Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. H. Y. Ho, J. Kothari, X. Fu, F. So
Summary: The tandem structure provides a practical way to achieve high-efficiency organic solar cells by overcoming several bottlenecks in single-junction OSCs. The interconnecting layer plays a critical role in determining device performance and reproducibility in tandem OSCs. Different classes of interconnecting layers are compared based on their optical, mechanical, and chemical properties in this review paper.
MATERIALS TODAY ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hansheng Chen, Zhigang Yin, Yunlong Ma, Dongdong Cai, Qingdong Zheng
Summary: A novel type of hole-transport layers (HTLs) is developed by combining stable poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) with modified poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for efficient opaque and semitransparent organic solar cells (OSCs) with improved stability and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). The resulting PTAA/ID-PEDOT:PSS-based OSCs exhibit higher PCEs and better stability compared to devices with pure PTAA and PEDOT:PSS HTLs. Moreover, the PTAA/ID-PEDOT:PSS-based OSCs also achieve efficient and stable semitransparent devices with outstanding PCEs at a high average visible transmittance. These findings provide a promising semiconducting interlayer candidate for the development of opaque and semitransparent OSCs.
MATERIALS TODAY ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tao Pan, Congyang Liu, Meini Wang, Jiameng Zhang
Summary: In this study, the biodegradation of phenanthrene in n-tetradecane by hydrophilic bacterium Moraxella sp. CFP312 was studied with the assistance of two polymers, chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). It was found that CMC was more effective than chitosan in promoting CFP312 to stabilize Pickering emulsion and increasing the degradation ratio of phenanthrene.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yujun Cheng, Bin Huang, Xuexiang Huang, Lifu Zhang, Seoyoung Kim, Qian Xie, Chao Liu, Thomas Heumueller, Zuoji Liu, Youhui Zhang, Feiyan Wu, Changduk Yang, Christoph J. Brabec, Yiwang Chen, Lie Chen
Summary: In this research, a new concept of oligomer-assisted photoactive layers for ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) is proposed. The addition of oligomers substantially enhances the performance and stability of the cells.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Benfang Niu, Haoran Liu, Yanchun Huang, Emely Gu, Minxing Yan, Ziqiu Shen, Kangrong Yan, Buyi Yan, Jizhong Yao, Yanjun Fang, Hongzheng Chen, Chang-Zhi Li
Summary: A simple and scalable interfacial strategy is reported to facilitate the assembly of high-performance inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and scale-up modules. This strategy improves the chemical stability, charge extraction, and energy level alignment of the hole-selective interface, while promoting perovskite crystallization. As a result, the corresponding inverted PSCs and modules achieve remarkable power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 24.5% and 20.7% (aperture area of 19.4 cm(2)), respectively. This strategy is also effective for perovskite with various bandgaps, demonstrating the highest PCE of 19.6% for the 1.76-eV bandgap PSCs.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jianming Wang, Huangzhong Yu, Chunli Hou
Summary: The few-layered beta-indium selenide nanosheets are introduced into the active layer of polymer solar cells as the third component, optimizing the absorption, crystallinity, and vertical component distribution of the active layer, leading to an improved power conversion efficiency from 15.02% to 16.56%.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yanyan Li, Wei Li, Yalun Xu, Ruiming Li, Tian Yu, Qianqian Lin
Summary: Perovskite solar cells are a promising thin-film photovoltaic technique, and the direct thermal evaporation of additional PbI2 thin layers onto perovskite thin films has been found to effectively reduce nonradiative recombination and enhance device performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoya Hou, Kun Zhang, Dahua Chen, Yulei Zhang, Jie Zhang
Summary: The versatile nonfullerene perylene diimide-based electron acceptor showed good device performance in inverted organic solar cells and organic photodetectors. The ZnO films were modified with different materials to enhance electron transportation. The efficiency of the inverted device using ZnO/EG as the electron transporting layer was improved to 3.61%, with a higher Jsc of 10.06 mA/cm2. The interfacial modification also reduced the dark current of the organic photodetector and improved its external quantum efficiency.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haoran Tang, Yuanqing Bai, Haiyang Zhao, Xudong Qin, Zhicheng Hu, Cheng Zhou, Fei Huang, Yong Cao
Summary: Organic solar cells (OSCs) have witnessed significant advancements in power conversion efficiency, surpassing 19% and 20% for single-junction and tandem devices, respectively, due to innovative material design and device structure optimization. Interface engineering plays a crucial role in boosting device efficiency by modifying the interface properties between different layers in OSCs. This article provides a review of the progress in interface engineering for high-performance OSCs, discussing the specific functions and design principles of interface layers and analyzing the improvements in device efficiency and stability. The challenges and prospects associated with the application of interface engineering, particularly for large-area, high-performance, and low-cost device manufacturing, are also addressed.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen Jiang, Meiyan Wu, Fang Zhang, Chao Liu, Mingliang Sun, Bin Li
Summary: In this study, a tunicate cellulose film with tunable haze levels was prepared by mixing tunicate microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and tunicate cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The film was used to modify the substrate of organic solar cells (OSC) to improve its light utilization efficiency. The dosage of MFC was found to be an important factor in adjusting the haze and light transmittance of the cellulose film. The optimized film showed excellent mechanical properties, high thermal stability, and when applied as an additional layer to the OSC substrate, resulted in a notable improvement of power conversion efficiency.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Baowei Qiu, Muxuan Li, Xueqin Zhang, Yang Chen, Shengtai Zhou, Mei Liang, Huawei Zou
Summary: The study focuses on repairing surface defects of carbon fibers and enhancing the interface properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites through a self-driven method using nano-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The CMC gathers at the defects on carbon fibers via polar attraction between multi-functional groups, forming a tight layer of nanofiber membrane. The repair of surface defects and introduction of multi-functional groups synergistically enhance the interface performance of epoxy-based composites.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cinthya Anrango-Camacho, Karla Pavon-Ipiales, Bernardo A. Frontana-Uribe, Alex Palma-Cando
Summary: This review examines the recent advancements in metal oxides, metal sulfides, nanocarbon materials, conducting polymers, and small organic molecules as hole transporting layers (HTLs) in organic solar cells (OSCs) over the past five years. The preparation and deposition methods of HTLs have been optimized, and strategies such as doping, composite/hybrid formation, and modifications have been utilized to tune the optical/electrical properties of these materials for efficient and stable OSCs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiangcheng Shan, Liyu Yang, Yumeng Zhao, Huarong Yang, Zuoyi Xiao, Qingda An, Shangru Zhai
Summary: The newly fabricated composite adsorbent integrating multiple components exhibited enhanced phosphate capturing performance, good reusability, and selectivity, with the adsorption mechanism involving electrostatic attraction, ligand exchange, and inner-sphere complexation.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ming Liu, Mengyang Li, Yufeng Jiang, Zaifei Ma, Duanzijing Liu, Zhongjie Ren, Thomas P. Russell, Yao Liu
Summary: Conductive ionenes were synthesized by integrating donor and acceptor compounds, optimizing film properties through varying ratios, and enhancing pi-pi interactions. These materials significantly modify electrode interfaces, boosting efficiency particularly in organic solar cells with a range of interlayer thicknesses, achieving high power conversion efficiencies.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wen Huang, Rui Zhang, Xuwen Xia, Parker Steichen, Nanjing Liu, Jianping Yang, Liang Chu, Xing'ao Li
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful use of Nb2O5/ZnO films as double electron transport layers in perovskite solar cells, showing improved performance and stability due to energy band matching. It was found that adjusting the ZnO deposition time can optimize the power conversion efficiency in PSCs.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haodong Sun, Fengjie Tang, Qunfeng Chen, Linmin Xia, Chenyue Guo, He Liu, Xinpeng Zhao, Dongliang Zhao, Liulian Huang, Jianguo Li, Lihui Chen
Summary: Passive radiative cooling materials offer all-day thermal comfort without energy consumption by reflecting solar radiation and emitting heat into the 3 K universe. However, conventional materials have non-recyclable complex structures and unsustainable polymers, leading to resource waste and environmental issues. This study presents a low-cost, scalable, and eco-friendly radiative cooling material called cooling paper, made from delignified cellulose fibers and nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA). The resulting paper can be easily recycled and deconstructed to recover cellulose fibers and HA, which can be reused to prepare secondary products with comparable performance. The recyclable cooling paper shows a temperature drop of 6-8.8 degrees C under direct solar radiation and an average cooling energy saving of 29% in buildings across China, indicating its promising potential for sustainable energy-efficient buildings.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenchao Zeng, Meiqiong Yu, Junkang Lin, Liulian Huang, Jianguo Li, Shan Lin, Lihui Chen
Summary: In this study, a cost-effective and high-desalination-performance chitosan-based forward osmosis (FO) membrane is developed by coupling electrospun chitosan nanofibers with interfacial-polymerized polyamide. The membrane exhibits a porous and hydrophilic CS layer with a large pore-diameter of 274 nm and low thickness of 10 μm, enabling the effective transport of water molecules and achieving a superhigh water flux of 107.53 LMH at a low salt-water ratio. The membrane also shows superior desalination performance for different salt species and concentrations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qunfeng Chen, Binbin Cheng, Zequn Wang, Xuhui Sun, Yang Liu, Haodong Sun, Jianwei Li, Lihui Chen, Xuhai Zhu, Liulian Huang, Yonghao Ni, Meng An, Jianguo Li
Summary: Excellent mechanical strength and conductivity are achieved in a cellulose ionogel via ZnCl2 doping. The Zn2+-cellulose engineering strategy produces a confined nanostructure that supports efficient transport of small anions and allows the ionogel to convert waste heat into electricity. This ion-molecular engineering strategy offers unprecedented freedom for developing adaptable gel materials.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Shuai Bian, Yong Chen, Xiaohua Huang, Yan Guo, He Xiao, Min Zhang, Kai Liu, Liulian Huang, Lihui Chen, Hui Wu
Summary: In this paper, a catechol-containing dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC-DA) adhesive with strong adhesion and biocompatibility was reported. The lap shear strength of DCMC-DA on porcine skin and wood were 0.14 MPa and 4.38 MPa, respectively, which increased by 350% and 694% as compared with that of CMC. Moreover, NIH 3T3 cell tests demonstrated that DCMC-DA has good biocompatibility to promote cell proliferation. The DCMC-DA with strong adhesion and biocompatibility has great potential as a green and environmentally friendly adhesive in the fields of wood and biomedicine.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Qiuyan Chen, Xiaojuan Ma, Jianguo Li, Hai Huang, Shilin Cao, Liulian Huang
Summary: In order to achieve a breakthrough in the application of cold caustic extraction, it is necessary to limit the amount of alkali and dissolve the hemicelluloses sufficiently. A NaOH/ZnO aqueous solution system was used to efficiently and selectively separate hemicelluloses from bleached bamboo pulp. The NaOH/ZnO process proved to be more successful in the removal of hemicelluloses, resulting in an increase in alpha-cellulose content and improved hemicelluloses removal efficiency and selectivity.
WOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zilong Zhang, Can Wang, Feng Li, Lusheng Liang, Liulian Huang, Lihui Chen, Yonghao Ni, Peng Gao, Hui Wu
Summary: In this study, a bifunctional cellulose derivative (C-Cz) is used as an interfacial material for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). With excellent energy level alignment, thermal stability, and strong interactions with the perovskite surface, C-Cz improves carrier transportation and passivates potential defects. As a result, PSCs modified with C-Cz achieve a significantly enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.02% and improved long-term stability.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
He Zhao, Xinxing Lin, Shengchang Lu, Hui Wu, Xiaxing Zhou, Liulian Huang, Jianguo Li, Jianping Shi, Wenxuan Tong, Hongmei Yuan, Lihui Chen
Summary: To enhance the anti-fouling and anti-mildew properties of Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composites (BPCs), a superhydrophobic modified BPC-TiO2-F was fabricated by introducing titanium dioxide (TiO2) and poly(DOPAm-co-PFOEA) onto the composite surface. The modified composite exhibited excellent self-cleaning properties, resistance to mold growth, and mechanical durability, making it promising for automotive upholstery and building decoration applications.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Haodong Sun, Yuwen Chen, Wenchao Zeng, Fengjie Tang, Yinghao Bi, Qingxin Lu, Ajoy Kanti Mondal, Liulian Huang, Lihui Chen, Jianguo Li
Summary: We designed a robust and eco-friendly cooler by assembling nano cellulose and inorganic nanoparticles using a scalable solution-processable strategy. The cooler features a brick-and-mortar structure, with the nano cellulose forming the interwoven framework and the inorganic nanoparticles uniformly distributed in the skeleton, contributing to high mechanical strength and flexibility. It also exhibits high solar reflectance and mid-infrared emissivity, resulting in a significant temperature drop in outdoor environments.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yuhu Qu, Bo Zhang, Wenchao Gu, Jianguo Li, Xujian Shu
Summary: The application of wireless power transfer (WPT) has been expanding and the use of parity-time (PT) symmetric principles have proven to enhance the WPT system without increasing complexity. However, the PT-symmetric region of the original WPT system is limited. To overcome this, a novel PT-symmetric WPT system with series-parallel-series (S-PS) compensation is proposed. A mathematical model is established and it is found that the proposed system has a smaller critical coupling coefficient and a compromise between transmission distance and transfer efficiency can be achieved. An experimental prototype verifies the feasibility and demonstrates improved transmission distance and output power.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS II-EXPRESS BRIEFS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zongwei Zhang, Ran Hao, Pengyu Pan, Shengyue Niu, Haodong Sun, Jiawei Yang, Hongmei Yuan, Liulian Huang, Huichao Hu, Lihui Chen, Jianguo Li
Summary: The laccase/PHB and Ca2+ treatments were used to modify the chemical and structural properties of straw fibers, which resulted in improved physical properties of the straw CMP.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jian-Guo Li, Jian-Jia Mu, Zhao-Meng Liu, Qing-Song Lai, Lu-Kang Zhao, Xuan-Wen Gao, Dong-Run Yang, Hong Chen, Wen-Bin Luo
Summary: Potassium dual-ion batteries (DIBs) have gained significant attention recently due to their environmental friendliness, high energy density, and long lifespan. In this study, red phosphorous was employed to alleviate dendrite formation, and a three-dimensional porous carbon matrix anchored by P-O-C chemical bonding was fabricated. The modified carbon material not only ensured electronic conductivity and ions diffusion, but also alleviated red phosphorous volumetric expansion. Coupled with graphite, the K-DIBs exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with a high energy density of 213 Wh kg(-1) and promising stability up to 650 cycles. This explored material provides valuable insights for next-generation advanced energy storage systems.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhipeng Zhao, Siyu Zheng, Yingyue Wang, Afei Liu, Hui Wu, Liulian Huang, Lihui Chen, Yonghao Ni, Kai Liu
Summary: High-sensitivity hydrogel-based sensors with self-powered functions are important in wearable electronics. Traditional hydrogels have limitations in conductivity and sensitivity. Inspired by tree vascular bundles, ion-conducting microchannels are assembled using MXene nanosheets, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and NH4HCO3, showing high mechanical properties, excellent conductivity, and sensitivity. The hydrogel sensor has a low detection limit (200 mg) and fast response time (120 ms). It can be used for visual sensing in uncomfortable states of the elderly and detect heartbeat and pulse.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhenggang Gong, Guangxu Yang, Liulian Huang, Lihui Chen, Xiaolin Luo, Li Shuai
Summary: An efficient phenol-assisted depolymerisation (PAD) process was developed to selectively cleave methylene linkages in condensed lignins. Phenol served as a solvent to dissolve lignin and also scavenged methylene linkages to facilitate the depolymerisation. The PAD process achieved higher yields of lignin monomers and bisphenols compared to existing depolymerisation methods, and the residual polyphenols could be used in adhesive synthesis for plywood applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)