‘Impossible’ method used to grow organic crystals
18 Feb 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Organic crystals have been created by Russian scientists which can reduce the cost of creating light-emitting devices.
Organic crystals have been created by Russian scientists which can reduce the cost of creating light-emitting devices.
The semiconductors, which have extremely high light-emitting efficiency, were created using simpler methods and cheaper technology that were deemed impractical and not physically possible.
These crystals can be produced in two different ways, either grown from a vapour or solution. However, in the field of organic optoelectronics, those from vapour are preferred as they are more pure and free of structural impurities. But researchers have shown it is possible to grow these crystals from solution.
Professor Paraschuk, from Moscow State University, said: “We have shown that it is possible to grow crystals on the surface of the liquid in different ways. Roughly speaking, after we place a solution with molecules in a vessel and then begin to cool it, under some certain conditions we allow molecules to be deposited on the surface at the "air-liquid" interface.
“As the liquid surface is almost perfect, the crystals grown on it are of good quality, and owing to their high electronic performance they are much more preferable to the vapour-grown ones,” he added.
Thiophene-phenylene oligomers were chosen for this study with crystals grown from a solution of the molecules. The solution grown crystals were more luminescent and also had a quantum yield of 60% compared to 38% in vapour crystals.
Future studies will look at the reasons for high quantum yield was achieved by growing crystals from solution.
The research was published in Applied Materials and Interfaces.
