@article{KnieUtechtZhaoetal.2014, author = {Knie, Christopher and Utecht, Manuel Martin and Zhao, Fangli and Kulla, Hannes and Kovalenko, Sergey and Brouwer, Albert M. and Saalfrank, Peter and Hecht, Stefan and Bleger, David}, title = {ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes: visible light switches with very long-lived Z isomers}, series = {Chemistry - a European journal}, volume = {20}, journal = {Chemistry - a European journal}, number = {50}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201404649}, pages = {16492 -- 16501}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Improving the photochemical properties of molecular photoswitches is crucial for the development of light-responsive systems in materials and life sciences. ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes are a new class of rationally designed photochromic azo compounds with optimized properties, such as the ability to isomerize with visible light only, high photoconversions, and unprecedented robust bistable character. Introducing sigma-electron-withdrawing F atoms ortho to the N=N unit leads to both an effective separation of the n -> pi* bands of the E and Z isomers, thus offering the possibility of using these two transitions for selectively inducing E/Z iso-merizations, and greatly enhanced thermal stability of the Z isomers. Additional para-electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) work in concert with ortho-F atoms, giving rise to enhanced separation of the n -> pi* transitions. A comprehensive study of the effect of substitution on the key photochemical properties of ortho-fluoroazobenzenes is reported herein. In particular, the position, number, and nature of the EWGs have been varied, and the visible light photoconversions, quantum yields of isomerization, and thermal stabilities have been measured and rationalized by DFT calculations.}, language = {en} } @article{LangeReiterPaetzeletal.2014, author = {Lange, Ilja and Reiter, Sina and Paetzel, Michael and Zykov, Anton and Nefedov, Alexei and Hildebrandt, Jana and Hecht, Stefan and Kowarik, Stefan and Woell, Christof and Heimel, Georg and Neher, Dieter}, title = {Tuning the work function of polar zinc oxide surfaces using modified phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers}, series = {Advanced functional materials}, volume = {24}, journal = {Advanced functional materials}, number = {44}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.201401493}, pages = {7014 -- 7024}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Zinc oxide (ZnO) is regarded as a promising alternative material for transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronic devices. However, ZnO suffers from poor chemical stability. ZnO also has a moderate work function (WF), which results in substantial charge injection barriers into common (organic) semiconductors that constitute the active layer in a device. Controlling and tuning the ZnO WF is therefore necessary but challenging. Here, a variety of phosphonic acid based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) deposited on ZnO surfaces are investigated. It is demonstrated that they allow the tuning the WF over a wide range of more than 1.5 eV, thus enabling the use of ZnO as both the hole-injecting and electron-injecting contact. The modified ZnO surfaces are characterized using a number of complementary techniques, demonstrating that the preparation protocol yields dense, well-defined molecular monolayers.}, language = {en} }