Photovoltaic Cells and Scintillators Towards Carbon Footprint Reduction: Advantages and Challenges for Ecological Safety.

The main goal of this review paper is to show the advantages and challenges of photovoltaic cells/modules/panels and scintillators towards carbon footprint reduction for ecological safety. Briefly, the various types of solar-driven CO conversion processes are shown as a new concept of CO reduction. The health toxicity and environmental effects of scintillators, along with risks associated with use and disposal, are presented, taking into consideration inorganic and organic materials.

Solar charger with power pack on camouflage fabric for field application.

This paper mainly aimed to construct a solar charger with power pack on camouflage fabric (280 × 305 × 3 mm) for military and civil use in mining and reconnaissance set. The solar charger includes a photovoltaic panel, supercapacitor module (composed of 8 supercapacitors XV series), converter (B10-1224-05) and connectors (SP1312/S2 and SP1312/S4). The constructed solar charger was tested in laboratory and field conditions.

On the Feasibility of an LCD-Based Real-Time Converter for Ionizing Radiation Imaging.

Here we present the cascade converter (CC), which provides real-time imaging of ionizing radiation (IoR) distribution. It was designed and manufactured with the simplest architecture, utilizing liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. Based on two merged substrates with transparent electrodes, armed with functional layers, with the cell filled with nematic liquid crystal, a display-like, IoR-stimulated CC was achieved.

Air-Stable and Eco-Friendly Symmetrical Imine with Thiadiazole Moieties in Neutral and Protonated form for Perovskite Photovoltaics.

This paper proposes molecular and supramolecular concepts for potential application in perovskite solar cells. New air-stable symmetrical imine, with thiadiazole moieties PPL2: (5E,6E)-N2,N5-bis(4-(diphenylamino)benzylidene)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2,5-diamine), as a hole-transporting material was synthesised in a single-step reaction, starting with commercially available and relatively inexpensive reagents, resulting in a reduction in the cost of the final product compared to Spiro-OMeTAD. Moreover, camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) in both enantiomeric forms was used to change the HOMO-LUMO levels and electric properties of the investigated imine-forming complexes.

A new look at imines and their mixture with PCBM for organic, flexible photovoltaics.

Due to its high electron affinity and electron mobility in a wide absorption range of the visible solar spectrum, [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is often used as an efficient acceptor in organic photovoltaics. In turn, imines are additives to the active layer of organic solar cells, mainly due to the free electron pair of the imine nitrogen atom and the presence of various chemical groups affecting the polarity and conformations of molecules. However, the attainable efficiency is not as high as expected.

Gaussian Model of Anti-Radar Properties for Coatings Based on Carbonyl Iron Powder.

The article presents the Gaussian model of the electromagnetic radiation attenuation properties of two resin systems containing 75% or 80% of a carbonyl iron load as an absorber in the 4-18 GHz range. For the attenuation values obtained in the laboratory, mathematical fitting was performed in the range of 4-40 GHz to visualize the full curve characteristics. The simulated curves fitted up to a 0.

Degradation of hybrid material l,d-PLA : 5CB : SWCN under the influence of neutral, acidic, and alkaline environments.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of the environment's pH on the degradation of the layers of the ternary composite l,d-PLA : 5CB : SWCN (10 : 1 : 0.5, w/w/w), where l,d-PLA (poly(lactic acid)) is a biodegradable polymer, 5CB is a well-known liquid crystal (4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile), and SWCN are single-walled carbon nanotubes. For this purpose, the samples were stored in air, distilled water, and solutions of 0.

Siloxane resins as hydrophobic self-cleaning layers for silicon and dye-sensitized solar cells: material and application aspects.

The aim of this study has been to examine in depth three siloxane resins (R1-R3) and two silanes (S1-S2) as hydrophobic self-cleaning layers for silicon and dye-sensitized solar cells. Herein, we focused on creating an active self-cleaning surface system using a combination of material and technical aspects. Siloxane resins were obtained the hydrolytic polycondensation of methyltrimethoxysilane (R1) or the hydrolytic co-polycondensation of methyltrimethoxysilane, isobutyltrimethoxysilane and 3-methacroiloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (R2) or methyltrimethoxysilane -octyltriethoxysilane and 3-methacroiloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (R3) under alkaline conditions using tetrahydrofuran.

Crystal Structure Determination of 4-[(Di-p-tolyl-amino)-benzylidene]-(5-pyridin-4-yl-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-imine along with Selected Properties of Imine in Neutral and Protonated Form with Camforosulphonic Acid: Theoretical and Experimental Studies.

The crystal structure was determined for the first time for 4-[(di-p-tolyl-amino)benzylidene]-(5-pyridin-4-yl-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-imine (-PPL9) by X-ray diffraction. The imine crystallized in the monoclinic P2/n space group with a = 18.9567(7) Å, b = 6.

Molecular Mobility in Oriented and Unoriented Membranes Based on Poly[2-(Aziridin-1-yl)ethanol].

Unoriented and oriented membranes based on dendronized polymers and copolymers obtained by chemical modification of poly[2-(aziridin-1-yl) ethanol] (PAZE) with the dendron 3,4,5-tris[4-(-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoate were considered. DSC, XRD, CP-MAS NMR and DETA, contribute to characterize the tendency to crystallize, the molecular mobility of the benzyloxy substituent, the dendritic liquid crystalline group and the clearing transition. The orientation of the mesogenic chain somewhat hindered this molecular motion, especially in the full substituted PAZE.

A comprehensive optical and electrical study of unsymmetrical imine with four thiophene rings and their binary and ternary compositions with PTB7 and PCBM towards organic photovoltaics.

A new unsymmetrical imine with four thiophene rings was synthesized in a one-step reaction, starting from the commercially available and relatively inexpensive reagents. The obtained imine in the form of thin films exhibited photoluminescence properties in the 1.8-2.

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Polymer-Based Gel Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) or poly(dimethylsiloxane) bis(3-aminopropyl) Copolymers.

Polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) (PAB) or poly(dimethylsiloxane) bis(3-aminopropyl)-terminated (PDES-bAP) copolymers were prepared and investigated in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Selected optical and electrochemical properties of all compositions with various ratio from 9:1 to 6:4 were investigated towards DSSC applications. The highest value of power conversion efficiency equal to 5.

Research of Binary and Ternary Composites Based on Selected Aliphatic or Aliphatic-Aromatic Polymers, 5CB or SWCN Toward Biodegradable Electrodes.

The main goal of this paper was to study the optical, electrical, and thermal properties of hybrid composites based on biodegradable polymers (L,D-poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone or Ecoflex®), single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN), and 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB). The biodegradable polymers' binary and ternary compositions were analyzed in detail by ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy taking into consideration their chemical structure and interactions with 5CB and SWCN. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies of the created hybrid layers showed thermal stability and changes in glass transition temperature and melting point in comparison to neat polymers, depending on the chemical structure of the polymer used and the type of composition.

Selected Electrochemical Properties of 4,4'-((1E,1'E)-((1,2,4-Thiadiazole-3,5-diyl)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(,-di-p-tolylaniline) towards Perovskite Solar Cells with 14.4% Efficiency.

Planar perovskite solar cells were fabricated on F-doped SnO (FTO) coated glass substrates, with 4,4'-((1E,1'E)-((1,2,4-thiadiazole-3,5-diyl)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(,-di-p-tolylaniline) (bTAThDaz) as hole transport material. This imine was synthesized in one step reaction, starting from commercially available and relatively inexpensive reagents. Electrochemical, optical, electrical, thermal and structural studies including thermal images and current-voltage measurements of the full solar cell devices characterize the imine in details.

PEDOT:PSS in Water and Toluene for Organic Devices-Technical Approach.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) water and toluene solutions were investigated in detail, taking into consideration their stability, wettability, transparency, and electrochemical properties, along with change polarity caused by dopant. As dopant, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were used with different dipole moments (1.70, 1.

UV-Vis Absorption Properties of New Aromatic Imines and Their Compositions with Poly({4,8-bis[(2-Ethylhexyl)oxy]Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']Dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-Fluoro-2-[(2-Ethylhexyl)Carbonyl]Thieno[3,4-b]Thiophenediyl}).

In this paper, four new aromatic imines containing at least one thiazole-based heterocycle were analyzed in detail by UV-Vis spectroscopy, taking into consideration their chemical structures and interactions with PTB7, a known polymeric electron donor widely used in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. It is demonstrated that the absorption spectra of the investigated active compositions can be modified not only by changing the chemical structure of imine, but also via formulations with PTB7. For all investigated imines and PTB7:imine compositions, calibration curves were obtained in order to find the optimum concentration in the composition with PTB7 for expansion and optimization of absorption spectra.

Dielectric, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of l,d-Poly(Lactic Acid) Modified by 4'-Pentyl-4-Biphenylcarbonitrile and Single Walled Carbon Nanotube.

We report here the preparation and thermal, electrical and mechanical characterization of binary and ternary films based on l,d-poly(lactic acid) (l,d-PLA) and 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB) and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCN) with various weight ratio. The transitions for all investigated hybrid compositions detected by differential scanning calorimetry method were shifted to lower temperatures with increasing the concentration of 5CB in the mixture with polymer. Frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy method and thermal imaging together with polarized optical microscope were used to study electric and structural properties of created hybrid compositions.

Influence of TiO₂ Nanoparticles on Liquid Crystalline, Structural and Electrochemical Properties of (8Z)-N-(4-((Z)-(4-pentylphenylimino)methyl)benzylidene)-4-pentylbenzenamine.

Organic-inorganic hybrids based on liquid crystalline symmetrical imine (8Z)-N-(4-((Z)-(4-pentylphenylimino)methyl)benzylidene)-4-pentylbenzenamine (AZJ1) with two aliphatic chains and TiO₂ nanomaterials were obtained and investigated taking into account thr crystallographic form of titanium dioxide i.e., anatase versus rutile.

In Situ Raman Spectroscopy as a Tool for Structural Insight into Cation Non-Ionomeric Polymer Interactions during Ion Transport.

Low-modified liquid-crystalline polyether (CP36), as a model compound, was synthesised with the purpose of preparing a membrane with columnar ionic channels. A free-standing cation permselective biomimetic membrane was successfully prepared and found to have channels made of polymeric columns homeotropically oriented, which was confirmed in X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. A first insight into a real-time interaction between two selected cations: H⁺ and Na⁺, and polyether during transport through the polymeric membrane was demonstrated using joined chronoamperometry and Raman spectroscopy techniques.

Hybrid Materials Based on l,d-Poly(lactic acid) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Flexible Substrate for Organic Devices.

We report on the application of l,d-poly(lactic acid) (l,d-PLA) with dispersed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCN) as a flexible translucent electrode for organic devices. We used commercially available nanotubes in various weight ratios from 0 to 8% dispersed in chloroform polymeric solution by ultrasonication and were drop cast. The created hybrid materials were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry to determine the influence of SWCN content on the thermal behavior, while polarizing optical microscope was used to find the effect of mechanical deformations on the textures.

Solvent-free thiophene-based electrolytes: synthesis of new liquid-crystalline ionic conductors for batteries: part I.

New liquid crystalline thiophene esters, thiophene-3-yl 3,4,5-tris(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzoate (ThBz1) and thiophene-3-yl 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoate (ThBz2), were synthesized for use in lithium-ion batteries as safe, new solvent-free ionic conductors. Both compounds were synthesized in multi-step reactions and were characterized via1H, 13C NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy, confirming the formation of the desired products. ThBz1 and ThBz2 showed good thermal stability and liquid crystalline behaviour.

Structural and electrochemical studies of TiO complexes with (4,4'-((1E,1'E)-(2,5-bis(octyloxy)-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis-(E)-N-(2,5-bis(octyloxy)benzylidene)) imine derivative bases towards organic devices.

Three (4,4'-((1E,1'E)-(2,5-bis(octyloxy)-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis-(E)-N-(2,5-bis(octyloxy)benzylidene)) imine derivatives were synthesized via a condensation reaction with p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The effects of the end groups and vinylene (-HC[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-) moieties on the structural, thermal, optical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of imines were investigated to check the influence of TiO2 on the imine properties. The thermal behavior of imines and their complexes with TiO2 was widely investigated using FT-IR, XRD, DSC and POM methods in order to determine the order type in the imine structure.

Synthesis and characterization of two new TiO-containing benzothiazole-based imine composites for organic device applications.

The effect of the presence of titanium dioxide in two new imines, (,)-(butane-1,4-diyl)bis(oxybutane-4,1-diyl) bis(4-{[(benzo[][1,3]thiazol-2-yl)methylidene]amino}benzoate) (SP1) and ()--[(benzo[][1,3]thiazol-2-yl)methylidene]-4-dodecylaniline (SP2), on the properties and stability of imine:TiO composites for organic device applications were examined. The investigated titanium dioxide (in anatase form, obtained via the sol-gel method) exhibited a surface area of 59.5 m/g according to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory, and its structure is a combination of both meso- and microporous.