Organic additives in all-inorganic perovskite solar cells and modules:from moisture endurance to enhanced efficiency and operational stability

Power conversion efficiency(PCE) of perovskite solar cells(PSC) has been skyrocketed to certified 25.5% owing to their improved and tunable optoelectronic properties. Although, various strategies have been adopted to date regarding PCE and stability enhancement within PSC technology, certain instability factors(moisture, heat, light) are hindering their commercial placement. Recently, all-inorganic PSCs got hype in the photovoltaic research community after they attained PCE > 20% and due to their significant endurance against heat and light mishmashes, but there only left moisture sensitivity as the only roadblock for their industrial integration. Here, we review the recent progress of additive inclusion into allinorganic(CsPbX_(3)) PSCs to stabilize their intrinsic structure and to withstand the performance limiting factors. We start with the detailed description of chemical instability of different perovskite compositions, phase segregation, and how organic molecules and dyes help to repair the structural defects to improve the overall PCE and stability of PSCs. Moisture endurance as a result of chemical passivation through organic additives, low-dimensional inorganic PSCs to enhance device stability and scalable fabrication of CsPbX_(3) PSCs are also reviewed. The challenges of module degradation and design implications with proposed strategies and outlook are interpreted in the ending phrases of this review.

Morphologies of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles adjusted by organic additives in hydrothermal synthesis

Properties of hydroxyapatite （HA, Ca10（PO4）6（OH）2）, including bioactivity, biocompatibility, solubility and adsorption could be tailored over wide ranges by the control of particle composition, particle size and morphology. In order to satisfy various applications, well-crystallized pure HA nanoparticles were synthesized at moderate temperatures by hydrotherrnal synthesis, and HA nanoparticles with different lengths were obtained by adding organic additives. X-ray diffractometry （XRD） and Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectrometry were used to characterize these nanoparticles, and the morphologies of the HA particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results demonstrate that shorter rod-like HA particles can be prepared by adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide （CTAB）, as the additive of CTAB can block the HA crystal growth along with c-axis. And whisker HA particles are obtained by adding ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid （EDTA）, since EDTA may have effect on the dissolution-repreeipitation process of HA.

Effect of different organic compounds on the preparation of CaO-based CO_(2) sorbents derived from wet mixing combustion synthesis

CaO based sorbents have great potential for commercial use to capture CO_(2) of power plants.In the demand of producing sorbents with better cyclic performance,CaO-based sorbents derived from different kinds of calcium precursors,containing calcium carbonate(CC-CaO),calcium gluconate monohydrate(CG-CaO),calcium citrate(CCi-CaO)and calcium acetate monohydrate(CA-CaO),were tested cyclically and compared using simultaneous thermal analyzer(STA).And further study was conducted on the sorbents modified with citric acid monohydrate and 50%gluconic acid solution by wet mixing combustion synthesis.The modified sorbents showed better performance and higher pore parameters as well as porous microstructure with more organic acid added.After 20 cycles of carbonation and calcination,the C2CCi8(CaO:citric acid=2:8 by mass ratio)and C2G8(CaO:gluconic acid=2:8 by mass ratio)sorbent possess CO_(2) capture capacity of 0.45g·g^(-1)(g CO_(2) per g sorbents)and 0.52 g·g^(-1) respectively.The citric acid was more effective for modification than gluconic acid for extended 50 cycles.Furthermore,good linear relationship between CaO conversion and specific surface area as well as pore volume were determined,of which the specific surface area showed closer correlation with CaO conversion。

Enantiomeric Separation of Antidepressant Trimipramine by Capillary Electrophoresis Combined with Electrochemiluminescence Detection in Aqueous-organic Media

The antidepressant trimipramine（Tri） enantiomers were successfully separated by capillary electrophoresis（CE） coupled with electrochemiluminescence（ECL） detection in aqueous-organic media. A dual cyclodextrin（CD） system combining β-CD and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin（HP-β-CD） was used as chiral selector. Acetonitrile（ACN） was added to the running buffer to improve the separation efficiency, detection sensitivity and repeatability. The method was also successfully applied to the chiral separation of Tri in spiked human urine sample.

The Viscosity-reducing Mechanism of Organic Wax Additive on CRMA

CRMA was prepared by mixing PG 64-22 asphalt with crumb rubber powder of 40 mesh size and 18% by weight of the asphalt. Sasobit, a typical organic wax additive, was selected and added into CRMA. A series of tests, namely, brookfield viscosity, environmental scanning electron microscope（ESEM）, component test, differential scanning calorimeter（DSC）, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） were conducted on CRMA with and without organic wax additive, and microcosmic appearance, component content and molecular structure of various asphalt binders were obtained. The test results indicate that the addition of Sasobit~ into CRMA can effectively change the contents of components： the content of asphaltenes increases relatively, while saturates decreases. In addition, the interaction between various components of CRMA is weakened, and the state of equilibrium between the dispersant and dispersed phase is changed at the same time. That is why the viscosity decreases after the organic wax additive is added into CRMA.

Multi-site anchoring of single-molecule for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells with lead shielding

The emergence of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) has greatly promoted the progress of photovoltaic technologies.The rapid development of PSCs has been driven by the advances in optimizing perovskite films and their adjacent interfaces.However,the polycrystalline perovskite layers in most highly efficient PSCs still contain various defects that greatly limit photovoltaic performance and stability of the devices.Herein,we introduce a multifunctional additive ethylene diamine tetra methylene phosphonic sodium(EDTMPS) with multiple anchor points into the precursor of perovskite to improve the efficiency and stability of PSCs and provide in-situ protection of lead leakage.The addition of EDTMPS acts as a crystal growth controller and passivation agent for perovskite films,thereby slowing down the crystallization rate of the film and obtaining high-quality perovskite films.Our study also provides an insight into how the modifier modulate the interfacial energy level arrangement as well as affect transfer of charge carriers and their recombination under photoinduced excitation.As a result,the power conversion efficiency(PCE) of single subcell with a working area of 0.255 cm^(2) increases significantly from 20.03% to 23.37%.Moreover,we obtained a PCE of 19.16% for the 25 cm^(2) module.Importantly,the unencapsulated EDTMP-modified PSCs exhibit better operational and thermal stability,as well as in-situ absorption of leaked lead ions.

Use of Additive Based on Non-Timber Forest Products for the Ecological Stabilization of Raw Earth:Case of the Parkia Biglobosa Nut and Vitellaria Paradoxa

The housing sector today uses elaborate materials such as cement,iron,sand,often prohibitively expensive and whose production generates a strong environmental impact(scarcity of resources,transport,greenhouse gas greenhouse,etc.).In order to meet the challenges of sustainable development,earth construction is experiencing a resurgence of interest these days.Despite its many advantages,raw earth material has drawbacks,in particular its low mechanical resistance and its loss of geometric characteristics in the face of water,which slow down its development.As part of this study,the mechanical characteristics and durability of raw earth were improved by using residual water from the processing of Parkia Biglobosa(nere)and Vitellaria Paradoxa(shea)nuts in order to optimize its use for the construction of modern buildings.To this end,the decoctions resulting from the artisanal transformation of the nut of the Parkia Biglobosa into African mustard and of the Vitellaria Paradoxa into shea butter were added to the raw earth according to volume proportions of 25%,50%,75%and 100%of the aqueous solution to obtain the projected composites.Thus,mechanical characterization and durability tests were carried out on the composites obtained.The results revealed that the decoctions of Vitellaria Paradoxa and Parkia Biglobosa improve the compressive strength of the material by up to 90%and 260%,respectively.Furthermore,these decoctions improved the resistance to water penetration of the 100%additive composite by 1.5 times for Vitellaria Paradoxa and 5 times for Parkia Biglobosa.This study shows that it is possible to use decoctions as raw earth stabilizers to build modern,ecological buildings at lower energy costs.However,more in-depth studies on surface wettability and long-term durability are planned to better characterize the geomaterial.

Characterization and comparison of organic functional groups effects on electrolyte performance for vanadium redox flow battery

The vanadium redox flow battery with a safe and capacity-controllable large-scale energy storage system offers a new method for the sustainability.In this case,acetic acid,methane sulfonic acid,sulfonic acid,amino methane sulfonic acid,and taurine are used to overcome the low electrolyte energy density and stability limitations,as well as to investigate the effects of various organic functional groups on the vanadium redox flow battery.When compared to the pristine electrolyte(0.22 Ah,5.0 Wh·L^(−1),85.0%),the results show that taurine has the advantage of maintaining vanadium ion concentrations,discharge capacity(1.43 Ah),energy density(33.9 Wh·L^(−1)),and energy efficiency(90.5%)even after several cycles.The acetic acid electrolyte is more conducive to the low-temperature stability of the V(II)electrolyte(177 h at−25℃)than pristine(82 h at−2℃).The−SO_(3)H group,specifically the coaction of the−NH_(2)and−SO_(3)H groups,improves electrolyte stability.The−NH_(2)and−COOH additive groups improved conductivity and electrochemical activity.

Effect of Short Chain Alcohols upon Viscosity of TTAB Solution

The effect of ethanol （C2H5OH）, propanol （C3H7OH）, and butanol （C4H9OH） upon the viscosity of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide （TTAB） solution in the presence or absence of KBr at 30℃was investigated, where the surfactant concentration CS is kept constant. In the absence of KBr, the relative viscosity ηr of TTAB solution increases linearly with the alcohol concentration CA, indicating that the alcohols do not promote micelle formation of TTAB. In the presence of KBr, ηr linearly decreases with CA for C2H5OH, but it exhibits a maximum with increasing CA for C3H7OH or C4H9OH. The facts reveal that C2H5OH or C4H9OH promotes the micelle formation of TTAB. A possible explanation is that the hydrophobicity of the mieellar interior is enhanced by KBr, so that C2H5OH or C4H9OH can dissolve in micelle and promotes micelle formation. In the presence of KCl, which is less efficient in promoting the micelle formation of cationic surfactant, both C3H7OH and C4H9OH have only a slight effect on the micelle formation. In contrast, due to the hydrophilicity, C2H5OH cannot dissolve in micelles in the presence of KBr or KCl.

An Organic Small Molecule as a Solid Additive in Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells with Improved Efficiency and Operational Stability

The use of additive is an effective approach to optimize the active layer morphology and improve the power conversion efficiency(PCE)of organic solar cells(OSCs).However,residual solvent additives always lead to undesirably compromise the stability of OSCs.In this work,an organic small molecule BBT-Cl was designed and used as a novel solid additive to partly replace solvent additive to fabricate highperformance OSCs.The synergistic effect of the dual additives on the optical property,morphology and photovoltaic characteristics of the PM6:Y6 based non-fullerene OSCs have been systematically characterized.The introduction of BBT-Cl could effectively enhance the crystallinity of the blend and promote charge extraction and transport.Consequently,the OSCs processed by the dual additives exhibit a high PCE of 17.73%,which is obviously higher than OSCs with CN additive(16.48%).Meanwhile,BBT-Cl based dual additives treatment has also been successfully introduced into another two non-fullerene OSCs to verify its general applicability.Furthermore,20%PCE aging is significantly prolonged from 720 min to 2880 min for the devices proceeded with the dual additives.This work highlights the great potential of solid additive in the fabrication of efficient OSCs with excellent stability.

Novel soil quality indicators for the evaluation of agricultural management practices:a biological perspective

Developments in soil biology and in methodsto characterize soil organic carbon can potentially delivernovel soil quality indicators that can help identifymanagement practices able to sustain soil productivityand environmental resilience. This work aimed atsynthesizing results regarding the suitability of a range ofsoil biological and biochemical properties as novel soilquality indicators for agricultural management. The soilproperties, selected through a published literature review,comprised different labile organic carbon fractions [hydrophilicdissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon,permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), hot waterextractable carbon and particulate organic matter carbon],soil disease suppressiveness measured using a Pythium-Lepidium bioassay, nematode communities characterizedby amplicon sequencing and qPCR, and microbialcommunity level physiological profiling measured withMicroResp™. Prior studies tested the sensitivity of each ofthe novel indicators to tillage and organic matter additionin ten European long-term field experiments (LTEs) andassessed their relationships with pre-existing soil qualityindicators of soil functioning. Here, the results of theseprevious studies are brought together and interpretedrelative to each other and to the broader body of literatureon soil quality assessment. Reduced tillage increasedcarbon availability, disease suppressiveness, nematoderichness and diversity, the stability and maturity of thefood web, and microbial activity and functional diversity.Organic matter addition played a weaker role in enhancingsoil quality, possibly due to the range of composition of theorganic matter inputs used in the LTEs. POXC was theindicator that discriminated best between soil managementpractices, followed by nematode indices based on functionalcharacteristics. Structural equation modeling showsthat POXC has a central role in nutrient retention/supply,carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, erosion control and disease regulation/suppression. The novelindicators proposed here have great potential to improveexisting soil quality assessment schemes. Their feasibilityof application is discussed and needs for future research are outlined.

Frontiers of 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing: from Human Organs to Aircraft Fabrication

It has been more than three decades since stereolithography began to emerge in various forms of additive manufacturing and 3D printing. Today these technologies are proliferating worldwide in various forms of advanced manufacturing. The largest segment of the 3D printing market today involves various polymer component fabrications, particularly complex structures not attainable by other manufacturing methods.Conventional printer head systems have also been adapted to selectively print various speciated human cells and special molecules in attempts to construct human organs, beginning with skin and various tissue patches. These efforts are discussed along with metal and alloy fabrication of a variety of implant and bone replacement components by creating powder layers, which are selectively melted into complex forms（such as foams and other open-cellular structures） using laser and electron beams directed by CAD software. Efforts to create a ＂living implant＂ by bone ingrowth and eventual vascularization within these implants will be discussed briefly. Novel printer heads for direct metal droplet deposition as in other 3D printing systems are briefly described since these concepts will allow for the eventual fabrication of very large and complex products, including automotive and aerospace structures and components.

Odour reducing microbial-mineral additive for poultry manure treatment

Poultry production systems are associated with emissions of odorous volatile organic compounds （VOCs）, ammonia （NH3）, hydrogen sulfide （HES）, greenhouse gases, and particulate matter. Development of mitigation technologies for these emissions is important. Previous laboratory-scale research on microbial-mineral treatment has shown to be effective for mitigation of NH3, H2S and amines emissions from poultry manure. The aim of this research was to assess the effectiveness of surface application of a microbial-mineral treatment for other important odorants, i.e., phenolics and sulfur-containing VOCs. Microbial-mineral litter additive consisting of 20% （w/w） of bacteria powder （six strains ofheterotrophic bacteria） and 80% of mineral carrier （perlite-bentonite） was used at a dose of 500 g·m^-2 （per -31 kg of manure）. Samples of air were collected m two series, 4 and 7 days after application of additives. An odor profile of the poultry manure was determined using simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis. Reduction levels of VOCs determined on Day 4 was between 31% and 83% for mineral adsorbent treatment and in the range of 9% and 96% for microbial-mineral additive, depending on the analyzed compound. Reduction levels on Day 7 were considerably lower than on Day 4, suggesting that the odorous VOCs treatment efficacy is relatively short. There was no significant difference between treatments consisting of microbial-mineral additive and mineral carrier alone.