Analysis of volatile organic compounds produced during incineration of non-degradable and biodegradable plastics.

As plastic consumption has increased, environmental problems associated with the accumulation of plastic wastes have started to emerge. These include the non-degradability of plastic and its disintegration into sub-micron particles. Although some biodegradable plastic products have been developed to relieve the landfill and leakage burden, a significant portion of discarded plastics are inevitably still incinerated.

Biodegradable, Efficient, and Breathable Multi-Use Face Mask Filter.

The demand for face masks is increasing exponentially due to the coronavirus pandemic and issues associated with airborne particulate matter (PM). However, both conventional electrostatic- and nanosieve-based mask filters are single-use and are not degradable or recyclable, which creates serious waste problems. In addition, the former loses function under humid conditions, while the latter operates with a significant air-pressure drop and suffers from relatively fast pore blockage.

Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Band Edge Shift of TiO Photoanode.

By simple soaking titanium dioxide (TiO) films in an aqueous NaS solution, we could prepare surface-modified photoanodes for application to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). An improvement in both the open-circuit voltage () and the fill factor () was observed in the DSSC with the 5 min-soaked photoanode, compared with those of the control cell without any modification. The UV-visible absorbance spectra, UPS valence band spectra, and dark current measurements revealed that the NaS modification led to the formation of anions on the TiO surface, and thereby shifted the conduction band edge of TiO in the negative (upward) direction, inducing an increase of 29 mV in the .

Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Containing ZnO Microrods.

At an elevated temperature of 90 °C, a chemical bath deposition using an aqueous solution of Zn(NO)·6HO and (CH)N resulted in the formation of both nanoflowers and microrods of ZnO on F-doped SnO glass with a seed layer. The nanoflowers and microrods were sensitized with dyes for application to the photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By extending the growth time of ZnO, the formation of nanoflowers was reduced and the formation of microrods favored.