Photoinduced electron transfer from a conducting polymer to buckminsterfullerene.

Abstract: Evidence for photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of a conducting polymer onto buckminsterfullerene, C(60), is reported. After photo-excitation of the conjugated polymer with light of energy greater than the pi-pi* gap, an electron transfer to the C(60) molecule is initiated. Photoinduced optical absorption studies demonstrate a different excitation spectrum for the composite as compared to the separate components, consistent with photo-excited charge transfer. A photoinduced electron spin resonance signal exhibits signatures of both the conducting polymer cation and the C(60) anion. Because the photoluminescence in the conducting polymer is quenched by interaction with C(60), the data imply that charge transfer from the excited state occurs on a picosecond time scale. The charge-separated state in composite films is metastable at low temperatures.

Flexible light-emitting diodes made from soluble conducting polymers

Abstract: THE recent fabrication of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from conjugated polymers1,2demonstrates the technological potential of this class of electronic materials. A variety of colours are possible, because the wavelength of luminescence emission can be chemically tuned during synthesis1–4. In addition, the mechanical properties of polymers suggest that light-emitting structures can be made that are more flexible than their inorganic counterparts, provided appropriate materials can be found for the substrate and electrodes. Here we report the fabrication of a fully flexible LED using poly(ethylene terephthalate) as the substrate, soluble poly-aniline as the hole-injecting electrode, a substituted poly(1,4-phenylene-vinylene) as the electroluminescent layer and calcium as the electron-injecting top contract. The structure is mechanically robust and may be sharply bent without failure. The LED is easily visible under room lighting and has an external quantum efficiency of about 1%. With a turn-on voltage for light emission of 2–3 V, the 'plastic' LED demonstrates that this unique combination of optical, electrical and mechanical properties can be used to make novel structures that are compatible with conventional devices.

Excimers and Exciplexes of Conjugated Polymers

Abstract: Observations of intermolecular excimers in several pi-conjugated polymers and exciplexes of these polymers with tris(p-tolyl) amine are reported. It is shown that the luminescence of conjugated polymer thin films originates from excimer emission and that the generally low quantum yield is the result of self-quenching. Thus, in sufficiently dilute solution, the "single-chain" emission has a quantum yield of unity. Exciplex luminescence and exciplex-mediated charge photogeneration have much higher quantum yields than the excimer-mediated photophysical processes. These results provide a basis for understanding and controlling the photophysics of conjugated polymers in terms of supramolecular structure and morphology.

Charge separation and photovoltaic conversion in polymer composites with internal donor/acceptor heterojunctions

Abstract: The photosensitivity of semiconducting polymers can be enhanced by blending donor and acceptor polymers to optimize photoinduced charge separation. We describe a novel phase‐separated polymer blend (composite) made with poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethyl‐hexyloxy)‐1,4‐phenylene vinylene], MEH‐PPV, as donor and cyano‐PPV, CN‐PPV, as acceptor. The photoluminescence and electroluminescence of both component polymers are quenched in the blend, indicative of rapid and efficient separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs with electrons on the acceptor and holes on the donor. Diodes made with such a composite semiconducting polymer as the photosensitive medium show promising photovoltaic characteristics with carrier collection efficiency of 5% electrons/photon and energy conversion efficiency of 0.9%, ∼20 times larger than in diodes made with pure MEH‐PPV and ∼100 times larger than in diodes made with CN‐PPV. The photosensitivity and the quantum yield increase with reverse bias voltage, to 0.3 A/W and 80% electrons/photon respectively at −10 V, comparable to results obtained from photodiodes made with inorganic semiconductors.