Simple Approach For Preparing Post-Treatment-Free Solution Processed Non-Stoichiometric Niox Nanoparticles As Conductive Hole Transport Materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017110679-A1
Application number	US-201514883131-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

High-quality non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile chemical precipitation method. The NiO x film can function as an effective p-type semiconductor or hole transport layer (HTL) without any post-treatments, while offering wide temperature applicability from room-temperature to 150° C. For demonstrating the potential applications, high efficiency is achieved in organic solar cells using NiO x HTL. Better performance in NiO x based organic light emitting diodes is obtained as compared to devices using PEDOT:PSS. The solution-processed NiO x semiconductors at room temperature can favor a wide-range of applications of large-area and flexible optoelectronics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for preparing non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticles, with a composition of NiO (Ni 2+ ), NiOOH (Ni 3+ ), and Ni 2 O 3 (Ni 3+ ), wherein the method comprises:
using a base to react with Ni ions in water to form an electrically insulated and undispersed intermediate; grinding the intermediate to form it into a uniform grain size; combusting the intermediate in air to cause oxygen to interact with a nickel-deficient lattice and further form non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticles.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the NiO x nanoparticles have dark-black color or atrous color.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the NiO x nanoparticles comprise vacancy-induced Ni 2+ and Ni 3+ composition.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticles contain nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) which have a plurality of hydroxyl groups.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using a base to form undispersed intermediate involves use of a dispersing agent that is water/methanol, water/ethanol, or water/other alcoholic solvents.

6 . A non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticle film, wherein the non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticle film is produced by using the non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticles according to claim 1 .

7 . The non-stoichiometric NiO x nanoparticle film of claim 6 , wherein the NiO x nanoparticles film is formed through a room temperature solution process without any post-treatments.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said the NiO x nanoparticle film has a work function of 5.25 eV, and possesses typical p-type semiconductor properties.

9 . A method of claim 8 , wherein the NiO x nanoparticle film is transparent and is placed on anITO/glass substrate and has an optical transparency of at least 85% when the film has a thickness of 30nm.

Assignees

• Univ Hong Kong

Inventors

• Choy Wallace C H
• Jiang Fei

Classifications

• C01P2006/60

  Optical properties, e.g. expressed in CIELAB-values · CPC title

• C01P2004/64

  Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer · CPC title

• C01P2004/04

  obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM · CPC title

• C01G53/04 Primary

  Oxides · CPC title

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title