Solar cells based on organic-inorganic halide perovskites are now leading the photovoltaic technologies because of their high power conversion efficiency. Recently, there have been debates on the microstructure-related defects in metal halide perovskites (grain size, grain boundaries, etc.) and a widespread view is that large grains are a prerequisite to suppress nonradiative recombination and improve photovoltaic performance, although opinions against it also exist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParticle-based semiconductor materials are promising constituents of future technologies. They are described by unique features resulting from the combination of discrete nanoparticle characteristics and the emergence of cooperative phenomena based on long-range interaction within their superstructure. (Nano)particles of outstanding quality with regards to size and shape can be prepared via colloidal synthesis using appropriate capping agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymer morphology and aggregation play an essential role for efficient charge carrier transport and charge separation in polymer-based electronic devices. It is a common method to apply the H-aggregate model to UV/Vis or photoluminescence spectra in order to analyze polymer aggregation. In this work we present strategies to obtain reliable and conclusive information on polymer aggregation and morphology based on the application of an H-aggregate analysis on UV/Vis and photoluminescence spectra.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the past decade, nanomaterials have made their way into a variety of technologies in solar energy, enhancing the performance by taking advantage of the phenomena inherent to the nanoscale. Recent examples exploit plasmonic core/shell nanoparticles to achieve efficient direct steam generation, showing great promise of such nanoparticles as a useful material for solar applications. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel technique for fabricating bimetallic hollow mesoporous plasmonic nanoshells that yield a higher solar vapor generation rate compared with their solid-core counterparts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransovarian transmission of paratyphoid Salmonella is well documented and occurs at a low incidence in chickens. However, the exact mechanism of follicular invasion is not well understood. The following study investigates the ability of Salmonella to invade ovarian follicles at different stages of follicular maturity in vitro.
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