Hybrid material for the fabrication of electron transport layer in perovskite solar cell

Role of silica-based porous cellulose nanocrystals in improving water absorption and mechanical properties

Epoxy resins are important thermosetting polymers. They are widely used in many applications i.e., adhesives, plastics, coatings and sealers. Epoxy molding compounds have attained dominance among common materials due to their excellent mechanical properties. The sol-gel simple method was applied to distinguish the impact on the colloidal time. The properties were obtained with silica-based fillers to enable their mechanical and thermal improvement. The work which we have done here on epoxy-based nanocomposites was successfully modified. The purpose of this research was to look into the effects of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on various properties and applications. CNCs have recently attracted a lot of interest in a variety of industries due to their high aspect ratio, and low density which makes them perfect candidates. Adding different amounts of silica-based nanocomposites to the epoxy system. Analyzed with different techniques such as Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscope (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) to investigate the morphological properties of modified composites. The various %-age of silica composite was prepared in the epoxy system. The 20% of silica was shown greater enhancement and improvement. They show a better result than D-400 epoxy. Increasing the silica, the transparency of the films decreased, because clustering appears. This shows that the broad use of CNCs in environmental engineering applications is possible, particularly for surface modification, which was evaluated for qualities such as absorption and chemical resistant behavior.

Advances of Commercial and Biological Materials for Electron Transport Layers in Biological Applications

Electron transport layer (ETL), one of the important layers for high-performing perovskite solar cells (PSCs), also has great potential in bioengineering applications. It could be used for biological sensors, biological imaging, and biomedical treatments with high resolution or efficiency. Seldom research focused on the development of biological material for ETL and their application in biological uses. This review will introduce commercial and biological materials used in ETL to help readers understand the working mechanism of ETL. And the ways to prepare ETL at low temperatures will also be introduced to improve the performance of ETL. Then this review summarizes the latest research on material doping, material modification, and bilayer ETL structures to improve the electronic transmission capacity of ETLs. Finally, the application of ETLs in bioengineering will be also shown to demonstrate that ETLs and their used material have a high potential for biological applications.

Modification of Cellulose Nanocrystals With 2-Carboxyethyl Acrylate in the Presence of Epoxy Resin for Enhancing its Adhesive Properties

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have unparalleled advantages in the preparation of nanocomposites for various applications. However, a major challenge associated with CNCs in nanocomposite preparation is the lack of compatibility with hydrophobic polymers. The hydrophobic modification of CNCs has attracted increasing interest in the modern era standing with long challenges and being environmentally friendly. Here, we synthesized CNCs by using cotton as raw material and then modified them with 2-carboxyethyl acrylate to improve their corresponding mechanical, adhesive, contact angle, and thermal properties. Different concentrations (1–5 wt%) of CNCs were used as modifiers to improve the interfacial adhesion between the reinforced CNCs and E-51 (Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) epoxy resin system. CNCs offered a better modulus of elasticity, a lower coefficient of energy, and thermal expansion. Compared with the standard sample, the modified CNCs (MCNCs) showed high shear stress, high toughness, efficient degradation, thermal stability, and recycling due to the combined effect of the hyperbranched topological structure of epoxy with good compatibility. The native CNCs lost their hydrophilicity after modification with epoxy, and MCNCs showed good hydrophobic behavior (CA = 105 ± 2°). The findings of this study indicate that modification of CNCs with 2-carboxyethyl acrylate in the presence of epoxy resin and the enhancement of the features would further expand their applications to different sectors.