Dongguk University Unveils Breakthrough Material for Smart Tech

New self-assembled monolayer-based hole transport layer enables concurrent energy harvesting and photodetection for next-gen optoelectronics.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:56am

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Researchers from Dongguk University and Korea University have developed a novel benzene-phosphonic acid (BPA) material that serves as an innovative hole transport layer, resolving a fundamental conflict in electronics by enabling a single device to operate as both an efficient indoor solar cell and a high-sensitivity light sensor. This breakthrough could power the next generation of self-powered IoT sensors, wearable health monitors, and interactive 'skins' on indoor surfaces.

Why it matters

The potential self-powered operation of such bifunctional OPV-OPD systems has been restricted by conflicting charge transport kinetics in conventional hole transport layer materials. This new BPA material addresses this limitation, enabling concurrent energy harvesting and photodetection capabilities that could drastically reduce the global reliance on disposable batteries for billions of sensors, promoting long-term environmental sustainability.

The details

The key innovation of this research is the development of a 'minimalist' molecular bridge BPA that provides energy level alignment with the photoactive layer for efficient hole-selective contact in the OPV mode, charge blocking capability for minimizing noise current in the OPD mode, robust ambient stability, and simple and scalable manufacturability. This significantly lowers fabrication costs, making high-performance electronics economically viable for mass deployment.

  • The findings were made available online on September 6, 2025.
  • The research was published in the journal Advanced Materials on January 2, 2026.

The players

Jea Woong Jo

Associate Professor in the Department of Energy and Materials Engineering at Dongguk University. He received a PhD from Seoul National University in 2015 and has worked on the development and synthesis of organic materials for optoelectronic applications.

Jae Won Shim

Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering at Korea University. He received his PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology and his research focuses on next-generation optoelectronic devices based on organic semiconductors, perovskites, and quantum dots.

Dongguk University

A university located in Seoul, South Korea, founded in 1906. It comprises 13 colleges covering a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles.

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What they’re saying

“BPA concurrently provides energy level alignment with a photoactive layer for unimpeded hole-selective contact in the OPV mode, charge blocking capability for minimizing noise current in the OPD mode, robust ambient stability combined with simple and scalable manufacturability, as well as system-level economic viability, reflected in a high power-per-cost ratio under real-world indoor operating conditions.”

— Jea Woong Jo, Associate Professor, Department of Energy and Materials Engineering, Dongguk University (Mirage News)

“Overall, synergy between performance and commercial practicality positions our BPA-HTL as a transformative enabler for self-powered IoT and wearable optoelectronics.”

— Jae Won Shim, Associate Professor, School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University (Mirage News)

What’s next

In the next 5 to 10 years, these advancements could hasten the realization of next-generation communication networks and fully smart environments, where self-powered devices provide ubiquitous, seamless connectivity without the ecological or financial burden of current technologies.

The takeaway

This breakthrough material could power the next generation of self-powered IoT sensors, wearable health monitors, and interactive 'skins' on indoor surfaces, drastically reducing the global reliance on disposable batteries and promoting long-term environmental sustainability.