Müller cells are activated in response to retinal outer nuclear layer degeneration in rats subjected to simulated weightlessness conditions

A microgravity environment has been shown to cause ocular damage and affect visual acuity,but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Therefore,we established an animal model of weightlessness via tail suspension to examine the pathological changes and molecular mechanisms of retinal damage under microgravity.After 4 weeks of tail suspension,there were no notable alterations in retinal function and morphology,while after 8 weeks of tail suspension,significant reductions in retinal function were observed,and the outer nuclear layer was thinner,with abundant apoptotic cells.To investigate the mechanism underlying the degenerative changes that occurred in the outer nuclear layer of the retina,proteomics was used to analyze differentially expressed proteins in rat retinas after 8 weeks of tail suspension.The results showed that the expression levels of fibroblast growth factor 2(also known as basic fibroblast growth factor)and glial fibrillary acidic protein,which are closely related to Müller cell activation,were significantly upregulated.In addition,Müller cell regeneration and Müller cell gliosis were observed after 4 and 8 weeks,respectively,of simulated weightlessness.These findings indicate that Müller cells play an important regulatory role in retinal outer nuclear layer degeneration during weightlessness.

Efficient PbS quantum dots tandem solar cells through compatible interconnection layer

Lead sulfide quantum dots(PbS QDs) hold unique characteristics, including bandgap tunability, solutionprocessability etc., which make them highly applicable in tandem solar cells(TSCs). In all QD TSCs, its efficiency lags much behind to their single junction counterparts due to the deficient interconnection layer(ICL) and defective subcells. To improve TSCs performance, we developed three kinds of ICL structures based on 1.34 and 0.96 e V PbS QDs subcells. The control, 1,2-ethanedithiol capped PbS QDs(PbS-EDT)/Au/tin dioxide(SnO_(2))/zinc oxide(Zn O), utilized SnO_(2) layer to obtain high surface compactness.However, its energy level mismatch causes incomplete recombination. Bypassing it, the second ICL(PbS-EDT/Au/Zn O) removed SnO_(2) and boosted the power conversion efficiency(PCE) from 5.75% to 8.69%. In the third ICL(PbS-EDT/poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine](PTAA)/Au/Zn O), a thin layer of PTAA can effectively fill fissures on the surface of PbS-EDT and also protect the front cells from solvent penetration. This TSC obtained a PCE of 9.49% with an open circuit voltage of 0.91 V, a short circuit current density of 15.47 m A/cm~2, and a fill factor of 67.7%. To the best of our knowledge, this was the highest PCE achieved by all PbS QD TSCs reported to date. These TSCs maintained stable performance for a long working time under ambient conditions.

Enhancing layered perovskite ferrites with ultra-high-density nanoparticles via cobalt doping for ceramic fuel cell anode

Nanoparticles anchored on the perovskite surface have gained considerable attention for their wide-ranging applications in heterogeneous catalysis and energy conversion due to their robust and integrated structural configuration.Herein,we employ controlled Co doping to effectively enhance the nanoparticle exsolution process in layered perovskite ferrites materials.CoFe alloy nanoparticles with ultra-high-density are exsolved on the(PrBa)_(0.95)(Fe_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Nb_(0.1))2O_(5+δ)(PBFCN_(0.1))surface under reducing atmosphere,providing significant amounts of reaction sites and good durability for hydrocarbon catalysis.Under a reducing atmosphere,cobalt facilitates the reduction of iron cations within PBFCN_(0.1),leading to the formation of CoFe alloy nanoparticles.This formation is accompanied by a cation exchange process,wherein,with the increase in temperature,partial cobalt ions are substituted by iron.Meanwhile,Co doping significantly enhance the electrical conductivity due to the stronger covalency of the Cosingle bondO bond compared with Fesingle bondO bond.A single cell with the configuration of PBFCN_(0.1)-Sm_(0.2)Ce_(0.8)O_(1.9)(SDC)|SDC|Ba_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3−δ)(BSCF)-SDC achieves an extremely low polarization resistance of 0.0163Ωcm^(2)and a high peak power density of 740 mW cm^(−2)at 800℃.The cell also shows stable operation for 120 h in H_(2)with a constant current density of 285 mA cm^(−2).Furthermore,employing wet C_(2)H_(6)as fuel,the cell demonstrates remarkable performance,achieving peak power densities of 455 mW cm^(−2)at 800℃and 320 mW cm^(−2)at 750℃,marking improvements of 36%and 70%over the cell with(PrBa)_(0.95)(Fe_(0.9)Nb_(0.1))_(2)O_(5+δ)(PBFN)-SDC at these respective temperatures.This discovery emphasizes how temperature influences alloy nanoparticles exsolution within doped layered perovskite ferrites materials,paving the way for the development of high-performance ceramic fuel cell anodes.

Effect of carbon material and surfactant on ink property and resulting surface cracks of fuel-cell microporous layers

Ensuring the consistency of electrode structure in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells is highly desired yet challenging because of wide-existing and unguided cracks in the microporous layer(MPL). The first thing is to evaluate the homogeneity of MPL with cracks quantitatively. This paper proposes the homogeneity index of a full-scale MPL with an area of 50 cm~2, which is yet to be reported in the literature to our knowledge. Besides, the effects of the carbon material and surfactant on the ink and resulting MPL structure have been studied. The ink with a high network development degree produces an MPL with low crack density, but the ink with high PDI produces an MPL with low crack homogeneity. The polarity of the surfactant and the non-polarity of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) are not mutually soluble,resulting in the heterogeneous PTFE distribution. The findings of this study provide guidelines for MPL fabrication.

TiO_(2)Electron Transport Layer with p-n Homojunctions for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Low-temperature processed electron transport layer(ETL)of TiO_(2)that is widely used in planar perovskite solar cells(PSCs)has inherent low carrier mobility,resulting in insufficient photogenerated elec-tron transport and thus recombination loss at buried interface.Herein,we demonstrate an effective strategy of laser embedding of p-n homojunctions in the TiO_(2)ETL to accelerate electron transport in PSCs,through localized build-in electric fields that enables boosted electron mobility by two orders of magnitude.Such embedding is found significantly helpful for not only the enhanced crystallization quality of TiO_(2)ETL,but the fabrication of perovskite films with larger-grain and the less-trap-states.The embedded p-n homojunction enables also the modulation of interfacial energy level between perovskite layers and ETLs,favoring for the reduced voltage deficit of PSCs.Benefiting from these merits,the formamidinium lead iodide(FAPbI_(3))PSCs employing such ETLs deliver a champion efficiency of 25.50%,along with much-improved device stability under harsh conditions,i.e.,maintain over 95%of their initial efficiency after operation at maximum power point under continuous heat and illumination for 500 h,as well as mixed-cation PSCs with a champion efficiency of 22.02%and over 3000 h of ambient storage under humidity stability of 40%.Present study offers new possibilities of regulating charge transport layers via p-n homojunction embedding for high performance optoelectronics.

Improved Efficiency and Stability of Organic Solar Cells by Interface Modification Using Atomic Layer Deposition of Ultrathin Aluminum Oxide

The interfacial contacts between the electron transporting layers(ETLs)and the photoactive layers are crucial to device performance and stability for OSCs with inverted architecture.Herein,atomic layer deposition(ALD)fabricated ultrathin Al_(2)O_(3)layers are applied to modify the ETLs/active blends(PM6:BTP-BO-4F)interfaces of OSCs,thus improving device performance.The ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)thin layers on ZnO significantly improved its surface morphology,which led to the decreased work function of ZnO and reduced recombination losses in devices.The simultaneous increase in open-circuit voltage(V_(OC)),short-circuit current density(J_(SC))and fill factor(FF)were achieved for the OSCs incorporated with ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)interlayers of a certain thickness,which produced a maximum PCE of 16.61%.Moreover,the ALD-Al_(2)O_(3)interlayers had significantly enhanced device stability by suppressing degradation of the photoactive layers induced by the photocatalytic activity of ZnO and passivating surface defects of ZnO that may play the role of active sites for the adsorption of oxygen and moisture.

Recent progress of hybrid cathode interface layer for organic solar cells

Organic solar cells(OSCs)have gained conspicuous progress during the past few decades due to the development of materials and upgrading of the device structure.The power conversion efficiency(PCE)of the single-junction device had surpassed 19%.The cathode interface layer(CIL),by optimizing the connection between the active layer and the cathode electrode,has become a momentous part to strengthen the performances of the OSCs.Simultaneously,CIL is also indispensable to illustrating the working mechanism of OSCs and enhancing the stability of the OSCs.In this essay,hybrid CILs in OSCs have been summarized.Firstly,the advancement and operating mechanism of OSCs,and the effects and relevant design rules of CIL are briefly concluded;secondly,the significant influence of CIL on enhancing the stability and PCE of OSCs is presented;thirdly,the characteristics of organic hybrid CIL and organic-inorganic hybrid CIL are introduced.Finally,the conclusion and outlook of CIL are summarized.

High-Performance Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Sol-Gel-Processed Sliver-Doped NiO_(x)Hole Transporting Layer

Nickel oxide(NiO_(x))has been established as a highly efficient and stable holetransporting layer(HTL)in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).However,existing deposition methods for NiO_(x)have been restricted by high-vacuum processes and fail to address the energy level mismatch at the NiO_(x)/perovskite interface,which has impeded the development of PSCs.Accordingly,we explored the application of NiO_(x)as a hybrid HTL through a sol-gel process,where a NiO_(x)film was pre-doped with Ag ions,forming a p/p^(+)homojunction in the NiO_(x)-based inverted PSCs.This innovative approach offers two synergistic advantages,including the enlargement of the built-in electric field for facilitating charge separation,optimizing energy level alignment,and charge transfer efficiency at the interface between the perovskite and HTL.Incorporating this hybrid HTL featuring the p/p^(+)homojunction in the inverted PSCs resulted in a high-power conversion efficiency(PCE)of up to 19.25%,significantly narrowing the efficiency gap compared to traditional n-i-p devices.Furthermore,this innovative strategy for the HTL enhanced the environmental stability to 30 days,maintaining 90%of the initial efficiency.

Thin Cell Layer (TCL) Culture System for Herbal Biomass Production and Genetic Transformation of Bacopa monnieri L. Wettst.

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. (Scrophulariaceae) is a highly sought after medicinal plant with therapeutic properties as cognition enhancer as well as for other brain and body functions. Research was conducted to optimize a thin cell layer explant based micropropagation system to assist mass propagation. Thin cell layers (TCL) derived from leaf and internode segments were used as explants. Murashige and Skoog medium was used to formulate shoot induction, elongation, and rooting media. Shoot induction media were prepared by supplementing three concentrations (0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 μM) of four cytokinins 6-benzylaminopurine, 2-isopentenyl-adenine, 6-3-Hydroxybenzylaminopurine, and thidiazuron to study adventitious shoot bud induction response. An optimum shoot bud induction response was observed on MS medium supplemented with 10.0 μM 6-benzylaminopurine for both leaf and stem transverse thin cell layer (tTCL) explants. The average number of shoot buds from leaf tTCL explants was 59, whereas, on an average, 33 shoot buds were regenerated from internode tTCL explants. Elongation of adventitious shoot buds was achieved best in a liquid medium using Liquid Lab Rocker® system. Elongated shoots recorded 100% rooting in MS medium supplemented with 5 μM indole butyric acid. Bacopa micropropagation employing tTCL explants for initial shoot bud induction and using LLR® boxes in subsequent elongation step can achieve cost effective way to regenerate high volume of plantlets and biomass required for herbal industry. Leaf and stem tTCL explants both were suitable for Agrobacterium tumefaciens (EHA105) mediated genetic transformation. Successful transformation was scored within three days of co-cultivation with Agrobacterium suspension on the basis of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) expression as an early and non-destructible screening device. Transformation frequencies of 83% and 76% were accomplished for leaf and stem tTCL explants, respectively. Greenhouse grown Bacopa plants were analyzed as fresh and dry methanolic extracts for total polyphenol content (811.93 ± 7.98 and 814 ± 17.64 GAE mg g-1) and the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity values were 1918.25 ± 173.12 and 3163.14 ± 403.25 μmol/g, respectively.

Numerical Study and Optimization of CZTS-Based Thin-Film Solar Cell Structure with Different Novel Buffer-Layer Materials Using SCAPS-1D Software

This study explored the performances of CZTS-based thin-film solar cell with three novel buffer layer materials ZnS, CdS, and CdZnS, as well as with variation in thickness of buffer and absorber-layer, doping concentrations of absorber-layer material and operating temperature. Our aims focused to identify the most optimal thin-film solar cell structure that offers high efficiency and lower toxicity which are desirable for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources globally. SCAPS-1D, widely used software for modeling and simulating solar cells, has been used and solar cell fundamental performance parameters such as open-circuited voltage (), short-circuited current density (), fill-factor() and efficiency() have been optimized in this study. Based on our simulation results, it was found that CZTS solar cell with Cd0.4Zn0.6S as buffer-layer offers the most optimal combination of high efficiency and lower toxicity in comparison to other structure investigated in our study. Although the efficiency of Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS are comparable, Cd0.4Zn0.6S is preferable to use as buffer-layer for its non-toxic property. In addition, evaluation of performance as a function of buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS showed that optimum buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S was in the range from 50 to 150nm while ZnS offered only 50 – 75 nm. Furthermore, the temperature dependence performance parameters evaluation revealed that it is better to operate solar cell at temperature 290K for stable operation with optimum performances. This study would provide valuable insights into design and optimization of nanotechnology-based solar energy technology for minimizing global energy crisis and developing eco-friendly energy sources sustainable and simultaneously.

Organic Photovoltaic Cells with Improved Performance Using Bathophenanthroline as a Buffer Layer

The role of bathophenanthroline （Bphen） as a buffer layer inserted between fullerene （C60） and Ag cathode in organic photovoltaic （OPV） cell was discussed. By introducing Bphen as a buffer layer with thicknes from 0 to 2.5 nm, the power conversion efficiency of the OPV cell based on copper phthalocyanine （CuPc） and C60 was increased from 0.87% to 2.25% under AM 1.5 solar illumination at an intensity of 100 mW/cm^2, which was higher than that of bathocuproine used as a buffer layer. The photocurrent-voltage characteristics showed that Bphen effectively improves electron transport through C60 layer into Ag electrode and leads to balance charge carrier transport capability. The influence of Bphen thickness on OPV cells was also investigated. Furthermore, the absorption spectrum shows that an additional Bphen layer enhances the light harvest capability of CuPc/C60.

CHANGES OF ENDOGENOUS HORMONE CONTENTS DURING FLORAL BUD AND VEGETATIVE BUD DIF FERENTIATION IN THIN CELL LAYER CULTURE OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS L. EXPLANT

The sectioned thin cell layers (TCL) of flower stalk of Cichorium intybus L. were cultured in MS medium supplemented with NAA and BA or IAA and BA where floral and vegetative buds were developed from the explant. Endogenous IAA, DHZ+DHZR, iPA increased significantly during the floral bud formation, while Z+ZR remained changed. The levels of cytokinins, DHZ+DHZR, iPA, and Z+ZR all increased significantly during the vegetative bud formation, however IAA level was reduced during the first 7 days of culture and increased to two thirds of initial values on the day when the bud primordia were formed. The results suggested that the initiation of floral buds was associated with a high IAA/CTK ratio, whereas the induction of vegetative bud differentiation was related to a low IAA/CTK ratio.

Nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer with ordered platinum nanotube arrays for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Fabrication of novel electrode architectures with nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layers is an effective strategy to improve catalyst utilization and enhance mass transport for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).Herein,we report the design and construction of a nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer with ordered Pt nanotube arrays,which were obtained by a hard-template strategy based on ZnO,via hydrothermal synthesis and magnetron sputtering for PEMFC application.Because of the crystallographically preferential growth of Pt (111) facets,which was attributed to the structural effects of ZnO nanoarrays on the Pt nanotubes,the catalyst layers exhibit obviously higher electrochemical activity with remarkable enhancement of specific activity and mass transport compared with the state-of-the-art randomly distributed Pt/C catalyst layer.The PEMFC fabricated with the as-prepared catalyst layer composed of optimized Pt nanotubes with an average diameter of 90(±10) nm shows excellent performance with a peak power density of 6.0W/mgPt at 1 A/cm^2,which is 11.6%greater than that of the conventional Pt/C electrode.

Evaluation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer, macula and ganglion cell thickness in amblyopia using spectral optical coherence tomography

AIM:To investigate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macula and ganglion cell layer thicknesses (GCC) in amblyopic eyes with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS:Thirty six patients with a history of unilateral amblyopia and thirty two children who had emmetropia without amblyopia were included in this study. In this institutional study, 36 eyes of 36 patients with amblyopia (AE), 36 fellow eyes without amblyopia (FE), and 32 eyes of 32 normal subjects (NE) were included. RNFL, GCC and macular thickness measurements were performed with RS-3000 OCT Retina Scan (Nidek Inc CA. USA). RESULTS:The mean global thicknesses of the RNFL were 113.22 ±21.47, 111.57 ±18.25, 109.96 ±11.31μm in the AE, FE, and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for mean global RNFL thickness among the eyes (P =0.13). The mean thicknesses of the macula were 258.25±18.31, 258.75±19.54, 248.62±10.57μm in the AE, FE and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for thickness of macula among the eyes (P =0.06). The GCC was investigated into two parts:superior and inferior. The mean thicknesses of superior GCC were 102.57 ±13.32, 103.32 ±10.64, 100.52 ± 5.88μm in the AE, FE, and NE, respectively. The mean thicknesses of inferior GCC were 103.82 ±12.60, 107.82 ± 12.33, 105.86±10.79μm in the AE, FE and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for thickness of superior and inferior GCC between the eyes (P =0.63, P =0.46). ·CONCLUSION:The macular thicknesses of AE and FE were greater than the NE, although it was not statistically significant. Amblyopia does not seem to have a profound effect on the RNFL, macula and GCC.

Tailored PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer for higher performance in perovskite solar cells: Enhancement of electrical and optical properties with improved morphology

Precise control over the charge carrier dynamics throughout the device can result in outstanding performance of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)is the most actively studied hole transport material in p-i-n structured PSCs.However,charge transport in the PEDOT:PSS is limited and inefficient because of its low conductivity with the presence of the weak ionic conductor PSS.In addition,morphology of the underlying PEDOT:PSS layer in PSCs plays a crucial role in determining the optoelectronic quality of the active perovskite absorber layer.This work is focused on realization of a non-wetting conductive surface of hole transport layer suitable for the growth of larger perovskite crystalline domains.This is accomplished by employing a facile solventengineered(ethylene glycol and methanol)approach resulting in removal of the predominant PSS in PEDOT:PSS.The consequence of acquiring larger perovskite crystalline domains was observed in the charge carrier dynamics studies,with the achievement of higher charge carrier lifetime,lower charge transport time and lower transfer impedance in the solvent-engineered PEDOT:PSS-based PSCs.Use of this solventengineered treatment for the fabrication of MAPbI3 PSCs greatly increased the device stability witnessing a power conversion efficiency of 18.18%,which corresponds to^37%improvement compared to the untreated PEDOT:PSS based devices.

Improved performance of polymer solar cells by using inorganic, organic, and doped cathode buffer layers

The interface between the active layer and the electrode is one of the most critical factors that could affect the device performance of polymer solar cells. In this work, based on the typical poly（3-hexylthiophene）：[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester （P3HT：PCBM） polymer solar cell, we studied the effect of the cathode buffer layer （CBL） between the top metal electrode and the active layer on the device performance. Several inorganic and organic materials commonly used as the electron injection layer in an organic light-emitting diode （OLED） were employed as the CBL in the P3HT：PCBM polymer solar cells. Our results demonstrate that the inorganic and organic materials like Cs2CO3, bathophenanthroline （Bphen）, and 8-hydroxyquinolatolithium （Liq） can be used as CBL to efficiently improve the device performance of the P3HT：PCBM polymer solar cells. The P3HT：PCBM devices employed various CBLs possess power conversion efficiencies （PCEs） of 3.0%-3.3%, which are ca. 50% improved compared to that of the device without CBL. Furthermore, by using the doped organic materials Bphen：Cs2CO3 and Bphen：Liq as the CBL, the PCE of the P3HT：PCBM device will be further improved to 3.5%, which is ca. 70% higher than that of the device without a CBL and ca. 10% increased compared with that of the devices with a neat inorganic or organic CBL.

Elucidating the Uptake and Distribution of Nanoparticles in Solid Tumors via a Multilayered Cell Culture Model

Multicellular layers(MCLs) have previously been used to determine the pharmacokinetics of a variety of different cancer drugs including paclitaxel, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil across a number of cell lines. It is not known how nanoparticles(NPs) navigate through the tumor microenvironment once they leave the tumor blood vessel.In this study, we used the MCL model to study the uptake and penetration dynamics of NPs. Gold nanoparticles(GNPs)were used as a model system to map the NP distribution within tissue-like structures. Our results show that NP uptake and transport are dependent on the tumor cell type. MDA-MB-231 tissue showed deeper penetration of GNPs as compared to MCF-7 one. Intracellular and extracellular distributions of NPs were mapped using Cyto Viva imaging. The ability of MCLs to mimic tumor tissue characteristics makes them a useful tool in assessing the efficacy of particle distribution in solid tumors.

Structural impairment patterns in peripapillary retinal fiber layer and retinal ganglion cell layer in mitochondrial optic neuropathies

AIM：To evaluate the structural injure patterns in peripapillary retinal fiber layer （pRNFL）, retinal ganglion cell layer （RGCL） and their correlations to visual function in various mitochondrial optic neuropathies （MON） to offer help to their differential diagnosis.METHODS：Totally 32 MON patients （60 eyes） were recruited within 6mo after clinical onsets, including 20 Leber hereditary optic neuropathy （LHON） patients （37eyes）, 12 ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy （EON）patients （23 eyes）, and 41 age-gender matched healthy controls （HC, 82 eyes）. All subjects had pRNFL and RGCL examinations with optic coherence tomography （OCT） and visual function tests.RESULTS：In the early stages of MON, the temporal pRNFL thickness decreased （66.09±22.57μm）, but increased in other quadrants, compared to HC （76.95±14.81μm）. The other quadrants remaining stable for LHON and EON patients besides the second hour sector of pRNFL thickness reduced and the temporal pRNFL decreased （56.78±15.87μm） for EON. Total macular thickness in MON reduced remarkably（279.25±18.90μm; P=0.015）, which mainly occurring in the inner circle （3 mm diameter of circle） and the nasal temporal sectors in the outer circle （5.5 mm diameter of circle）, in contrast to those in HC. RGCL thickness reduced in each sector of the macula （61.90±8.73μm; P≤0.001）. It strongly showed the correlationship of best corrected visual acuity （R=0.50, P=0.0003） and visual field injury （R=0.54,P=0.0002） in MON patients.CONCLUSION：OCT is a potential tool for detecting structural alterations in the optic nerves of various MON. Different types of MON may have different damage patterns.

Significant Enhancement in Built-in Potential and Charge Carrier Collection of Organic Solar Cells using 4-（5-hexylthiophene-2-yl）-2,6-bis（5- trifluoromethyl）thiophen-2-yl）pyridine as a Cathode Buffer Layer

An electron transporting material of TFTTP （4-（5-hexylthiophene-2-yl）-2,6-bis（5-trifluoromethyl）thiophen-2-yl）pyridine） was investigated as a cathode buffer layer to enhance the power efficiency of organic solar cells （OSCs） based on subphthalocyanine and C60. The overall power conversion efficiency was increased by a factor of 1.31 by inserting the TFTTP interfacial layer between the active layer and metallic cathode. The inner mechanism responsible for the performance enhancement of OSCs was systematically studied with the simulation of dark diode behavior and optical field distribution inside the devices as well as the characterization of device photocurrent. The results showed that the TFTTP layer could significantly increase the built-in potential in the devices, leading to the enhanced dissociation of charge transfer excitons. In addition, by using TFTTP as the buffer layer, a better Ohmic contact at C60/metal interface was formed, facilitating more efficient free charge carrier collection.

Preparation and characterization of Cd_(1-x)Zn_xS buffer layers for thin film solar cells

Cd1_xZnxS （x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 1.0） thin films have been grown successfully on soda-lime glass substrates by chemical bath deposition technique as a very promising buffer layer material for optoelectronic device applications. The composition, structural properties, surface morphol- ogy, and optical properties of Cd~_xZnxS thin films were characterized by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray tech- nique （EDAX）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer tech- niques, respectively. The annealed films were observed to possess the deficient sulfur composition. The results of XRD show that the Cdl_xZnxS （x = 0. l） thin film annealed at 450 ~C forms hexagonal （wurtzite） structure with lattice parameters a = 0.408814 nm, c ： 0.666059 nm, and its average grain size is 24.9902 nm. The diffraction peaks become strong with the increasing annealing temperatures. The surface of Cdl_~ZnxS （x = 0.1） thin film annealed at 450 ~C is uninterrupted and homogenous as compared to other temperatures. From optical properties, it is observed that the presence of small amount of Zn results in marked changes in the optical band gap of CdS. The band gaps of the Cdl_xZnxS thin films vary from 2.42 to 3.51 eV as composition varies from x = 0.0 to 1.0.