Minimizing Scaling Losses in High-Performance Quantum Dot Luminescent Solar Concentrators for Large-Area Solar Windows.

While luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have been researched for several decades, there is still a lack of commercially available systems, mostly due to scalability, performance, aesthetics, or some combination of these challenges. These obstacles can be overcome by the systematic optimization of a laminated glass LSC design, demonstrated herein. In particular, we first show that it is possible to improve optical and electrical efficiencies of an LSC by fine-tuned optimization of the constituent fluorophore-containing interlayer resin.

Exceptionally High O-H Bond Dissociation Free Energy of a Dicopper(II) μ-Hydroxo Complex and Insights into the Geometric and Electronic Structure Origins Thereof.

The strength of the relevant bonds in bond-making and bond-breaking processes can directly affect the overall efficiency of the process. Copper-oxygen sites are known to catalyze reactions with some of the most recalcitrant C-H bonds found in nature as quantified by the bond dissociation free energy (BDFE), yet only a handful of copper-bound O-H bond strengths have been defined. Equally important in the design of synthetic catalysts is an understanding of the geometric and electronic structure origins of these thermodynamic parameters.

Substituted Benzothietes: Synthesis and a Quantum Chemical Investigation of Their Cycloreversion Properties.

A flexible synthesis for highly substituted benzothietes that does not require flash-vacuum pyrolysis was developed. This allows for the use of a number of functional groups and nonvaporizable molecules. Highly stabilized derivatives were isolated.

Fiber-Coupled Luminescent Concentrators for Medical Diagnostics, Agriculture, and Telecommunications.

While luminescent concentrators (LCs) are mainly designed to harvest sunlight and convert its energy into electricity, the same concept can be advantageous in alternative applications. Examples of such applications are demonstrated here by coupling the edge-guided light of high-performance LCs based on CuInSeS/ZnS quantum dots into optical fibers with emission covering visible-to-NIR spectral regions. In particular, a cost-efficient, miniature broadband light source for medical diagnostics, a spectral-conversion and light-guiding device for agriculture, and a large-area broadband tunable detector for telecommunications are demonstrated.