Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jawer David Acuna-Bedoya, E. Luevano-Hipolito, Erika Iveth Cedillo-Gonzalez, Laura Patricia Dominguez-Jaimes, Alonso Martinez Hurtado, Juan Manuel Hernandez-Lopez
Summary: This study proposes a photocatalytic degradation method using visible light irradiation to mitigate the pollution caused by polystyrene nanoplastics. By using immobilized copper oxide semiconductors, the researchers achieved significant degradation and mineralization of PS-NPs, showing promising results in the removal of these pollutants.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jin Bai, Sijia Yan, Zhuxia Zhang, Zhen Guo, Cong-Ying Zhou
Summary: A metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysis using inexpensive graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been developed for the synthesis of benzothiazoles via intramolecular C-H functionalization/C-S bond formation of thiobenzanilides under visible-light irradiation. This reaction provides high yields of 2-substituted benzothiazoles without the need for a strong base or organic oxidizing reagents, and the catalyst is stable and reusable after five reaction cycles.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mathias Jacobs, Amer Hakki, Leen C. J. Thomassen, Simon Kuhn, Tom Van Gerven, Enis Leblebici
Summary: Photo-assisted methanol reforming was used to produce hydrogen as an alternative to catalytic steam reforming. 1wt.% Au/TiO2 was used as a photocatalyst and immobilized on beads or plates. The optimized system showed significantly higher hydrogen production compared to previous studies using beads as catalyst support, and it was also more energy efficient.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anchal Rana, Anita Sudhaik, Pankaj Raizada, Van-Huy Nguyen, Changlei Xia, Aftab Aslam Parwaz Khan, Sourbh Thakur, Phuong Nguyen-Tri, Chinh Chien Nguyen, Soo Young Kim, Quyet Van Le, Pardeep Singh
Summary: Floating photocatalysis is an effective technique for wastewater treatment with good photocatalytic activity. The use of g-C3N4-based floating photocatalysts has gained attention due to their unique properties and high performance. Researchers are focused on designing and manufacturing floating nanocomposite photocatalytic materials to achieve efficient pollutant degradation and maximize solar light absorption.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Martina Franco, Oscar Marin, Nadia C. Vega, Monica Tirado, Maria L. Tereschuk, David Comedi
Summary: ZnO and ZnO:Cd photocatalysts with nanostructured surfaces were synthesized and tested for the degradation of methylene blue. The suspended powder method showed high efficiency for the removal of methylene blue, while the immobilized powder method allowed easy recovery of the photocatalysts.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ivana Grcic, Natalija Koprivanac, Gianluca Li Puma
Summary: The study validated photocatalytic reactor models for the decomposition of oxalic acid (OA) and formic acid (FA) in different configurations, and used a systematic methodology to determine intrinsic reaction kinetics rate parameters for water contaminants. This methodology can be used to predict the photocatalytic oxidation of contaminants in various experimental conditions.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kang Liu, Tong Wu, Luying Xu, Zhuangzhuang Zhang, Zhiyu Liu, Longfei Wang, Zhong Lin Wang
Summary: The polarization-enhanced photocatalysis can be achieved in centrosymmetric semiconductors by using the strain-gradient-induced flexoelectric polarization, which is often overlooked. This work opens up a new way for high-performance photocatalysis in centrosymmetric semiconductors.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Zhu, Min Liao, Chen Zhao, Mengmeng Liu, Ali Han, Chunna Zhu, Yujia Sun, Meng Zhao, Sheng Ye, Haiqun Cao
Summary: Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to regulate plant growth and control pests, but their extensive use has led to serious pollution that threatens the environment and human health. Photocatalytic degradation of pesticides using semiconductor-based photocatalysts has become a promising method to address this issue. This review classifies pesticides based on their targets and chemical structures, and examines recent developments in semiconductor-based photocatalysts for pesticide degradation. The review also discusses various modification strategies to enhance the photocatalytic performance, such as doping, heterojunction construction, defect engineering, and anchoring single atom catalyst. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of the photodegradation mechanism through monitoring key intermediates, and provides perspectives on the challenges and future directions in developing high-performance semiconductor-based photocatalysts for pesticide degradation.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Zhu, Min Liao, Chen Zhao, Mengmeng Liu, Ali Han, Chunna Zhu, Yujia Sun, Meng Zhao, Sheng Ye, Haiqun Cao
Summary: Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to regulate plant growth and control pests, but their extensive use leads to serious pollution that endangers the ecological environment and human health. Photocatalytic degradation of pesticides using semiconductor-based photocatalysts is a promising method to tackle pesticide pollution. This review classifies pesticides based on their targets and chemical structures, and discusses the recent developments in semiconductor-based photocatalysts, including metal oxides, metal oxyhalides, carbon nitrides, and metal sulfides, for pesticide degradation. Modifications strategies such as doping, heterojunction construction, defect engineering, and anchoring single atom catalysts to enhance the photocatalytic performance are described. In addition, understanding the photodegradation mechanism by monitoring key intermediates is important. The review also elaborates on the key challenges and future directions in developing high-performance semiconductor-based photocatalysts for pesticide degradation.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Mudussar Ali, Bowen Zhang, Muhammad Khurram, Qingfeng Yan
Summary: Flexible inorganic double helical semiconductors, similar to DNA, have sparked interest in efficient materials with innovative structures and excellent properties. The recent discovery of tin phosphide iodide (SnIP), the first carbon-free double helical semiconductor on an atomic level, has opened up new possibilities for research in various semiconducting devices. This review summarizes the recent progress in the development of SnIP, including its unique structure, versatile properties, synthesis methods, and potential applications in photocatalysis.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Alex Abramov, Sebastian Bonardd, Raul Perez-Ruiz, David Diaz Diaz
Summary: The use of transition-metal complexes as photocatalysts in organic transformations has shown outstanding performance, but the difficulty of isolation and reutilization poses significant challenges, impacting recyclability, and potentially leading to negative economic and environmental consequences.
ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Joelma Ribeiro de Melo, Daiane Marques de Oliveira, Adriano Vinicius Scalco, Ana Maria Ferrari, Nadia Regina Camargo Fernandes, Marcelino Luiz Gimenes
Summary: The heterojunction of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide was investigated for the photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole and N-acetyl sulfamethoxazole. The results showed that ZnO/TiO2 exhibited significant photocatalytic activity, visible light absorption, and photo-stability. However, the electrical energy required for the photocatalytic degradation was high.
DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
O. Madkhali, M. Jullien, Alaa E. Giba, J. Ghanbaja, S. Mathieu, C. Gendarme, S. Migot, Y. Alajlani, N. Can, F. Alnjiman, D. Horwat, A. Redjaimia, J. F. Pierson
Summary: Copper iodide is a transparent p-type material with a zinc blende structure, exhibiting p-type carrier behavior. Detailed investigation using HR-TEM revealed alternating twin crystallographic domains between grains. The optical properties show a wide band gap and blue emission.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jaeyoung Seon, Yuhoon Hwang
Summary: Researchers have developed a copper/copper oxide-immobilized filter-type adsorbent for efficient iodide anion removal, exhibiting fast adsorption kinetics and high adsorption capacity, with high selectivity for iodide.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ehsan Bouteh, Michael J. Bentel, Ezra L. Cates
Summary: The catalytic activity of a graphene oxide (GO)-TiO2 composite was found to be attributed to a unique mode of PFCA adsorption occurring at the interface of TiO2 and hydrophobic GO, rather than charge separation. The GO-TiO2 composite showed comparable photocatalytic degradation rates to composites containing nonconductive polymer microparticles, indicating that the enhanced activity may occur at any TiO2-hydrophobic interface. Moreover, the polymer-TiO2 composite exhibited less severe chain length dependence in PFCA degradation, suggesting improved adsorption behavior.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jayaraman Jayabharathi, Annadurai Prabhakaran, Chockalingam Karunakaran, Venugopal Thanikachalam, Munusamy Sundharesan
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chockalingam Karunakaran, Pazhamalai Vinayagamoorthy, Jayaraman Jayabharathi
JOURNAL OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. Karunakaran, A. Vijayabalan, P. Vinayagamoorthy
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
C. Karunakaran, A. Vijayabalan, P. Vinayagamoorthy
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2019)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Chockalingam Karunakaran, Isaac Jeba Singh, Pazhamalai Vinayagamoorthy
Summary: Ammonia-source is believed to influence the physical characteristics of ZnO-based nanomaterials during synthesis, and the catalytic activity is affected by the surface characteristics of semiconductor-photocatalyst. Using ammonium carbonate and tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide as ammonia-source led to differences in pore width, volume, and surface area in the resulting nanoparticles, as well as variations in violet light absorption and catalytic activity. The observed photocatalytic activities are attributed to the differences in surface characteristics between the two samples.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Chockalingam Karunakaran, I. Jeba Singh, Pazhamalai Vinayagamoorthy
Summary: Cubic Ag2O-deposited anatase TiO2 nanospheres with cubic Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4-core have been synthesized in a 2-stage method. The synthesized nanospheres exhibit superparamagnetic properties and are capable of absorbing UV-A light and visible light throughout the entire wavelength range. The presence of a ferrite core enables magnetic recovery of the photocatalytic nanospheres under visible light.
JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Karunakaran, I. JebaSingh, P. Vinayagamoorthy
SN APPLIED SCIENCES
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
C. Karunakaran, R. Venkataramanan
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chockalingam Karunakaran, I. Jeba Singh, Pazhamalai Vinayagamoorthy
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
C. Karunakaran, A. Vijayabalan, P. Vinayagamoorthy
Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. Karunakaran, P. Vinayagamoorthy
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2018)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
C. Karunakaran, P. Magesan, P. Gomathisankar, P. Vinayagamoorthy
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
C. Karunakaran, P. Vinayagamoorthy
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Chockalingam Karunakaran, Pazhamalai Vinayagamoorthy
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jayaraman Jayabharathi, Annadurai Prabhakaran, Chockalingam Karunakaran, Venugopal Thanikachalam, Munusamy Sundharesan
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)