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Title: Tuning counterion chemistry to reduce carrier localization in doped semiconducting carbon nanotube networks

Journal Article · · Cell Reports Physical Science

Understanding and controlling the impact that electrostatic interactions have on the transport of injected charge carriers is important for the utilization of pi-conjugated semiconductors in opto-electronic applications. Here, we explore the impact of dopant chemical and electronic structure on the doping efficacy and charge carrier transport in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (s-SWCNT) networks using molecular charge-transfer dopants based on functionalized icosahedral dodecaborane (DDB) clusters. Calculations indicate that localization of electron density on the DDB core reduces the coulombic interactions that contribute to hole localization in the s-SWCNTs, thereby improving charge carrier transport. The enhanced delocalization produces an increase in the electrical conductivity and thermopower at lower charge carrier densities, yielding enhanced thermoelectric transport and a thermoelectric power factor that surpasses the previous best in class for enriched s-SWCNT thin-film networks. This strategy can be applied broadly across pi-conjugated semiconductors to tune and enhance performance in a variety of energy harvesting devices.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Synthetic Control Across Length-scales for Advancing Rechargeables (SCALAR)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB); National Science Foundation (NSF); German Research Foundation (DFG)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; SC0019381; DMR-2105896; HE3355/4-1
OSTI ID:
1975551
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-84677; MainId:85450; UUID:d2061745-ce56-4e07-a8b5-a1648ef13ee3; MainAdminID:69618; TRN: US2314066
Journal Information:
Cell Reports Physical Science, Vol. 4, Issue 5; ISSN 2666-3864
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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