Hot-Injection Synthesis of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanowires with Tunable Optical Properties.

Metal halide perovskite semiconductors have emerged as promising materials for various optoelectronic applications due to their unique crystal structure and outstanding properties. Among different forms, perovskite nanowires (NWs) offer distinct advantages, including a high aspect ratio, superior crystallinity, excellent light absorption, and carrier transport properties, as well as unique anisotropic luminescence properties. Understanding the formation mechanism and structure-property relationship of perovskite NWs is crucial for exploring their potential in optoelectronic devices.

Facile preparation of a water-based antireflective SiO film with high transmittance for perovskite solar cells.

The synthesis of anti-reflective (AR) films has been increasingly focused on environmental friendliness and cost efficiency in order to realize green and sustainable development. Herein, a novel strategy for preparing a nanoporous SiO AR film with high transmittance by a sol-gel process is proposed based on a sodium silicate aqueous solution. Sodium ions in the as-prepared SiO AR film can be effectively removed by a facile washing process, and thus its refractive index can be regulated.

Enhanced Thermochromic Performance of VO Nanoparticles by Quenching Process.

Vanadium dioxide (VO) has been a promising energy-saving material due to its reversible metal-insulator transition (MIT) performance. However, the application of VO films has been seriously restricted due to the intrinsic low solar-energy modulation ability (Δ) and low luminous transmittance () of VO. In order to solve the problems, the surface structure of VO particles was regulated by the quenching process and the VO dispersed films were fabricated by spin coating.

Facile Synthesis of ZrO-SiO Antireflective Films with Good Mechanical Performances for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Antireflective (AR) films are widely applied in solar cells to reduce the reflectivity toward sunlight, thus improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. However, AR films are still suffering from poor mechanical properties and low transmittance in photovoltaic applications. Herein, a ZrO-SiO composite film with enhanced mechanical properties was successfully synthesized by a facile sol-gel method, whose pencil hardness increased from less than 6B to B compared with the pure SiO film synthesized with the same alkali-catalyzed method.

Enhanced Luminescence of Dye-Decorated ZIF-8 Composite Films via Controllable D-A Interactions for White Light Emission.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) constructed by metal ions/clusters and organic linkers are used to encapsulate fluorescent guest species with aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effects to enhance fluorescence properties due to their porous structures and high specific surface areas. However, there would be a problem of matching between MOF pores and guest molecules' sizes. In this paper, amorphous ZIF-8 was modified by carboxyl functional groups (HBTC-ZIF-8) via introducing the 1,2,4-benzenetricarbonic acid (HBTC) ligand into the ZIF-8 sol system.

Facile Synthesis of Island-like ZrO-VO Composite Films with Enhanced Thermochromic Performance for Smart Windows.

VO-based film, as a very promising thermochromic material for smart windows, has attracted extensive attention but has not been widely applied because it is difficult to simultaneously improve in terms of both solar-modulation efficiency (Δ) and visible transmittance () when made using the magnetron-sputtering method, and it has poor durability when made using the wet chemical method. Herein, island-like ZrO-VO composite films with improved thermochromic performance (Δ: 12.6%, : 45.

Facile Solution Process of VO Film with Mesh Morphology for Enhanced Thermochromic Performance.

The fabrication and applications of VO film continue to be of considerable interest due to their good thermochromic performance for smart windows. However, low visible transmittance () and solar modulation efficiency (∆) impede the application of VO film, and they are difficult to improve simultaneously. Here, a facile zinc solution process was employed to control the surface structure of dense VO film and the processed VO film showed enhanced visible transmittance and solar modulation efficiency, which were increased by 7.

3D mesoporous structure assembled from monoclinic M-phase VO nanoflakes with enhanced thermochromic performance.

Monoclinic M-phase VO is a promising candidate for thermochromic materials due to its abrupt change in the near infrared (NIR) transmittance along with the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) at a critical temperature ∼68 °C. However, low luminous transmittance ( ), poor solar energy modulation ability (Δ ), and high phase transition temperature ( ) can limit the application of VO for smart windows. To overcome these limitations, 3D mesoporous structure can be employed in VO films.

Acid Solution Processed VO-Based Composite Films with Enhanced Thermochromic Properties for Smart Windows.

As a typical thermochromic material, VO coatings can be applied to smart windows by modulating the transmission of near infrared (NIR) light via phase transition. However, the inherent undesirable luminous transmittance () and solar modulation efficiency (Δ) of pure VO impede its practical application. In order to solve this problem, the porous VO based composite film was prepared by magnetron sputtering and subsequent acid solution process with ZnVO particles used as a sacrificial template to create pores, which showed excellent (72.

Special Issue on Silicate Solid Waste Recycling.

The reuse of industrial silicate solid wastes, including fly ash, slag, and waste rubber, is one of the most significant environmental and economic concerns worldwide [...

Droplet rolling angle model of micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic coating surface.

The droplet rolling angle is one of the important indicators to measure the coating's hydrophobic performance, but the specific factors affecting the droplet rolling angle on the micro-nanostructured superhydrophobic coating surface are not yet known. Based on the rolling mechanism of droplets on rough surfaces, and from the perspective of coating microscopic energy conservation, this paper points out that the micron-scale morphology and the nanoscale morphology can comprehensively affect the droplet rolling angle. From the above perspective, a mathematical model of the droplet rolling angle on the micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic coating surface was established.

Generating plasmonic heterostructures by cation exchange and redox reactions of covellite CuS nanocrystals with Au ions.

We demonstrate the fabrication of various types of heterostructures, including core-shells and dimers. This is achieved by reacting platelet-shaped covellite (CuS) nanocrystals (NCs) with Au ions under various reaction conditions: the exposure of CuS NCs to Au ions, in the presence or in the absence of ascorbic acid (AA), leads to the formation of CuS@Au core-shell nanostructures; the reaction of CuS NCs with Au ions in the presence of oleylamine (OM) leads to the formation of CuS@AuS; the presence of both OM and AA leads to the formation of Au/CuS dimers. Depending on which condition is chosen, either cation exchange (CE) between gold and copper ions is predominant (leading to amorphous AuS) or the reduction of Au leads to the nucleation of metallic Au domains (which are operated by the AA).

Tuning and Locking the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances of CuS (Covellite) Nanocrystals by an Amorphous CuPd S Shell.

We demonstrate the stabilization of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in a semiconductor-based core-shell heterostructure made of a plasmonic CuS core embedded in an amorphous-like alloyed CuPd S shell. This heterostructure is prepared by reacting the as-synthesized CuS nanocrystals (NCs) with Pd cations at room temperature in the presence of an electron donor (ascorbic acid). The reaction starts from the surface of the CuS NCs and proceeds toward the center, causing reorganization of the initial lattice and amorphization of the covellite structure.

Influence of the Ion Coordination Number on Cation Exchange Reactions with Copper Telluride Nanocrystals.

Cu2-xTe nanocubes were used as starting seeds to access metal telluride nanocrystals by cation exchanges at room temperature. The coordination number of the entering cations was found to play an important role in dictating the reaction pathways. The exchanges with tetrahedrally coordinated cations (i.