No abstract

A charge transport layer based on transition metal‐oxides prepared by an anhydrous sol–gel method normally requires high‐temperature annealing to achieve the desired quality. Although annealing is not a difficult process in the laboratory, it is definitely not a simple process in mass production, such as roll‐to‐roll, because of the inevitable long cooling step that follows. Therefore, the development of an annealing‐free solution‐processable metal‐oxide is essential for the large‐scale commercialization. In this work, a room‐temperature processable annealing‐free “aqueous” MoO x solution is developed and applied in non‐fullerene PBDB‐T‐2F:Y6 solar cells. By adjusting the concentration of water in the sol–gel route, an annealing‐free MoO x with excellent electrical properties is successfully developed. The PBDB‐T‐2F:Y6 solar cell with the general MoO x prepared by the anhydrous sol–gel method shows a low efficiency of 7.7% without annealing. If this anhydrous MoO x is annealed at 200 °C, the efficiency is recovered to 17.1%, which is a normal value typically observed in conventional structure PBDB‐T‐2F:Y6 solar cells. However, without any annealing process, the solar cell with aqueous MoO x exhibits comparable performance of 17.0%. In addition, the solar cell with annealing‐free aqueous MoO x exhibits better performance and stability without high‐temperature annealing compared to the solar cells with PEDOT:PSS.

No abstract

No abstract

Extra-framework aluminum (EFAL) species generated during the hydrolysis of framework Al are believed to play a crucial role in the activity of alkane cracking on zeolites. The presence of these EFAL species can enhance the reactivity of the adjacent Brønsted acid sites (BAS), resulting in the formation of the synergistic BAS-EFAL sites. Recently, we have demonstrated that water treatment in a pulse reactor can facilitate the mobility of existing EFAL species in the absence of framework hydrolysis. Here, we investigate the role of framework Al location and proximity on the generation of synergistic sites in MFI zeolites. Correlations are developed between the cracking rates and the rate enhancement under pulsing water treatment with the concentration of proximate framework Al species. In addition, it is illustrated that sodium and calcium can titrate proximate framework Al, which we reveal to be important precursors to synergistic site formation. This allows quantification of the number of synergistic sites, as well as the conclusion that these highly active sites are likely located at pore intersections within the MFI framework. In addition, the analysis of experimental and theorical transition-state energies suggests that these EFAL species facilitate n-hexane cracking by lowering activation enthalpies.