Nicolas Mercier

Bio: Nicolas Mercier is an academic researcher from University of Angers. The author has contributed to research in topics: Tetrathiafulvalene & Perovskite (structure). The author has an hindex of 34, co-authored 117 publications receiving 4421 citations. Previous affiliations of Nicolas Mercier include École Normale Supérieure & University of Paris-Sud.

Quantum and Dielectric Confinement Effects in Lower-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskite Semiconductors.

Abstract: Hybrid halide perovskites are now superstar materials leading the field of low-cost thin film photovoltaics technologies. Following the surge for more efficient and stable 3D bulk alloys, multilayered halide perovskites and colloidal perovskite nanostructures appeared in 2016 as viable alternative solutions to this challenge, largely exceeding the original proof of concept made in 2009 and 2014, respectively. This triggered renewed interest in lower-dimensional hybrid halide perovskites and at the same time increasingly more numerous and differentiated applications. The present paper is a review of the past and present literature on both colloidal nanostructures and multilayered compounds, emphasizing that availability of accurate structural information is of dramatic importance to reach a fair understanding of quantum and dielectric confinement effects. Layered halide perovskites occupy a special place in the history of halide perovskites, with a large number of seminal papers in the 1980s and 1990s. In ...

Structural diversity and retro-crystal engineering analysis of iodometalate hybrids

Abstract: With guidance from retro-crystal engineering, iodometalate structures based on MI6 octahedra of group 14 (M = Sn(II), Pb(II)) and group 15 (M = Sb(III) and Bi(III)) are analysed. The criterion of I/M ratio, with the function of indicating the degree of condensation of octahedra in inorganic networks and the average charge density at the organic–inorganic interface, is introduced to classify all of the iodometalate networks, resulting in an easy and clear way to identify isomers with different dimensionalities. Of all iodometalates, the 2D M(II)I4 anion derived from the perovskite network is special since it can be easily stabilized by a range of common organic cations. We provide here the up-to-date progress in this extensively studied field, focusing on crystal engineering of hybrids in the aim of getting materials with a reduced band gap. Relationships between the molecular layouts of cationic entities and the structures of several non-perovskite anionic networks, focusing on the organic–inorganic interface, are highlighted. Distinct dependences between different types of cations and different types of anions are revealed, although it is still unfeasible to apply them in the actual control, design, or prediction of specific hybrid structures.

Design and Synthesis of Push−Pull Chromophores for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics Derived from Rigidified Thiophene-Based π-Conjugating Spacers

Abstract: Two series of push−pull chromophores built around thiophene-based π-conjugating spacers rigidified either by covalent bonds or by noncovalent intramolecular interactions have been synthesized and characterized by UV−vis spectroscopy, electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH) and differential scanning calorimetry. Comparison of the linear and second-order nonlinear optical properties of chromophores based on a covalently bridged dithienylethylene (DTE) spacer with those of their analogues based on open chain DTE shows that the rigidification of the spacer produces a considerable bathochromic shift of the absorption maximum together with a dramatic enhancement of the molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability (μβ) which reaches values among the highest reported so far. A second series of NLO-phores has been derived from a 2,2‘-bi(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (BEDOT) π-conjugating spacer. As indicated by X-ray and UV−vis data, rigidification of the spacer originates in that case, from noncovalent...

Reduced Band Gap Hybrid Perovskites Resulting from Combined Hydrogen and Halogen Bonding at the Organic−Inorganic Interface

Abstract: Undistorted perovskite layers are formed in PbI4-based hybrid perovskites incorporating X−(CH2)2−NH3+ (X = Br, Cl) cations. The outstanding structural feature of these compounds is the result of halogen and hydrogen bonding at the organic−inorganic interface, leading to the absence of hydrogen bonds between equatorial iodine atoms of the perovskite layer and ammonium parts, these last being located out of perovskite layers. As a consequence, these red salts display a reduced band gap (2.2 eV) which is assigned to a more disperse HOMO band compared to other salts such as (I−(CH2)2−NH3)2PbI4.

Semiconducting tin and lead iodide perovskites with organic cations: phase transitions, high mobilities, and near-infrared photoluminescent properties.

Abstract: A broad organic–inorganic series of hybrid metal iodide perovskites with the general formulation AMI3, where A is the methylammonium (CH3NH3+) or formamidinium (HC(NH2)2+) cation and M is Sn (1 and 2) or Pb (3 and 4) are reported. The compounds have been prepared through a variety of synthetic approaches, and the nature of the resulting materials is discussed in terms of their thermal stability and optical and electronic properties. We find that the chemical and physical properties of these materials strongly depend on the preparation method. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 1–4 classifies the compounds in the perovskite structural family. Structural phase transitions were observed and investigated by temperature-dependent single crystal X-ray diffraction in the 100–400 K range. The charge transport properties of the materials are discussed in conjunction with diffuse reflectance studies in the mid-IR region that display characteristic absorption features. Temperature-dependent studies show a ...

Semiconducting π-conjugated systems in field-effect transistors: a material odyssey of organic electronics.

Abstract: Since the discovery of highly conducting polyacetylene by Shirakawa, MacDiarmid, and Heeger in 1977, π-conjugated systems have attracted much attention as futuristic materials for the development and production of the next generation of electronics, that is, organic electronics. Conceptually, organic electronics are quite different from conventional inorganic solid state electronics because the structural versatility of organic semiconductors allows for the incorporation of functionality by molecular design. This versatility leads to a new era in the design of electronic devices. To date, the great number of π-conjugated semiconducting materials that have either been discovered or synthesized generate an exciting library of π-conjugated systems for use in organic electronics. 11 However, some key challenges for further advancement remain: the low mobility and stability of organic semiconductors, the lack of knowledge regarding structure property relationships for understanding the fundamental chemical aspects behind the structural design, and realization of desired properties. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are a kind of device consisting of an organic semiconducting layer, a gate insulator layer, and three terminals (drain, source, and gate electrodes). OFETs are not only essential building blocks for the next generation of cheap and flexible organic circuits, but they also provide an important insight into the charge transport of πconjugated systems. Therefore, they act as strong tools for the exploration of the structure property relationships of πconjugated systems, such as parameters of field-effect mobility (μ, the drift velocity of carriers under unit electric field), current on/off ratio (the ratio of the maximum on-state current to the minimum off-state current), and threshold voltage (the minimum gate voltage that is required to turn on the transistor). 17 Since the discovery of OFETs in the 1980s, they have attracted much attention. Research onOFETs includes the discovery, design, and synthesis of π-conjugated systems for OFETs, device optimization, development of applications in radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, flexible displays, electronic papers, sensors, and so forth. It is beyond the scope of this review to cover all aspects of π-conjugated systems; hence, our focus will be on the performance analysis of π-conjugated systems in OFETs. This should make it possible to extract information regarding the fundamental merit of semiconducting π-conjugated materials and capture what is needed for newmaterials and what is the synthesis orientation of newπ-conjugated systems. In fact, for a new science with many practical applications, the field of organic electronics is progressing extremely rapidly. For example, using “organic field effect transistor” or “organic field effect transistors” as the query keywords to search the Web of Science citation database, it is possible to show the distribution of papers over recent years as shown in Figure 1A. It is very clear

A hole-conductor-free, fully printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cell with high stability

Abstract: We fabricated a perovskite solar cell that uses a double layer of mesoporous TiO2 and ZrO2 as a scaffold infiltrated with perovskite and does not require a hole-conducting layer. The perovskite was produced by drop-casting a solution of PbI2, methylammonium (MA) iodide, and 5-ammoniumvaleric acid (5-AVA) iodide through a porous carbon film. The 5-AVA templating created mixed-cation perovskite (5-AVA)x(MA)1- xPbI3 crystals with lower defect concentration and better pore filling as well as more complete contact with the TiO2 scaffold, resulting in a longer exciton lifetime and a higher quantum yield for photoinduced charge separation as compared to MAPbI3. The cell achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 12.8% and was stable for >1000 hours in ambient air under full sunlight.

Organic–Inorganic Perovskites: Structural Versatility for Functional Materials Design

Abstract: Although known since the late 19th century, organic–inorganic perovskites have recently received extraordinary research community attention because of their unique physical properties, which make them promising candidates for application in photovoltaic (PV) and related optoelectronic devices. This review will explore beyond the current focus on three-dimensional (3-D) lead(II) halide perovskites, to highlight the great chemical flexibility and outstanding potential of the broader class of 3-D and lower dimensional organic-based perovskite family for electronic, optical, and energy-based applications as well as fundamental research. The concept of a multifunctional organic–inorganic hybrid, in which the organic and inorganic structural components provide intentional, unique, and hopefully synergistic features to the compound, represents an important contemporary target.