Suppressed Nonreciprocal Second-Harmonic Generation of Antiferromagnet MnPSe in the MnPSe/Graphene Heterostructure Due to Interfacial Magnon-Plasmon Coupling.

Interfacial coupling is one of the keys to manipulating magnetic/nonmagnetic two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures for novel functionalities. The MnPSe/graphene heterostructure is a prospective platform for quantum information and metrology. However, how graphene affects MnPSe through interfacial coupling is still poorly understood.

Molecular Structures of Poly(methyl methacrylate) at Different Buried Interfaces Revealed by Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Silica or calcium fluoride (CaF) substrate-supported poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films as insulating layers are commonly used in photoelectric/photovoltaic devices to improve the efficiency or stability of these devices. However, a comparative investigation of molecular structures at buried PMMA/silica and PMMA/CaF interfaces under thermal stimuli remains unexplored. In this study, we qualitatively and quantitatively revealed different molecular orderings and orientations of PMMA at two interfaces before and after annealing using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy.

Dopant-additive synergism enhances perovskite solar modules.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are among the most promising photovoltaic technologies owing to their exceptional optoelectronic properties. However, the lower efficiency, poor stability and reproducibility issues of large-area PSCs compared with laboratory-scale PSCs are notable drawbacks that hinder their commercialization. Here we report a synergistic dopant-additive combination strategy using methylammonium chloride (MACl) as the dopant and a Lewis-basic ionic-liquid additive, 1,3-bis(cyanomethyl)imidazolium chloride ([Bcmim]Cl).

Electrochemically Induced Phase Transformation in Vanadium Oxide Boosts Zn-Ion Intercalation.

Vanadium oxides are excellent cathode materials with large storage capacities for aqueous zinc-ion batteries, but their further development has been hampered by their low electronic conductivity and slow Zn diffusion. Here, an electrochemically induced phase transformation strategy is proposed to mitigate and overcome these barriers. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the complete transformation of tunnel-like structural VO into layered VO·6HO during the initial electrochemical charging process.

KCl Treatment of CdS Electron-Transporting Layer for Improved Performance of Sb(S,Se) Solar Cells.

Antimony sulfoselenide (Sb(S,Se)) is a promising light absorption material because of its high photoabsorption coefficient, appropriate band gap, superior stability, and abundant elemental storage. As an emerging solar material, hydrothermal deposition of Sb(S,Se) solar cells has enabled a 10% efficiency threshold, where cadmium sulfide (CdS) is applied as an electron transport layer (ETL). The high-efficiency Sb(S,Se) solar cells largely employ CdS as the ETL.

Cycling of block copolymer composites with lithium-conducting ceramic nanoparticles.

Solid polymer and perovskite-type ceramic electrolytes have both shown promise in advancing solid-state lithium metal batteries. Despite their favorable interfacial stability against lithium metal, polymer electrolytes face issues due to their low ionic conductivity and poor mechanical strength. Highly conductive and mechanically robust ceramics, on the other hand, cannot physically remain in contact with redox-active particles that expand and contract during charge-discharge cycles unless excessive pressures are used.

Addition of Dioxane in Electrolyte Promotes (002)-Textured Zinc Growth and Suppressed Side Reactions in Zinc-Ion Batteries.

The reversibility and cyclability of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are largely determined by the stabilization of the Zn anode. Therefore, a stable anode/electrolyte interface capable of inhibiting dendrites and side reactions is crucial for high-performing ZIBs. In this study, we investigated the adsorption of 1,4-dioxane (DX) to promote the exposure of Zn (002) facets and prevent dendrite growth.

Analysis of the impact of noninvasive prenatal testing for trisomies 21 and 18 in twin pregnancies undergoing artificial reproductive technology.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance and impact of noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) on twin pregnancies.

Patients And Methods: Twin pregnancies after artificial reproductive technology(ART) were tested by NIPS for screening trisomy 21, 18, and 13 in a single medical center in Hangzhou. Positive NIPS results were confirmed by karyotyping, while negative results were interviewed after delivery.

Regulating the Film Growth and Reducing the Defects for Efficient CsPbIBr Solar Cells.

Inorganic lead halide perovskite CsPbIBr possesses good stability with a suitable band gap for tandem solar cells. Decreasing the defect concentration and improving the film quality is crucial to further increase the power conversion efficiency of CsPbIBr solar cells. Here, the crystallization dynamics of CsPbIBr films is regulated by introducing the volatile organic salt, formamidinium acetate (FAAc) into the precursor solution.

Synthesis of Antiperovskite Solid Electrolytes: Comparing LiSI, NaSI, and AgSI.

Prior calculations have predicted that chalcohalide antiperovskites may exhibit enhanced ionic mobility compared to oxyhalide antiperovskites as solid-state electrolytes. Here, the synthesis of Ag-, Li-, and Na-based chalcohalide antiperovskites is investigated using first-principles calculations and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. These techniques demonstrate that the formation of AgSI is facilitated by the adoption of a common body centered cubic packing of S and I in the reactants and products at elevated temperatures, with additional stabilization achieved by the formation of a solid solution of the anions.

Probing Mg Intercalation in the Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze Framework VNbO.

While commercial Li-ion batteries offer the highest energy densities of current rechargeable battery technologies, their energy storage limit has almost been achieved. Therefore, there is considerable interest in Mg batteries, which could offer increased energy densities in comparison to Li-ion batteries if a high-voltage electrode material, such as a transition-metal oxide, can be developed. However, there are currently very few oxide materials which have demonstrated reversible and efficient Mg insertion and extraction at high voltages; this is thought to be due to poor Mg diffusion kinetics within the oxide structural framework.

Toward Current Matching in Tandem Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

The tandem pn-type dye-sensitized solar cells (pn-DSCs) have received much attention in the field of photovoltaic technologies because of their great potential to overcome the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limitation that applies to single junction photovoltaic devices. However, factors governing the short-circuit current densities () of pn-DSC remain unclear. It is typically believed that of the pn-DSC is limited to the highest one that the two independent photoelectrodes can achieve.

Impacts of Oxygen Vacancies on Zinc Ion Intercalation in VO.

The aqueous zinc ion battery has emerged as a promising alternative technology for large-scale energy storage due to its low cost, natural abundance, and high safety features. However, the sluggish kinetics stemming from the strong electrostatic interaction of divalent zinc ions in the host crystal structure is one of challenges for highly efficient energy storage. Oxygen vacancies (V), in the present work, lead to a larger tunnel structure along the axis, which improves the reactive kinetics and enhances Zn-ion storage capability in VO (B) cathode.

Two-dimensional triphenylene cored hole-transporting materials for efficient perovskite solar cells.

Two organic hole-transporting materials comprising a two-dimensional triphenylene core and methoxyl-arylamine terminal units are developed and applied in perovskite solar cells. Enhanced photovoltaic and stability performance are obtained using TPH-T compared with those of spiro-OMeTAD.

Enhanced Interfacial Binding and Electron Extraction Using Boron-Doped TiO for Highly Efficient Hysteresis-Free Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have witnessed astonishing improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE), more recently, with advances in long-term stability and scalable fabrication. However, the presence of an anomalous hysteresis behavior in the current density-voltage characteristic of these devices remains a key obstacle on the road to commercialization. Herein, sol-gel-processed mesoporous boron-doped TiO (B-TiO) is demonstrated as an improved electron transport layer (ETL) for PSCs for the reduction of hysteresis.

Hierarchical Porous Metallic VO@C for Advanced Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a potential electrochemical energy storage device because of their highly intrinsic safety, low cost, and large capacity. However, it is still in the primary stage because of the limited selection of cathode materials with high rate and long-life cycling stability. In addition, the energy storage mechanisms of ZIBs have not been well established.

Tailoring the electrochemical activity of magnesium chromium oxide towards Mg batteries through control of size and crystal structure.

Chromium oxides with the spinel structure have been predicted to be promising high voltage cathode materials in magnesium batteries. Perennial challenges involving the mobility of Mg2+ and reaction kinetics can be circumvented by nano-sizing the materials in order to reduce diffusion distances, and by using elevated temperatures to overcome activation energy barriers. Herein, ordered 7 nm crystals of spinel-type MgCr2O4 were synthesized by a conventional batch hydrothermal method.

Mechanisms of Degradation and Strategies for the Stabilization of Cathode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Li-Ion Batteries.

Undesired reactions at the interface between a transition metal oxide cathode and a nonaqueous electrolyte bring about challenges to the performance of Li-ion batteries in the form of compromised durability. These challenges are especially severe in extreme conditions, such as above room temperature or at high potentials. The ongoing push to increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries to break through the existing barriers of application in electric vehicles creates a compelling need to address these inefficiencies.

Solvothermal Synthesis of Hierarchical TiO Microstructures with High Crystallinity and Superior Light Scattering for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In this article, hierarchical TiO microstructures (HM-TiO) were synthesized by a simple solvothermal method adopting tetra-n-butyl titanate as the titanium source in a mixed solvent composed of N,N-dimethylformamide and acetic acid. Due to the high crystallinity and superior light-scattering ability, the resultant HM-TiO are advantageous as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. When assembled to the entire photovoltaic device with C101 dye as a sensitizer, the pure HM-TiO-based solar cells showed an ultrahigh photovoltage up to 0.

Enhancing the Photovoltaic Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells with a Down-Conversion Eu-Complex.

Organometal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown high photovoltaic performance but poor utilization of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Lanthanide complexes have a wide absorption range in the UV region and they can down-convert the absorbed UV light into visible light, which provides a possibility for PSCs to utilize UV light for higher photocurrent, efficiency, and stability. In this study, we use a transparent luminescent down-converting layer (LDL) of Eu-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Eu-complex) to improve the light utilization efficiency of PSCs.

Nucleation and growth process of atomic layer deposition platinum nanoparticles on strontium titanate nanocuboids.

Uniform, well-dispersed platinum nanoparticles were grown on SrTiO nanocuboids via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using (methylcyclopentadienyl)trimethylplatinum (MeCpPt(Me)) and water. For the first half-cycle of the deposition particles formed through two sequential processes: initial nucleation and growth. The final particle size after a single complete ALD cycle was dependent on the reaction temperature which alters the net Pt deposition per cycle.

TiO hierarchical sub-wavelength microspheres for high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells.

Monodisperse anatase hierarchical microspheres were produced via a simple sol-gel process. These microspheres in the sub-wavelength diameter of 320-750 nm could scatter visible light efficiently as whispering gallery modes (WGM) corresponding to the dye sensitized wavelength, and load a large number of dye molecules with a large surface area (149.82 m g).

Semiconductor Sensitized Solar Cells Based on BiVO4-Sensitized Mesoporous SnO2 Photoanodes.

Low cost, stable and visible-light-responsive bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) was used as the light absorbing material to fabricate a low bandgap oxide solar cell on mesoporous SnO2 photoanode. BiVO4 nanoparticles were grown on the mesoporous SnO2 films employing successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process. The optimized BiVO4 solar cell shows an incident photon to current conversion efficiency of more than 60% at a wide range of visible region (350 nm-450 nm), leading to a power conversion efficiency of 0.