Adam D Printz

Interests

Teaching

Polymer science | Surface and Intermolecular Forces | Transport Phenomena

Research

Renewable energy | Solution-processed electronics | Intermolecular interactions | Scalable printing of electronics | Perovskite solar cells | Organic electronics | Flexible and stretchable electronics | Polymeric materials | Data science for material design and selection

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Alkhadra, M. A., Kleinschmidt, A. T., Root, S. E., Rodriquez, D., Printz, A. D., Savagatrup, S., & Lipomi, D. J. (2019). Mechanical Properties of Semiconducting Polymers. In Handbook of Semiconducting Polymers, Fourth Edition; Conjugated Polymers: Properties, Processing, and Apllications. CRC Press.

Journals/Publications

• Li, M., Dauskardt, R. H., Printz, A. D., & Rolston, N. (2025). Comment on “Mitigating Delamination in Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Modules”. Solar RRL, 9(Issue 9). doi:10.1002/solr.202400766
• Lohr, P. J., Muralidharan, K., & Printz, A. D. (2025). The Role of Donor Species and Heteroatom Electron Delocalization on Additive Interactions with Methylammonium Lead Iodide. ACS Omega, 10(Issue 16). doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c00534
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  Additive engineering─the incorporation of small organic molecules during film deposition or as a postfabrication step─is a common strategy for regulating crystallization kinetics or passivating defects during the fabrication of metal halide perovskite films. However, much of these efforts have been based on chemical intuition, leaving a limited understanding of how molecular structure influences interactions with perovskite surfaces. This paper describes using heterocyclic molecules as a model system to probe the effects of heteroatomic species (N, O, S, Se, and P) and heteroatom electron delocalization on additive interactions with the PbI2-rich (100) surface of MAPbI3 using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For all heteroatom species studied, we observe that adsorption energies (or interaction strength) with the perovskite surfaces increase as the heteroatom electron delocalization (i.e., degree of unsaturation) decreases. We observe that adsorption energies are strongest with N-donors and weakest with O-donors, with P-, S-, and Se-donors having adsorption energies in between, describable by correlation of adsorption energies to heteroatom charge in two different regimes. The electronegativity of the heteroatom plays a critical role, dictating the extent of surface charge transfer from the Pb to the adsorbate, with increasing electronegativity correlated with a lower extent of Pb reduction (or possibly oxidation in the case of O-donors). Heteroatom electronegativity is also predictive of surface band gap shifting, with more electronegative donors increasing the surface band gaps; conversely, adsorption of low electronegativity P-donors typically results in surface band gap reductions.
• Li, Y., Bahnick, A., Lohr, P. J., Raglow, S., & Printz, A. D. (2024). Enhanced a-phase stability of formamidinium lead iodide with addition of 5-ammonium valeric acid chloride. Energy Advances, 4(Issue 2). doi:10.1039/d4ya00527a
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  Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) is a metal halide perovskite composition that exhibits improved thermal stability and a more favorable band gap compared to the archetypical methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3). However, the photoactive a-phase is not thermodynamically stable at operating temperatures, which is a challenge that must be overcome for the viability of FAPbI3-based photovoltaics. This study explores the use of the ammonium acid additives 5-ammonium valeric acid iodide (5-AVAI) and 5-ammonium valeric acid chloride (5-AVACl), to stabilize the a-phase of FAPbI3. While both additives stabilize the photoactive a-phase and suppress the formation of the photoinactive d-phase, increase grain size, reduce non-radiative recombination, and improve carrier lifetimes, the addition of 5-AVACl results in superior performance. The improvements with 5-AVACl added are possibly due to its unique ability to initiate formation of the a-phase of FAPbI3 prior to annealing. DFT calculations also show that the growth of moisture-stable (111) facets is more favorable with the addition of 5-AVACl. These property improvements result in a significant increase in the power conversion efficiency of solar cells, from 9.75 ± 0.61% for devices with pristine FAPbI3 to 13.50 ± 0.81% for devices incorporating 1 mol% 5-AVACl.
• Mohapatra, A. A., Yual, W. K., Zhang, Y., Samoylov, A. A., Thurston, J., Davis, C. M., McCarthy, D. P., Printz, A. D., Toney, M. F., Ratcliff, E. L., Armstrong, N. R., Greenaway, A. L., Barlow, S., & Marder, S. R. (2024). Reducing delamination of an electron-transporting polymer from a metal oxide for electrochemical applications. Chemical Communications, 60(8), 988-991. doi:10.1039/d3cc05391a
• Samoylov, A. A., Dailey, M., Li, Y., Lohr, P. J., Raglow, S., & Printz, A. D. (2024). Inelastic Deformation in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite and Mitigation by Additives during Thermal Cycling. ACS Energy Letters, 2101-2108. doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.4c00587
• Printz, A. D. (2023).

  Influence of Halides on the Interactions of Ammonium Acids with Metal Halide Perovskites

  . ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 15(20), 24387-24398. doi:10.1021/acsami.3c01432
• Printz, A. D., Chen, A. X., Hilgar, J. D., Samoylov, A. A., Pazhankave, S. S., Bunch, J. A., Choudhary, K., Esparza, G. L., Lim, A., Luo, X., Chen, H., Runser, R., McCulloch, I., Mei, J., Hoover, C., Romero, N. A., & Lipomi, D. J. (2022). Increasing the Strength, Hardness, and Survivability of Semiconducting Polymers by Crosslinking. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2202053. doi:10.1002/admi.202202053
• Dailey, M., Li, Y., & Printz, A. D. (2021). Residual Film Stresses in Perovskite Solar Cells: Origins, Effects, and Mitigation Strategies. ACS Omega. doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c04814
• Li, Y., Dailey, M., Lohr, P. J., & Printz, A. D. (2021). Performance and stability improvements in metal halide perovskite with intralayer incorporation of organic additives. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. doi:10.1039/D1TA05252G
• Prete, M., Ogliani, E., Bregnhøj, M., Lissau, J. S., Dastidar, S., Rubahn, H., Engmann, S., Skov, A. L., Brook, M. A., Ogilby, P. R., Printz, A., Turkovic, V., & Madsen, M. (2021). Synergistic effect of carotenoid and silicone-based additives for photooxidatively stable organic solar cells with enhanced elasticity. Journal of Materials Chemistry C. doi:10.1039/D1TC01544C
• Printz, A. D., Li, Y., & Dailey, M. (2021). Residual Film Stresses in Perovskite Solar Cells: Origins, Effects, and Mitigation Strategies. ACS Omega, 6(45), 30214-30223. doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c04814
• Printz, A. D., Li, Y., Dailey, M., & Lohr, P. J. (2021). Performance and stability improvements in metal halide perovskite with intralayer incorporation of organic additives. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9(30), 16281-16338. doi:10.1039/d1ta05252g
• Printz, A., Prete, M., Ogliani, E., Bregnhøj, M., Lissau, J. S., Dastidar, S., Rubahn, H., Engmann, S., Skov, A. L., Brook, M. A., Ogilby, P. R., Turkovic, V., & Madsen, M. (2021). Synergistic effect of carotenoid and silicone-based additives for photooxidatively stable organic solar cells with enhanced elasticity. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 9(35), 11838-11850. doi:10.1039/d1tc01544c
• Gutwald, M., Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Zhao, O., Elmaraghi, H., Ding, Y., Zhang, J., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2020). Perspectives on Intrinsic Toughening Strategies and Passivation of Perovskite Films with Organic Additives. SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110433
• Printz, A. D., Zhao, O., Hamann, S., Rolston, N., Solgaard, O., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2020). Self-aligned concentrating immersion-lens arrays for patterning and efficiency recovery in scaffold-reinforced perovskite solar cells. APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY, 20, 100704. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100704
• Prolongo, S. G., Printz, A. D., Rolston, N., Watson, B. L., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018). Poly(triarylamine) composites with carbon nanomaterials for highly transparent and conductive coatings. THIN SOLID FILMS, 646, 61-66.
• Rolston, N., Bush, K. A., Printz, A. D., Gold-Parker, A., Ding, Y., Toney, M. F., McGehee, M. D., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018). Engineering Stress in Perovskite Solar Cells to Improve Stability. ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS, 8(29).
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Tracy, J. M., Weerasinghe, H. C., Vak, D., Haur, L. J., Priyadarshi, A., Mathews, N., Slotcavage, D. J., McGehee, M. D., Kalan, R. E., Zielinski, K., Grimm, R. L., Tsai, H., Nie, W., Mohite, A. D., Gholipour, S., Saliba, M., Gratzel, M., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018). Effect of Cation Composition on the Mechanical Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS, 8(9).
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Tracy, J. M., Weerasinghe, H. C., Vak, D., Haur, L. J., Priyadarshi, A., Mathews, N., Slotcavage, D. J., McGehee, M. D., Kalan, R. E., Zielinski, K., Grimm, R. L., Tsai, H., Nie, W., Mohite, A. D., Gholipour, S., Saliba, M., Grätzel, M., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018). Effect of Cation Composition on the Mechanical Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells. Advanced Energy Materials, 8(Issue 9). doi:10.1002/aenm.201702116
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  Photoactive perovskite semiconductors are highly tunable, with numerous inorganic and organic cations readily incorporated to modify optoelectronic properties. However, despite the importance of device reliability and long service lifetimes, the effects of various cations on the mechanical properties of perovskites are largely overlooked. In this study, the cohesion energy of perovskites containing various cation combinations of methylammonium, formamidinium, cesium, butylammonium, and 5-aminovaleric acid is reported. A trade-off is observed between the mechanical integrity and the efficiency of perovskite devices. High efficiency devices exhibit decreased cohesion, which is attributed to reduced grain sizes with the inclusion of additional cations and PbI2 additives. Microindentation hardness testing is performed to estimate the fracture toughness of single-crystal perovskite, and the results indicated perovskites are inherently fragile, even in the absence of grain boundaries and defects. The devices found to have the highest fracture energies are perovskites infiltrated into a porous TiO2/ZrO2/C triple layer, which provide extrinsic reinforcement and shielding for enhanced mechanical and chemical stability.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Dupont, S. R., Voroshazi, E., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2017). Effect of heat, UV radiation, and moisture on the decohesion kinetics of inverted organic solar cells. SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS, 170, 239-245.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Hilt, F., Hovish, M. Q., Bruning, K., Tassone, C. J., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2017). Improved stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells with submicron flexible barrier films deposited in air. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, 5(44), 22975-22983.
• Root, S. E., Alkhadra, M. A., Rodriquez, D., Printz, A. D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2017). Measuring the Glass Transition Temperature of Conjugated Polymer Films with Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS, 29(7), 2646-2654.
• Root, S. E., Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Rodriquez, D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2017). Mechanical Properties of Organic Semiconductors for Stretchable, Highly Flexible, and Mechanically Robust Electronics. CHEMICAL REVIEWS, 117(9), 6467-6499.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., O'Connor, T. F., Kim, I., & Lipomi, D. J. (2017). Efficient Characterization of Bulk Heterojunction Films by Mapping Gradients by Reversible Contact with Liquid Metal Top Electrodes. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS, 29(1), 389-398.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., O’Connor, T. F., Kim, I., & Lipomi, D. J. (2017). Efficient characterization of bulk heterojunction films by mapping gradients by reversible contact with liquid metal top electrodes. Chemistry of Materials, 29(Issue 1). doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b04192
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  The ways in which organic solar cells (OSCs) are measured and characterized are inefficient: many substrates must be coated with expensive or otherwise precious materials to test the effects of a single variable in processing. This serial, sample-by-sample approach also takes significant amounts of time on the part of the researcher. Combinatorial approaches to research OSCs generally do not permit microstructural characterization on the actual films from which photovoltaic measurements were made, or they require specialized equipment that is not widely available. This paper describes the formation of one- and two-dimensional gradients in morphology and thickness. Gradients in morphology are formed using gradient annealing, and gradients in thickness are formed using asymmetric spin coating. Use of a liquid metal top electrode, eutectic gallium− indium (EGaIn), allows reversible contact with the organic semiconductor film. Reversibility of contact permits subsequent characterization of the specific areas of the semiconductor film from which the photovoltaic parameters are obtained. Microstructural data from UV−vis experiments extracted using the weakly interacting H-aggregate model, along with atomic force microscopy, are correlated to the photovoltaic performance. The technique is used first on the model bulk heterojunction system comprising regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the soluble fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). To demonstrate that the process can be used to optimize the thickness and annealing temperature using only small (≤10 mg) amounts of polymer, the technique was then applied to a bulk heterojunction blend comprising a difficult-to-obtain low-bandgap polymer. The combination of the use of gradients and a nondamaging top electrode allows for significant reduction in the amount of materials and time required to understand the effects of processing parameters and morphology on the performance of OSCs.
• Watson, B. L., Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2017). Scaffold-reinforced perovskite compound solar cells. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 10(12), 2500-2508.
• O'Connor, T. F., Zaretski, A. V., Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Wilkes, C. D., Diaz, M. I., Sawyer, E. J., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Wearable organic solar cells with high cyclic bending stability: Materials selection criteria. SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS, 144, 438-444.
• Printz, A. D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Competition between deformability and charge transport in semiconducting polymers for flexible and stretchable electronics. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS, 3(2).
• Printz, A. D., Chiang, A., Savagatrup, S., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Fatigue in organic semiconductors: Spectroscopic evolution of microstructure due to cyclic loading in poly(3-heptylthiophene). SYNTHETIC METALS, 217, 144-151.
• Sawyer, E. J., Zaretski, A. V., Printz, A. D., de, l., Bautista-Gutierrez, A., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Large increase in stretchability of organic electronic materials by encapsulation. EXTREME MECHANICS LETTERS, 8, 78-87.
• Zaretski, A. V., Root, S. E., Savchenko, A., Molokanova, E., Printz, A. D., Jibril, L., Arya, G., Mercola, M., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Metallic Nanoislands on Graphene as Highly Sensitive Transducers of Mechanical, Biological, and Optical Signals. NANO LETTERS, 16(2), 1375-1380.
• Zaretski, A. V., Root, S. E., Savchenko, A., Molokanova, E., Printz, A. D., Jibril, L., Arya, G., Mercola, M., & Lipomi, D. J. (2016). Metallic nanoislands on graphene as highly sensitive transducers of mechanical, biological, and optical signals. Nano Letters, 16(Issue 2). doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04821
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  This article describes an effect based on the wetting transparency of graphene; the morphology of a metallic film (≤20 nm) when deposited on graphene by evaporation depends strongly on the identity of the substrate supporting the graphene. This control permits the formation of a range of geometries, such as tightly packed nanospheres, nanocrystals, and island-like formations with controllable gaps down to 3 nm. These graphene-supported structures can be transferred to any surface and function as ultrasensitive mechanical signal transducers with high sensitivity and range (at least 4 orders of magnitude of strain) for applications in structural health monitoring, electronic skin, measurement of the contractions of cardiomyocytes, and substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS, including on the tips of optical fibers). These composite films can thus be treated as a platform technology for multimodal sensing. Moreover, they are low profile, mechanically robust, semitransparent and have the potential for reproducible manufacturing over large areas.
• Landon, P. B., Mo, A. H., Printz, A. D., Emerson, C., Zhang, C., Janetanakit, W., Colburn, D. A., Akkiraju, S., Dossou, S., Chong, B., Glinsicy, G., & Lal, R. (2015). Asymmetric Colloidal Janus Particle Formation Is Core-Size-Dependent. LANGMUIR, 31(33), 9148-9154.
• O'Connor, T. F., Rajan, K. M., Printz, A. D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Toward organic electronics with properties inspired by biological tissue. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B, 3(25), 4947-4952.
• Printz, A. D. (2015).

  Understanding and improving the mechanical stability of semiconducting polymers for flexible and stretchable electronics

  . PhD Dissertation.
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  Polymeric semiconductors offer the promise of low-cost, printable, and mechanically robust electronic devices for use in outdoor, portable, and wearable applications such as organic photovoltaics, biosensors, and electronic skins. However, many organic semiconductors are unable to accommodate the mechanical stresses these applications require, and it is therefore important to understand the factors and parameters that govern the mechanical stability of these materials. Chapter 1 provides a gentle introduction to the electronic and mechanical properties relevant to flexible and stretchable organic semiconductor devices. The idea of inherent competition between electronic performance and mechanical robustness is explored. Chapter 2 investigates the inherent competition between good electronic performance and mechanical robustness in poly(3-alkylthiophene)s. A key finding is a critical alkyl side-chain length that allows for good electronic performance and mechanical compliance. Chapter 3 and Appendix A are further studies on the properties of poly(3-alkylthiophene)s with side-chains close to the critical length to gain better understanding of the transition from good electronic properties and poor mechanical properties to poor electronic properties and good mechanical properties. Chapter 4 and Appendix B detail the effects on mechanical and electronic properties of statistical incorporation of unlike monomer into a low-bandgap polymer backbone in an effort to disrupt aggregation and improve mechanical compliance. Chapter 5 explores how the extent of molecular mixing of polythiophenes and fullerenes—materials common in organic photovoltaics—affects their mechanical properties. Chapter 6 describes the invention of a new technique to determine the yield point of thin films. A dependence on the alkyl-side chain length is observed, as well as a critical film thickness below which the yield point increases substantially. In Chapter 7, the weakly interacting H-aggregate model—a spectroscopic model which estimates the quantity and quality of aggregates in a polymer film—is used to determine how the microstructure of a semiconducting polymer thin film evolves with repetitive strain. Samples strained below the yield point undergo little microstructural evolution, while samples strained above the yield point exhibit a significant decrease in aggregation and tensile modulus. Appendix C describes the invention of an environmentally-friendly fabrication technique, abrasion lithography.
• Printz, A. D., Savagatrup, S., Rodriquez, D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Role of molecular mixing on the stiffness of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction films. SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS, 134, 64-72.
• Printz, A. D., Zaretski, A. V., Savagatrup, S., Chiang, A., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Yield Point of Semiconducting Polymer Films on Stretchable Substrates Determined by Onset of Buckling. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 7(41), 23257-23264.
• Savagatrup, S., Chan, E., Renteria-Garcia, S. M., Printz, A. D., Zaretski, A. V., O'Connor, T. F., Rodriquez, D., Valle, E., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Plasticization of PEDOT:PSS by Common Additives for Mechanically Robust Organic Solar Cells and Wearable Sensors. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 25(3), 427-436.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Acosta, R. I., Lipomi, D. J., O'connor, T. F., Rajan, K. M., Rodriquez, D., Root, S. E., Sawyer, E. J., & Zaretski, A. V. (2015).

  Mechanical degradation and stability of organic solar cells: molecular and microstructural determinants

  . Energy and Environmental Science, 8(1), 55-80. doi:10.1039/c4ee02657h
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  The mechanical properties of organic semiconductors and the mechanical failure mechanisms of devices play critical roles in the yield of modules in roll-to-roll manufacturing and the operational stability of organic solar cells (OSCs) in portable and outdoor applications. This paper begins by reviewing the mechanical properties—principally stiffness and brittleness—of pure films of organic semiconductors. It identifies several determinants of the mechanical properties, including molecular structures, polymorphism, and microstructure and texture. Next, a discussion of the mechanical properties of polymer–fullerene bulk heterojunction blends reveals the strong influence of the size and purity of the fullerenes, the effect of processing additives as plasticizers, and the details of molecular mixing—i.e., the extent of intercalation of fullerene molecules between the side chains of the polymer. Mechanical strain in principle affects the photovoltaic output of devices in several ways, from strain-evolved changes in alignment of chains, degree of crystallinity, and orientation of texture, to debonding, cohesive failure, and cracking, which dominate changes in the high-strain regime. These conclusions highlight the importance of mechanical properties and mechanical effects on the viability of OSCs during manufacture and in operational environments. The review—whose focus is on molecular and microstructural determinants of mechanical properties—concludes by suggesting several potential routes to maximize both mechanical resilience and photovoltaic performance for improving the lifetime of devices in the near term and enabling devices that require extreme deformation (i.e., stretchability and ultra-flexibility) in the future.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., O'Connor, T. F., Zaretski, A. V., Rodriquez, D., Sawyer, E. J., Rajan, K. M., Acosta, R. I., Root, S. E., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Mechanical degradation and stability of organic solar cells: molecular and microstructural determinants. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 55-80.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Wu, H., Rajan, K. M., Sawyer, E. J., Zaretski, A. V., Bettinger, C. J., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Viability of stretchable poly(3-heptylthiophene) (P3HpT) for organic solar cells and field-effect transistors. SYNTHETIC METALS, 203, 208-214.
• Savagatrup, S., Rodriquez, D., Printz, A. D., Sieval, A. B., Hummelen, J. C., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). [70]PCBM and Incompletely Separated Grades of Methanofullerenes Produce Bulk Heterojunctions with Increased Robustness for Ultra-Flexible and Stretchable Electronics. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS, 27(11), 3902-3911.
• Zaretski, A. V., Moetazedi, H., Kong, C., Sawyer, E. J., Savagatrup, S., Valle, E., O'Connor, T. F., Printz, A. D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2015). Metal-assisted exfoliation (MAE): green, roll-to-roll compatible method for transferring graphene to flexible substrates. NANOTECHNOLOGY, 26(4).
• Landon, P. B., Mo, A. H., Zhang, C., Emerson, C. D., Printz, A. D., Gomez, A. F., DeLaTorre, C. J., Colburn, D., Anzenberg, P., Eliceiri, M., O'Connell, C., & Lal, R. (2014). Designing Hollow Nano Gold Golf Balls. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 6(13), 9937-9941.
• O'Connor, T. F., Zaretski, A. V., Shiravi, B. A., Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Diaz, M. I., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Stretching and conformal bonding of organic solar cells to hemispherical surfaces. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 7(1), 370-378.
• Printz, A. D., Savagatrup, S., Burke, D. J., Purdy, T. N., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Increased elasticity of a low-bandgap conjugated copolymer by random segmentation for mechanically robust solar cells. RSC ADVANCES, 4(26), 13635-13643.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., O'Connor, T. F., Zaretski, A., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Molecularly stretchable electronics. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS, 3028-3041.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Rodriquez, D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Best of Both Worlds: Conjugated Polymers Exhibiting Good Photovoltaic Behavior and High Tensile Elasticity. MACROMOLECULES.
• Savagatrup, S., Printz, A. D., Rodriquez, D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014). Best of both worlds: Conjugated polymers exhibiting good photovoltaic behavior and high tensile elasticity. Macromolecules, 47(Issue 6). doi:10.1021/ma500286d
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  This paper examines a series of poly(3-alkylthiophene)s (P3ATs), a class of materials for which mechanical compliance and electronic performance have been observed to be in competition. P3ATs with longer alkyl side chains (n ≥ 8) have high elasticity and ductility, but poor electronic performance (as manifested in photovoltaic efficiency in blends with fullerenes); P3ATs with shorter chains (n ≤ 6) exhibit the opposite characteristics. A series of four polymer films in which the average length of the side chain is n = 7 is tested using mechanical, spectroscopic, microscopic, and photovoltaic device-based measurements to determine whether or not it is possible, in principle, to maximize both mechanical and electronic performance in a single organic semiconductor (the "best of both worlds"). The four polymer samples are (1) a physical blend of equal parts P3HT and P3OT (P3HT:P3OT, n = 6 and n = 8), (2) a block copolymer (P3HT-b-P3OT), (3) a random copolymer (P3HT-co-P3OT), and (4) poly(3-heptylthiophene) (P3HpT, n = 7). The tensile moduli obtained by mechanical buckling correlate well with spectroscopic evidence (using the weakly interacting H aggregate model) of a well-ordered microstructure of the polymers. The block copolymer was the stiffest of the hybrid samples (680 ± 180 MPa), while P3HpT exhibited maximum compliance (70 ± 10 MPa) and power conversion efficiency in a 1:1 blend with the fullerene PC 61BM using stretchable electrodes (PCE = 2.16 ± 0.17%) that was similar to that of P3HT:PC61BM. These analyses may permit the design of organic semiconductors with improved mechanical and electronic properties for mechanically robust and stretchable applications. © 2014 American Chemical Society.
• Printz, A. D., Chan, E., Liong, C., Martinez, R. S., & Lipomi, D. J. (2013). Photoresist-Free Patterning by Mechanical Abrasion of Water-Soluble Lift-Off Resists and Bare Substrates: Toward Green Fabrication of Transparent Electrodes. PLOS ONE.

Proceedings Publications

• Li, Y., Printz, A., Dailey, M., Lohr, P., & Samoylov, A. (2022). Scalable Approaches to Address Thermomechanical and Chemical Instabilities in Metal Halide Perovskites. In Gordon Research Conference.
• Printz, A., Atajanov, R., Engmann, V., Bregnhøj, M., Inasaridze, L., Ogliani, E., Volyniuk, D., Dastidar, S., Obrezkov, F., Grazulevicius, J. V., Prete, M., Engmann, S., Rubahn, H., Ladegaard Skov, A., Brook, M. A., Troshin, P., Ogilby, P. R., Madsen, M., & Sandby Lissau, J. (2022). Naturally occurring antioxidants for photooxidatively stable flexible organic solar cells. In nanoGe Spring Meeting.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Hilt, F., Hovish, M. Q., Dauskardt, R. H., Bruning, K., & Tassone, C. J. (2018). Spray Plasma Processing of Barrier Films Deposited in Air for Improved stability of Flexible Electronic Devices. In 2018 IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC), 138-140.
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  We report on submicron organosilicate barrier films produced rapidly in ambient by a scalable spray plasma process for improved solar cell stability. The plasma is at a sufficiently low temperature to be compatible with flexible electronic devices. The thickness of the barrier films is tunable and fully transparent over the visible spectrum. The morphology and density of the barrier are shown to improve with the addition of a fluorine-based precursor. Thin-film perovskite solar cells with submicron coatings exhibited significant improvements in stability when exposed to light, heat, and moisture. X-ray diffraction measurements performed while heating showed the barrier film dramatically slows the formation of PbI2. When deposited on a flexible substrate, the barrier films exhibit no signs of cracking or delamination after 10,000 bending cycles on a 127 μm substrate with a bending radius of 1 cm.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Tracy, J. M., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018). Effect of Composition and Microstructure on the Mechanical Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells. In 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) (A Joint Conference of 45th IEEE PVSC, 28th PVSEC & 34th EU PVSEC), 3509-3513.
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  We report on recent studies characterizing the intrinsic mechanical integrity of perovskite compositions and fully explore the role of various cation combinations, additives, and microstructure on perovskite cohesion. Adding cations to the perovskite decreased mechanical integrity, largely due to smaller grain sizes and increased concentration of PbI 2 . Microindentation hardness testing was performed to estimate the fracture toughness of single-crystal perovskite, and the results indicated perovskites are inherently fragile, even in the absence of grain boundaries and defects. Introducing plastically deformable cations led to a modest improvement in cohesion, and the most robust architecture was observed by infusing perovskite into a porous TiO 2 /ZrO 2 /C layer that provided extrinsic reinforcement to mechanical and environmental stressors.
• Prolongo, S. G., Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Watson, B. L., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2017). Manufacture and characterization of transparent conductor polymer coatings doped with graphitic nanofillers for optoelectronic devices. In 8th ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, SMART 2017 and 6th International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology in Engineering, SMN 2017, 2017-.
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  The main goal of this work is the addition of electrically conductive nanofillers into a semiconducting polymer, poly(triarylamine) (PTAA), in order to increase its electrical conductivity, while retaining its transparency and mechanical behavior in order to enhance its applicability on photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. This work consists on the optimization of the dispersion of graphitic nanofillers, using carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets. The dispersion degree is analysed by optical microscopy and image analysis software for the PTAA composite films doped with graphene. The transparency of the doped polymer films in the visible spectra range is further evidence of the dispersion quality. The obtained results confirm the importance and necessity to optimize the experimental conditions of manufacturing, such as the spin-coating conditions and type and concentration of graphene. The optimized procedure allows for manufacturing of transparent films with high nanofiller contents, close to 10 - 20% for polymer films doped with graphene nanoplatelets and 0.7 - 2% for polymer film doped with carbon nanoplatelets.
• Sawyer, E. J., Savagatrup, S., O'Connor, T. F., Makaram, A. S., Burke, D. J., Zaretski, A. V., Printz, A. D., & Lipomi, D. J. (2014, October). Toward intrinsically stretchable organic semiconductors: mechanical properties of high-performance conjugated polymers. In Organic Field-Effect Transistors XIII; and Organic Semiconductors in Sensors and Bioelectronics VII.

Presentations

• Printz, A. D., Samoylov, A., Lang, K., Lohr, P., Dailey, M., Li, Y., & Mcleod, E. (2024). Multifunctional Polymeric-Nanofiber Reinforcement of Perovskite Solar Cells for Improved Mechanical Stability without Performance Trade-Off. Spring Meeting & Exhibit. Seattle, WA: Materials Research Society.
• Printz, A. D. (2019, April). Design Considerations for Flexibility, Stretchability, and Robustness in Next-Generation Thin-Film Electronics. University of Arizona, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Seminar.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Hilt, F., Hovish, M. Q., Bruning, K., Tassone, C. J., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018, June). Spray Plasma Processing of Barrier Films Deposited in Air for Improved Stability of Flexible Electronic Devices. 2018 IEEE INTERNATIONAL INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE (IITC).
• Rolston, N., Printz, A. D., Tracy, J. M., & Dauskardt, R. H. (2018, June). Effect of Composition and Microstructure on the Mechanical Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells. 2018 IEEE 7TH WORLD CONFERENCE ON PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY CONVERSION (WCPEC) (A JOINT CONFERENCE OF 45TH IEEE PVSC, 28TH PVSEC & 34TH EU PVSEC).
• Printz, A., Rolston, N., Watson, B., & Dauskardt, R. (2017, APR 2). Reinforced perovskite solar cells designed with integrated polymer scaffolding for robust, efficient photovoltaics. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.
• Rolston, N., Printz, A., Dong, S., Watson, B., & Dauskardt, R. (2017, APR 2). Dense silica barrier films for improved efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells deposited in ambient air. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.
• Watson, B., Rolston, N., Bush, K., Printz, A., & Dauskardt, R. (2017, APR 2). Overcoming the mechanical fragility of perovskite solar cells using novel cross-linking chemical additives and scaffolds. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.