1. Enhancing optical biosensing : comparing two physical treatments for GPTES chemical functionalization of cyclo-olefin copolymer foilBarbara Ressel, Jurij Urbančič, Marco Beltrami, Erik Betz-Güttner, Cinzia Cepek, Martina Conti, Ayesha Farooq, Patrizia Melpignano, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Cyclo-olefin-copolymer (COC) transparent films are currently the best choice for micro-fluidic bio-sensors for point-of-care diagnostic applications using optical signal detection. However, while the optical and mechanical properties of this polymer are extremely good, the adhesion of the bio-probes on this surface is not optimal, due to its chemical structure, that presents only saturated carbon bonds. The deposition of organo-silane molecules on the COC surface is one of the most effective ways to overcome this problem. But, for the surface functionalization, a surface physical treatment is necessary before the chemical modification of the COC surface. In this paper a comparison of the effectiveness of two different physical treatments, oxygen plasma and UV-ozone, is reported. In particular, the exposure time of the UV-Ozone treatment has been selected to avoid the problem of auto-fluorescence of the modified COC surface, that was observed also for relatively short UV exposure (around 10 minutes). An investigation of the reactive radicals created on the surface after the physical treatments and the following chemical modification with the organo-silane molecule (GPTES) has been performed using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The surface energy and morphology of the films have been also measured by contact angle and optical profilometry. Finally, the bio-probes adhesion performances of the COC surfaces obtained with the two physical treatments and the chemical modification were tested in a fluorescence-based assay, using an organic light emission diode to excite the fluorescence. We observed that the UV-ozone treatment allows to obtain a siloxane network with some reactive epoxy radicals on the COC surface, however, their quantity and distribution are less important and homogeneous than in the oxygen plasma treated surfaces.
Keywords: cyclo-olefin-copolymers, organo-silane, oxygen plasma, UV-ozone, XPS, OLED
Published in RUNG: 26.06.2024; Views: 2336; Downloads: 6
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5. Time-of-flight photoconductivity investigation of high charge carrier mobility in ▫$Ti_3C_2T_x$▫ MXenes thin-filmJurij Urbančič, Erika Tomsic, Manisha Chhikara, Nadiia Pastukhova, Vadym Tkachuk, Alex Dixon, Andraž Mavrič, Payam Hashemi, Davood Sabaghi, Ali Shaygan Nia, Gvido Bratina, Egon Pavlica, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Charge transport through a randomly oriented multilayered network of two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx (where Tx is the surface termination and corresponds to O, OH and F) was studied using time-of-flight photoconductivity (TOFP) method, which is highly sensitive to the distribution of charge carrier velocities. We prepared samples comprising Ti3C2Tx with thickness of 12 nm or 6-monolayers. MXene flakes of size up to 16 μm were randomly deposited on the surface by spin-coating from water solution. Using TOFP, we have measured electron mobility that reached values up to 279 cm2/Vs and increase with electric-field in a Poole-Frenkel manner. These values are approximately 50 times higher than previously reported field-effect mobility. Interestingly, our zero-electric-field extrapolate approaches electron mobility measured using terahertz absorption method, which represents intra-flake transport. Our data suggest that macroscopic charge transport is governed by two distinct mechanisms. The high mobility values are characteristic for the intra-flake charge transport via the manifold of delocalized states. On the other hand, the observed Poole-Frenkel dependence of charge carrier mobility on the electric field is typical for the disordered materials and suggest the existence of an important contribution of inter-flake hopping to the overall charge transport.
Keywords: charge transport, multilayered network, flakes, time-of-flight photoconductivity, MXene exfoliation, high-mobility solution-cast thin-film, semiconducting MXene
Published in RUNG: 31.03.2023; Views: 2883; Downloads: 9
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6. Challenges of Legal and Regulatory Framework for Blockchain Technology in the EUUrška Fric, Jurij Urbančič, 2022, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: While blockchain is one of the crucial emerging technologies shaping Europe’s digital future, blockchain protection in the domain of IPR is not clearly defined. This status quo, therefore, necessitates an examination of this field – to arrive at a clear legal basis which would regulate blockchain technology protection it is necessary to define and address the crucial points. The following paper presents the challenges of blockchain protection in the EU. It starts by introducing blockchain technology from theory to practice, followed by the existing conditions of the current legal and regulatory framework and the most common challenges for blockchain technology protection, and concludes with proposals for further research in this field.
Keywords: Blockchain Technology, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Protection, Challenges, EU
Published in RUNG: 17.11.2022; Views: 4125; Downloads: 0
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8. Enhancement of indacenodithiophene–benzothiadiazole copolymer field-effect mobility with MXenesJurij Urbančič, Nadiia Pastukhova, Manisha Chhikara, Hu Chen, Iain Mcculloch, Huanhuan Shi, Ali Shaygan Nia, Xinliang Feng, Egon Pavlica, Gvido Bratina, 2022, published scientific conference contribution abstract Abstract: The predominant mode of charge carrier transport in thin layers of organic semiconductors (OSs) is thermally-activated hopping between localized states. This results in lower charge mobility compared to inorganic semiconductors precluding the use of OSs in high-speed electronic devices. Therefore, significant effort is invested to improve charge carrier mobility of OS thin layers, which form the basis of most of the organic electronic devices. Recent advances in the field of two-dimensional (2D) materials stimulated their use as addition to OS thin layers to boost the charge carrier mobility. MXenes promise to deliver most of the benefits of 2D materials coupled with large scale fabrication capability. Herein we examined Ti3C2X (X is O or OH group termination) MXene, as a candidate to improve charge carrier mobility in thin layer of indacenodithiophene-co-benzothiadiazole (IDTBT), a polymer exhibiting high electron mobility in defect-free crystalline layers. In our work we demonstrate that improvement in electron mobility in solution-cast IDTBT thin layers can be achieved by depositing a non-connected network of MXene flakes at the gate-dielectric/IDBT interface. Bottom-gate field-effect transistors (FETs) comprising of Au electrodes on n-doped silicon wafer covered with 230 nm of thermally deposited SiO2 were prepared and characterized. Charge carrier mobilities determined from transfer characteristics of FETs composing neat IDTBT channels were found to be in the range of 1 - 2×10−2 cm2/Vs. Devices comprising MXene flakes at the interface between SiO2 and IDTBT, instead exhibited a factor of four increase in electron mobility, while preserving the on/off ratio of 104.
Keywords: MXene, IDTBT, charge carrier mobility, OFET
Published in RUNG: 20.10.2022; Views: 3607; Downloads: 12
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9. Orbital selective dynamics in Fe-pnictides triggered by polarized pump pulse excitationsGanesh Adhikary, Tanusree Saha, Primož Rebernik Ribič, Matija Stupar, Barbara Ressel, Jurij Urbančič, Giovanni De Ninno, A. Thamizhavel, Kalobaran Maiti, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Quantum materials display exotic behaviours related to the interplay between temperature-driven phase transitions. Here, we study the electron dynamics in one such material, CaFe$_2$As$_2$, a parent Fe-based superconductor, employing time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. CaFe$_2$As$_2$ exhibits concomitant transition to spin density wave state and tetragonal to orthorhombic structure below 170 K. The Fermi surface of this material consists of three hole pockets ($\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$) around $\Gamma$-point and two electron pockets around $X$-point. The hole pockets have $d_{xy}$, $d_{yz}$ and $d_{zx}$ orbital symmetries. The $\beta$ band constituted by $d_{xz}$/$d_{yz}$ orbitals exhibit a gap across the magnetic phase transition. We discover that polarized pump pulses can induce excitations of electrons of a selected symmetry. More specifically, while $s$-polarized light (polarization vector perpendicular to the $xz$-plane) excites electrons corresponding to all the three hole bands, $p$-polarized light excites electrons essentially from ($\alpha$,$\beta$) bands which are responsible for magnetic order. Interestingly, within the magnetically ordered phase, the excitation due to the $p$-polarized pump pulses occur at a time scale of 50 fs, which is significantly faster than the excitation induced by $s$-polarized light ($\sim$ 200 fs). These results suggest that the relaxation of different ordered phases occurs at different time scales and this method can be used to achieve selective excitations to disentangle complexity in the study of quantum materials.
Keywords: Electronic structure, Pnictides and chalcogenides, Time-resolved spectroscopy
Published in RUNG: 13.10.2021; Views: 3338; Downloads: 9
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10. Charge transport characterization of P3HT thin-film organic semiconductor : Written report: in fulfilment of diploma seminar 1FAF29 requirementMatija Filipčič, 2021, research project (high school) Abstract: The focus of this diploma seminar is to describe different types of charge transport theory and
models used for finding mobility in semiconductors, more specifically focused on P3HT thin-film
organic semiconductor. It also describes the time-of-flight method, which was used to measure the
experimental data for P3HT with time dependent current I(t) curve. Another data set was obtained
by performing Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations using Miller-Abrahams hopping formalism.
KMC was used to determine the material disorder, simulate I(t) curve and transit time for every
charge carrier. Simulated data, different transit times and mobilities were then finally compared
with experimental, in order to find agreements between the two.
Keywords: charge transport, P3HT, thin-film organic semiconductor
Published in RUNG: 15.09.2021; Views: 4094; Downloads: 0
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