The complex relationship between carbon literacy and pro-environmental actions among engineering students.

Lifestyle choices and consumption play a large role in contributing to per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Certain activities, like fossil fuel ground transportation, long-haul flights, diets with animal products and residential heating and cooling contribute significantly to per capita emissions. There is uncertainty around whether literacy about these actions encourages individuals to act pro-environmentally to reduce personal carbon footprints or to prioritize the most effective actions.

Correction: From micro/nano structured isotactic polypropylene to a multifunctional low-density nanoporous medium.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C6RA22607H.].

Engineering hydrogen bonding to align molecular dipoles in organic solids for efficient second harmonic generation.

Considering nearly infinite design possibilities, organic second harmonic generation (SHG) molecules are believed to have long-term promise. However, because of the tendency to form dipole-antiparallel crystals that lead to zero macroscopic polarization, it is difficult to design a nonlinear optical (NLO) material based on organic molecules. In this manuscript, we report a new molecule motif that can form asymmetric organic solids by controlling the degree of hydrogen bonding through protonation.

Colloidal Quantum Dot Bulk Heterojunction Solids with Near-Unity Charge Extraction Efficiency.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are of interest for optoelectronic applications owing to their tunable properties and ease of processing. Large-diameter CQDs offer optical response in the infrared (IR), beyond the bandgap of c-Si and perovskites. The absorption coefficient of IR CQDs (≈10 cm) entails the need for micrometer-thick films to maximize the absorption of IR light.

Initiation of condensation of toluene and octane vapours on a Si surface.

The adsorption of toluene and octane vapours on a homogenous silicon surface was measured under steady, thermal disequilibrium conditions where a vapour at a temperature is exposed to a solid surface at a lower temperature, . Zeta adsorption isotherm theory was used along with Gibbsian thermodynamics to examine the adsorption results analytically and to investigate the wetting conditions for these vapours. Further, from the prediction of the cluster distribution in the adsorbate, the conditions for the initiation of a liquid phase are predicted.

Heterogeneous Supersaturation in Mixed Perovskites.

Thin-film solar cells based on hybrid lead halide perovskites have achieved certified power conversion efficiencies exceeding 24%, approaching those of crystalline silicon. This motivates deeper studies of the mechanisms that determine their performance. Twin defect sites have been proposed as a source of traps in perovskites, yet their origin and influence on photovoltaic performance remain unclear.

Tailoring Surface Frustrated Lewis Pairs of InO (OH) for Gas-Phase Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Reduction of CO by Isomorphous Substitution of In with Bi.

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) created by sterically hindered Lewis acids and Lewis bases have shown their capacity for capturing and reacting with a variety of small molecules, including H and CO, and thereby creating a new strategy for CO reduction. Here, the photocatalytic CO reduction behavior of defect-laden indium oxide (InO (OH) ) is greatly enhanced through isomorphous substitution of In with Bi, providing fundamental insights into the catalytically active surface FLPs (i.e.

Photothermal Catalyst Engineering: Hydrogenation of Gaseous CO with High Activity and Tailored Selectivity.

This study has designed and implemented a library of hetero-nanostructured catalysts, denoted as Pd@NbO, comprised of size-controlled Pd nanocrystals interfaced with NbO nanorods. This study also demonstrates that the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO reduction to CO and CH products can be systematically tailored by varying the size of the Pd nanocrystals supported on the NbO nanorods. Using large Pd nanocrystals, this study achieves CO and CH production rates as high as 0.

Visible and Near-Infrared Photothermal Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Gaseous CO over Nanostructured Pd@NbO.

The reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction driven by NbO nanorod-supported Pd nanocrystals without external heating using visible and near infrared (NIR) light is demonstrated. By measuring the dependence of the RWGS reaction rates on the intensity and spectral power distribution of filtered light incident onto the nanostructured Pd@NbO catalyst, it is determined that the RWGS reaction is activated photothermally. That is the RWGS reaction is initiated by heat generated from thermalization of charge carriers in the Pd nanocrystals that are excited by interband and intraband absorption of visible and NIR light.

Efficient Luminescence from Perovskite Quantum Dot Solids.

Nanocrystals of CsPbX3 perovskites are promising materials for light-emitting optoelectronics because of their colloidal stability, optically tunable bandgap, bright photoluminescence, and excellent photoluminescence quantum yield. Despite their promise, nanocrystal-only films of CsPbX3 perovskites have not yet been fabricated; instead, highly insulating polymers have been relied upon to compensate for nanocrystals' unstable surfaces. We develop solution chemistry that enables single-step casting of perovskite nanocrystal films and overcomes problems in both perovskite quantum dot purification and film fabrication.

Air-stable n-type colloidal quantum dot solids.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) offer promise in flexible electronics, light sensing and energy conversion. These applications rely on rectifying junctions that require the creation of high-quality CQD solids that are controllably n-type (electron-rich) or p-type (hole-rich). Unfortunately, n-type semiconductors made using soft matter are notoriously prone to oxidation within minutes of air exposure.