(6fr) Tailoring Organic Materials for Electronics and Energy: From Molecular Design to Two-Dimensional Polymerization

The primary aim of my research has been to leverage the toolset of chemistry to explore and engineer organic materials for functional electronic devices and energy applications. My research covers two topics. My graduate research focused on the elucidation of structure-property relationships of contorted molecules and their applications in optoelectronics. I have shown that conjugated macrocycles and helical ribbons based on perylene diimides are new types of electronic materials for solar cells and photodetectors. With these molecules, I have managed to achieve several accomplishments that are landmarks in organic optoelectronics, including world record efficiency for non-fullerene solar cells, best narrowband organic photodetectors, etc. During my postdoctoral research, I have developed a general approach to synthesize polycrystalline two-dimensional polymer films with wafer-scale homogeneity in the ultimate limit of monolayer thickness. We call this newly developed interfacial growth method laminar assembly polymerization (LAP). The two-dimensional polymers are fully compatible with large-scale patterning and integration methods, and we demonstrate this by fabricating arrays of hybrid superlattices and electrical capacitors based on two-dimensional polymers and inorganic two-dimensional atomic crystals. The LAP process provides, for the first time, a suite of capabilities necessary for the generation and integration of molecularly designed, wafer-scale thin films, an important step toward the development of artificial solids designed at the molecular level.

In future research, I will explore design principles and synthetic approaches of two-dimensional nanoporous polymers for energy- and environment-related applications. Particularly, I am interested to develop atomically thin nanoporous polymer membranes for water desalination/purification, osmotic power generation, and selective ion-detection.

Teaching Interests:

For undergraduate teaching, topics of General Chemistry, Thermodynamics and Kinetics, as well as Transport Phenomena fit perfectly with both my interest and my background in such areas. In the lectures, I endeavor to help the students to establish an essential understanding of the big pictures of the topics, for example, interconnections between subjects, the hierarchical structures, methodologies and the development history of our course. For graduate students, my teaching interests lie in the courses of Materials Chemistry and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. My course serves to develop their divergent thinking, catalyzing their ideas to emerge at the interfaces of different research areas. I will encourage their critical thinking and expose them to the frontier questions in the fields.

Selected Publications

[1] Zhong, Y.†; Chen, B.†; Park, C.; Ray, A.; Brown, S.; Mujid, F.; Lee, J.; Zhou, H.; Suh, J.; Lee, K.; Mannix, A.; Kang, K.; Sibener, S.; Muller, D.; Park, J., “Wafer-Scale Monolayer Two-Dimensional Polymers for Hybrid Superlattices” Under Review. (†Equal contribution)

[2] Zhong, Y.†; Sisto, T. J.†; Zhang, B.; Miyata, K.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Zhu, X.-Y.; Ng, F.; Nuckolls, C., “Helical Nanoribbons for Ultra-Narrowband Photodetectors.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 5644. (†Equal contribution)

[3] Sisto, T. J.†; Zhong, Y.†; Zhang, B.; Trinh, M. T.; Miyata, K.; Zhong, X.; Zhu, X.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Ng, F.; Nuckolls, C., “Long, Atomically Precise Donor-Acceptor Cove-Edge Nanoribbons as Electron Acceptors.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 5648. (†Equal contribution)

[4] Zhang, B.; Trinh, M. T.; Fowler, B.; Ball, M.; Xu, Q.; Ng, F.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Zhu, X. Y.*; Nuckolls, C.*; Zhong, Y.*, “Rigid, Conjugated Macrocycles for High Performance Organic Photodetectors.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138,16426. (*Corresponding authors)

[5] Ball, M.†; Zhong, Y.†; Fowler, B.; Zhang, B.; Li, P.; Etkin, G.; Paley, D. W.; Decatur, J.; Dalsania, A. K.; Li, H.; Xiao, S.; Ng, F.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Nuckolls, C., “Macrocyclization in the Design of Organic n-Type Electronic Materials.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 12861. (†Equal contribution)

[6] Zhong, Y.; Trinh, M. T.; Chen, R.; Purdum, P. E.; Khlyabich, P. P.; Sezen, M.; Oh, S.; Zhu, H.; Fowler, B.; Zhang, B.; Wang, W.; Nam, C.-Y.; Sfeir, M. Y.; Black, C.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Loo, Y.-L.; Ng, F.; Zhu, X. Y.; Nuckolls, C. “Molecular Helices as Electron Acceptors in High-Performance Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells.” Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 8242.

[7] Zhong, Y.; Trinh, M. T.; Chen, R.; Wang, W.; Khlyabich, P. P.; Kumar, B.; Xu, Q.; Nam, C.-Y.; Sfeir, M. Y.; Black, C.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Loo, Y.-L.; Xiao, S.; Ng, F.; Zhu, X. Y.; Nuckolls, C. “Efficient Organic Solar Cells with Helical Perylene Diimide Electron Acceptors.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 15215.

[8] Zhong, Y.; Kumar, B.; Oh, S.; Trinh, M. T.; Wu, Y.; Elbert, K.; Li, P.; Zhu, X.; Xiao, S.; Ng, F.; Steigerwald, M. L.; Nuckolls, C. “Helical Ribbons for Molecular Electronics.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 8122.