Improving the potential of ethyl acetate green anti-solvent to fabricate efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Opto-electrical evaluation of visible blind fast-response nanostructured SnO2/Si photodetector

In this study, a nanostructured tin(iv) oxide (SnO2)/Si heterojunction UV photodetector was fabricated in response to laser pulses attained via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). In particular, the photo-detection mechanisms of the proposed devices were thoroughly investigated considering multiple-profile dependency, namely, laser pulses, spectral response, and incident power. In detail, particle diameters of 25 and 41 nm with a bandgap alteration of 0.2 eV and a cut-off phenomenon at around 335 nm occurred as a result of an increase in the number of pulses from 300 to 700. The optimum photodetector (at 700 pulses, λ 340 nm, and 10 mW cm-2) revealed a responsivity (R λ ) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 32.9 mA W-1 and 120.2, respectively. Furthermore, a descended photocurrent behavior from 330 to 63.9 (μA) was observed at wavelengths of 340 and 625 nm with a visible light rejection ratio of 516%, indicating the visible blind characteristic of the proposed geometry. This was also observed at an extremely low bias potential (0.01 V). The incident power profile demonstrated an inversely proportional correlation to R λ and EQE, with values 37.8 mA W-1 and 137.7 at 6 mW cm-2, respectively. Of the fabricated devices, the photodetector performance attained at 700 pulses, λ 340 nm, and 10 mW cm-2 depicted a substantially rapid time-resolved characteristic with a rise and fall time of 0.29 and 0.31 s, respectively.

Printable Counter Electrode with Metal Nitride as the Conductive Medium for Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a booming high power conversion efficiency (PCE) are on their road toward industrialization. A proper design of the counter electrode (CE) with low cost, high conductivity, chemical stability, and good interface contact with the other functional layer atop the perovskite layer is vital for the overall performance of PSCs. Herein, the application of titanium nitride (TiN) is reported as a conductive medium for the printable CE in hole-conductor-free mesoscopic PSCs. TiN improves the conductivity of the CE and reduces the resistivity from 20 to 10 mΩ∙cm. TiN also improves the wettability of the CE with perovskite and enhances the back interface contact, which promotes charge collection. On the other hand, TiN is chemically stable during processing and undergoes no distinguishable chemical reaction with halide perovskite. Devices with TiN as the conductive media in the CE deliver a champion PCE of 19.01%. This work supplies a considerable choice for the CE design of PSCs toward industrial applications.

Improved Performance of Air-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells via the Combination of Chlorine Precursors and Potassium Thiocyanate

Due to their low cost and high efficiency, hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown the most outstanding competitiveness among third-generation photovoltaic (PV) devices. However, several challenges remain unresolved, among which the limited stability is arguably the main. Chlorine (Cl) has been widely employed to yield PV performances, but the Cl-doping mechanism and its role in mixed-halide PSCs are not entirely understood. Here, we investigate the effect of Cl-doping using different precursors such as formamidinium chloride (FACl), cesium chloride (CsCl), and lead chloride (PbCl2), which lead to the incorporation of Cl at different sites of the perovskite crystal. We demonstrate that the stability and efficiency of air-processed PSCs are strongly affected by Cl bonding into the cationic chloride precursor. Furthermore, adding potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) leads to the maximum efficiency of 18.1%, improving the operational stability with only 18% PCE loss after 520 h, stored under ambient conditions. Incorporating CsCl and KSCN presents an effective approach to further boost the performance and thermal stability of PSCs by tailoring the composition of the perovskite's composition. Finally, we used the slot-die method to demonstrate that our strategy is scalable for large-area devices that have shown similar performance. Our results show that fully air-processed and stable PSCs with high efficiency for large production and commercialization are achievable.

Investigating the Effects of Biogenic Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Produced Using Papaver somniferum Extract on Oxidative Stress, Cytotoxicity, and the Induction of Apoptosis in the THP-1 Cell Line

This study investigated the effect of novel zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) biosynthesized employing Papaver somniferum leaf on oxidative stress, necrosis, and apoptosis in the leukemia cancer THP-1 cell. The obtained ZnO was examined using SEM, AFM, and TEM microscopy, which revealed an irregular spherical morphology with a size ranging from 20 to 30 nm, and the UV-vis absorbance revealed a strong absorption peak in the range of 360-370, nm confirming the production of ZnO NPs. THP-1 cells were subjected to an MTT, an EdU proliferation, a lactate dehydrogenase release tests, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction experiment, a DAPI staining detection assay, and a flow cytometric analysis for Annexin V to measure the effects of ZnO NPs on cancer cell growth inhibition, apoptosis, and necrosis. Our results show that ZnO NPs inhibit THP-1 line in a concentration-dependent pattern. It was observed that ZnO NPs triggered necrosis (cell death) and apoptosis in the cell line. ZnO NPs massively improved the formation of intracellular ROS, which is crucial in deactivating the development of leukemic cells. In conclusion, ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using Papaver somniferum extract have the ability to inhibit proliferation leukemic cancer cells, making them potential anticancer agents.

Tricolor narrowband planar perovskite photodetectors based on FP microcavity structure

This paper presents a novel tunable narrowband photodetector based on Ag-MgF2-Ag (metal-dielectric-metal: MDM) Fabry-Perot (FP) microcavity structure. The tunability is achieved through precise adjustment of the thickness of the metal and intermediate dielectric layers of the FP microcavity, taking into account the response spectral range of planar perovskite. After optimizing the parameters mentioned above, the prototype devices were prepared by combining the perovskite layer and MDM layer. The center wavelength of the planar detector can be tuned from 430 nm to 680 nm within the detection band of 400-800 nm, with a narrow FWHM about 30 nm and a relatively high response of 0.05 A/W @ 5 V bias voltage for 500 nm. Meanwhile the rise and fall times of the detector are 375 ms and 550 ms, respectively. The experimental results are corroborated by the theory. Our design is highly beneficial to such applications as hyperspectral photography and color-related active optical devices, which paves the way to design this kind of triple structure.

Catalytic response and molecular simulation studies in the development of synthetic routes in trimeric triaryl pyridinium type ionic liquids

Under conventional and silica-supported Muffle furnace methods, water-soluble substituted trimeric triaryl pyridinium cations with various inorganic counter anions are synthesized. The solvent-free synthesis method is superior to the conventional method in terms of non-toxicity, quicker reaction times, ease of workup, and higher yields. Trimeric substituted pyridinium salts acted as excellent catalytic responses for the preparation of Gem-bisamide derivatives compared with available literature. To evaluate the molecular docking, benzyl/4-nitrobenzyl substituted triaryl pyridinium salt compounds with VEGFR-2 kinase were used with H-bonds, π-π stacking, salt bridges, and hydrophobic contacts. The results showed that the VEGFR-2 kinase protein had the most potent inhibitory activity. Intriguingly, the compound [NBTAPy]PF₆^- had a strongly binds to VEGFR-2 kinase and controlled its activity in cancer treatment and prevention.