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Sn-based solders have been used widely in chip attachment and surface mount processes in the electronic packaging industry, where Sn plays an indispensable role as the main component of Sn-based solders. However, the application of pure Sn as a solder is limited. Therefore, we employed in situ transmission electron microscope technology to investigate the thermodynamic dynamic process of nanostructured Sn sheets. The heating process of pure Sn nano sheets has been observed to result in the formation of nanospheres, and the crystal structure of these nanospheres undergoes changes during continuous heat preservation. The presence of nanospheres and their unstable crystal structure contribute to a reduction in the contact surface area and instability at the contact point. These findings suggest that pure Sn may pose challenges as a solder material. The conclusion was further validated through the implementation of an in situ Cs-TEM thermal field experiment to conduct welding on Sn–Cu interface samples. It was observed that Sn nanospheres were generated at the Sn–Cu interface, and the contact angle between the resulting Sn nanospheres and the base material Cu exceeded 90°, thereby providing additional evidence to support the aforementioned conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barite is an important record of marine sulfate evolution throughout geologic history. Variations in oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O) at the microscale are highly important for studying the evolution of marine sulfate. However, the application of this proxy has been hindered due to the lack of reference materials for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) microanalysis. This study introduces two new potential reference materials, NJU-Ba-1 and FJ barite for microbeam oxygen isotope measurements. Detailed examinations of the texture and major elements revealed no internal zoning of ground fragments from the two barite reference materials. The recommended δ18OVSMOW values of NJU-Ba-1 and FJ were determined by gas-source isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GS-IRMS), with results of 7.94 ± 0.30‰ (2SD, N = 11) and 7.52 ± 0.34‰ (2SD, N = 8), respectively. SIMS instrumental stability was monitored by analyses of well characterized zircon references (Penglai and Qinghu), and the robustness of the SIMS barite δ18O measurements was further assessed by comparison with the values recommended by GS-IRMS. The effects of the crystallographic orientation, topography, and X–Y position on SIMS barite δ18O measurement were also examined. Multiple SIMS analyses suggest that both NJU-Ba-1 and FJ barite are homogeneous in oxygen isotope composition at the ∼20 μm level, with two standard deviations (2SD) of 0.36‰ (N = 383) and 0.58‰ (N = 325), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two pervasive challenges encountered in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are difficulties in depositing high-quality and reproducible perovskite thin films and unsatisfactory device stability in ambient air. One constraint is the poor surface wettability of buried hole transport materials (HTMs) such as poly(triarylamine) (PTAA), which induces weak layer contact and impedes interfacial charge extraction. Another is that the impurity-induced surface defects of perovskite layers pose a significant threat to the stability and reproducibility of PSCs. To tackle these issues, we propose a strategy that introduces the amine molecule 4,4′,4′′-tris(3-methyl phenyl phenylamino)triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) into a PTAA/perovskite interface as a target modification to enhance the wettability of PTAA. The PTAA/m-MTDATA bilayer is found to align the energy levels of HTMs. Furthermore, phenyl ammonium bromide (PhABr) is deposited onto the perovskite surface to remove excessive residual PbI2 for the reduction of uncoordinated Pb2+ and iodide vacancies. A target device with m-MTDATA and PhABr achieves an impressive efficiency of 22.56% with negligible hysteresis, which is significantly higher than that of a pristine device (19.69%). Moreover, the device also shows significantly enhanced resistance to moisture, thermal stability and continuous light illumination. The strategy of target anchoring agents is feasible for high-performance inverted PSCs with enhanced stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the rational design and facile synthesis of highly active and low-cost photocatalysts are still facing great challenges. Herein, a series of Zn0.5Cd0.5S/NiS (x mol%) composite photocatalysts have been synthesized via a simple and mild one-pot hydrothermal method. Compared with pure Zn0.5Cd0.5S, the NiS-loaded samples exhibit enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation performance, in which the Zn0.5Cd0.5S/NiS-5% sample has the highest H2 production rate of 10 855 ± 461 μmol h−1 g−1 with a quantum yield of 11.82% at 365 nm, which is almost 6.3 times higher than that of pristine Zn0.5Cd0.5S. The high activity of the Zn0.5Cd0.5S/NiS nanosheets may be attributed to their distinct nanostructure, including a short transfer distance of photoinduced charge carriers, a large number of unsaturated surface atoms, and a large surface area. Moreover, the added NiS nanoparticles served as an effective cocatalyst to promote photoinduced electron transfer and enhance the surface kinetics of H2 evolution. Our work provides a simple and effective route for the preparation of sulphur-based photocatalysts, which can significantly improve the efficiency of hydrogen production from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) prepared through vapor–solid reactions exhibit promising potential for commercial application due to their scalability and lack of organic solvents. Unlike solution-based drying processes, the vapor–solid reaction causes the perovskite thin film to undergo volume expansion rather than shrinkage. Consequently, the residual stress within the vapor-processed perovskite thin film differs significantly from that within the solution-processed film. In this study, we investigate the characteristics of residual stress in films obtained via vapor–solid reactions. Building upon this, we develop a vapor-annealing strategy to alleviate the residual stress. Through post-treatment of the film with organic ammonium salt vapor, we successfully obtained high-quality perovskite thin films devoid of residual stress. As a result, the optimized PSCs achieve an impressive champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.06%. Furthermore, the unencapsulated device maintains 97% of its initial PCE after 3600 h storage under ambient conditions, and the encapsulated device 84% of its initial PCE after a 720 h thermal test at 85 °C. These results underscore the significance of eliminating residual stress in ensuring the long-term stability of high-efficiency PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sets of 1D/2D lanthanide coordination polymers with formulas of Ln(oqa)3·2H2O [Hoqa = 2-(4-oxoquinolin-1(4H)-yl) acetic acid, Ln = Dy (1), Yb (2)] and Ln(oaa)2(HCOO)(H2O) [Hoaa = 2-(9-oxoacridin-10(9H)-yl) acetic acid, Ln = Dy (3), Yb (4)] have been synthesized and their physical properties were investigated. All four complexes are constructed from seven-coordinate lanthanide ions and corresponding organic linkers. The lanthanide ions in 1 and 2 adopt a pentagonal bipyramid coordination geometry, whereas the coordination geometry of lanthanide ions in 3 and 4 can be described as a capped octahedron. Slow magnetic relaxation behaviors were observed in these four products at a zero/non-zero static magnetic field. Complexes 1, 2 and 4 exhibit the characteristic emission of Ln(III) ions, whereas complex 3 shows ligand-based emission. Bright yellow light emission was also observed when a voltage was applied, demonstrating the potential of 1 for application in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compounds 3 and 4 are the first examples of lanthanide complexes based on Hoaa ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising method to boost the effectiveness of bioelectrochemical systems is to combine the light-harvesting properties of semiconductors with the catalytic strength of bacteria. Here, we demonstrate the improved photocurrents generated by the interaction of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and a hematite nanowire-arrayed photoanode in a solar-assisted microbial photoelectrochemical cell (S-MPEC) under visible light. The S-MPEC uses the technology of bioelectrochemical cells and photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for enhancing the degradation of pollutants from wastewater treatment under irradiation. The bare Fe2O3 photoelectrode exhibits a photocurrent of 1.093 A m−2 at 0.8 V under visible light, whereas the Fe2O3-MR-1 biophotoelectrode exhibits a higher photocurrent of 1.605 A m−2. With visible light exposure at an intensity of less than 100 mW cm−2, the power densities of the Fe2O3 photoelectrode system with and without coating the MR-1 bacteria are 1.284 W m−2 and 0.872 W m−2, respectively. Besides, based on the study of the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics, the reduction and oxidation reactions of Fe2O3-MR-1 exhibit more efficient diffusion coefficients with enhanced rate constants. These findings demonstrate a significant impact on degradation performance induced by photoexcited charge carriers in a complicated hybrid electricigen system, which is critical for the development of a S-MPEC for waste degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of MFI twin crystals on b-axis oriented zeolite MFI nanosheet films was suppressed by adding dihydroxy-benzene isomers in the synthesis mixture. The resulting nanosheet films exhibit good intergrowth and a small grain thickness of 30–45 nm within a relatively short synthesis time (hours). The possible twin suppression mechanisms for the three isomers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the enhanced kinetics for the formation of the O–O bond, the high-valent cobalt species have been identified as the highly-efficient active center for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the generation of the high-valent cobalt species is thermodynamically unfavorable under OER conditions. Herein, the π-conjugated molecule (cobalt phthalocyanine, CoPc) was decorated on Co-MOF-74 (denoted as Co-MOF-74@CoPc) to accelerate the formation of the high-valent cobalt species under OER. The obtained Co-MOF-74@CoPc displays a low overpotential of 291 mV and robust long-term stability (210 h) at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. XPS and Raman characterizations show the strong electronic interaction between Co-MOF-74 and CoPc and XAS indicates that the CoPc regulates the local coordination environment of Co-MOF-74. Furthermore, in situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that CoPc can promote the transformation of Co-MOF-74 to α-Co(OH)2 species under the low potential, which then facilitates the generation of disordered CoOOH and Co(IV)O2 species during the water oxidation process, endowing Co-MOF-74@CoPc with outstanding OER performance. This work provides a new avenue for the design of high efficiency electrocatalysts for OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiO with desirable hollow structures is an attractive anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity and large active surface. However, research on hollow NiO composites is often hindered by their complex synthesis and poorly controlled morphology. Herein, we report the fabrication of a novel hierarchical hollow pompon-like NiO carbon composite utilizing an ionic liquid as a structure directing agent and starting material, which provides a low cost and efficient strategy to obtain hollow NiO composites with a tunable particle morphology. The morphology evolution and phase transition of the hollow structure were monitored by in situ TEM, while the atomic structure of the product was studied by probe aberration corrected STEM. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal that the presence of nitrogen doped carbon can optimize the band structure and density of states of NiO for efficient lithium ion adsorption and diffusion. When applied in LIBs, the hollow pompon-like NiO carbon composite exhibits an intriguing specific capacity of 1014 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.5C. This study opens up a new way to fabricate novel hollow pompon-like NiO composites for lithium ion storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although C–H functionalization is one of the simplest reactions, it requires the use of highly active and selective catalysts. Recently, C–H-active transformations using porous materials such as crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) as well as amorphous porous-organic polymers (POPs) as new emerging heterogeneous catalysts have attracted significant attention due to their promising activity and potential material tunability. These porous solids offer exceptional structural uniformity, facile tunability and permanent porosity. In addition, tuning the catalytic selectivity of these porous materials can be achieved through engineering their site microenvironments, such as metal node substitution, linker changes, node/linker functionalization, and pore modification. The present review provides an overview of the current state of the art on MOFs, COFs and POPs as advanced catalysts for various C–H bond activation reactions, providing details about their chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selectivity control, comparing their performance with that of other catalysts, triggering additional research by showing the present limitations and challenges in this area, and providing a perspective for future developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Single molecule magnet features in luminescent lanthanide coordination polymers with heptacoordinate Dy/Yb(III) ions as nodes' by Xiang-Tao Dong et al., Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 12686–12694, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3DT02106H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the global energy demand and climate change challenges, seeking renewable, sustainable energy sources is of great significance. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the promising technologies for converting intermittent solar energy into storable hydrogen energy, to tackle these issues. As the core component in a PEC system, photoelectrodes have been modified by various strategies including nanostructuring, facet-engineering, elemental doping, and heterostructured engineering. Apart from these techniques, numerous effective post-synthetic treatments have also been used to facilely and powerfully boost the physicochemical properties of photoelectrodes, for the enhancement of their PEC performance. Among them, a number of post-treatments can selectively influence photoelectrode surface and subsurface areas, altering surface states that play crucial roles in the hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction. In virtue of such post-treatments, we summarize recently reported post-synthetic treatments for enhanced PEC applications. Post-treatment methods are classified into three sections: chemical treatments, electrochemical and irradiation-based treatments, and post-annealing treatments. In the end, a summary and outlook section regarding the utilization of post-treatments for PEC applications have been provided. This review can provide inspiration for further studies about post-treatments, not only in the PEC water splitting field, but also in other aspects, such as electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−), a highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), is implicated with many physiological and pathological processes including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation. In this regard, developing effective tools for highly selective tracking of ONOO− is urgently needed. Herein, we constructed a concise and specific fluorescent probe NA-ONOO for sensing ONOO− by conjugating an ONOO−-specific recognition group ((4-methoxyphenylthio)carbonyl, a thiocarbonate derivative) with a naphthalene fluorophore. The probe, NA-ONOO, was in a dark state because the high electrophilicity of (4-methoxyphenylthio)carbonyl disturbs the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the fluorophore. Upon treatment with ONOO−, the fluorescent emission was sharply boosted (quantum yield Φ: 3% to 56.6%) owing to an ONOO− triggered release of (4-methoxyphenylthio)carbonyl from NA-ONOO. Optical analyses showed that NA-ONOO presented high selectivity and sensitivity toward ONOO−. With good cell permeability and biocompatibility, the NA-ONOO probe was successfully applied to imaging and tracing exogenous and endogenous ONOO− in living cells and zebrafish. The probe NA-ONOO presents a new recognition group and a promising method for further investigating ONOO− in living systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing novel composite materials with delicate micro or nanoscale structures that enable fast lithium transport is crucial for high performance anode materials for lithium batteries. Herein, we developed a novel template-free synthesis method for a Co-based metal composite (amCoC) with a unique open yolk–shell structure, which uses an ionic liquid (IL) as a new structure-directing agent. Subsequently, the amCoC can be converted into a Co3O4/nitrogen-doped carbon composite (Co3O4/NDC) by thermal treatment. The morphology and phase transformation processes were investigated by in situ transmission electron microscopy (in situ TEM). Atomic scale probe aberration-corrected STEM confirms that the cobalt content in the open yolk–shell Co3O4/NDC is in the form of spinel Co3O4. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the carbon can optimize the band structure and improve the lithium ion diffusion ability. When applied in lithium ion batteries, the open yolk–shell Co3O4/NDC shows excellent electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 1220 mA h g−1 at 0.5C after 100 cycles. This template-free synthesis method for yolk–shell Co3O4/NDC microstructures paves new paths for design of high performance energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohols are versatile structural motifs of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and fine chemicals. With respect to green chemistry, the development of more sustainable and cost-efficient processes for converting ketones/aldehydes to alcohols is highly desired. Herein, a direct light-driven strategy for reducing ketones/aldehydes to alcohols using isopropanol as the reducing agent and solvent, in the presence of t-BuOLi, under an air atmosphere at room temperature is developed. This operationally simple light-promoted Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) type reduction can be used to produce various benzylic alcohol derivatives as well as applied to bioactive molecules and PEEK model compounds, demonstrating its application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic quantum dot (QD)-based hole-transport materials (HTMs) have proved their potential in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, CuInS2 quantum dots (CIS QDs) were applied as HTMs for PSCs with the architecture of TiO2/Cs0.17FA0.83Pb(Br0.2I0.8)3/HTM/Au. By optimizing the preparation process, a high-quality perovskite thin film could be obtained. When the speed was 5000 rpm, the speed acceleration was 3000 rpm per s and heat treated at 150 °C, the perovskite film had low surface roughness (15.26 nm) and obvious grain boundary. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs was greatly improved from 2.83% to 12.33% utilizing CIS QDs at an optimal concentration and with surface ligands as HTMs. Surface ligands can control the size and shape of CIS QDs, and thus affect the performance of PSCs. The carrier dynamic transportation behaviour at the CIS/perovskite interface was studied, which showed that CIS QDs as HTMs in PSCs can strongly quench the fluorescence and increase the photobleaching recovery rate. Therefore, CIS QDs are promising inorganic HTMs for the fabrication of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the deactivation and regeneration of PtSn intermetallic compound nanoparticle (iNP) catalysts was studied by in situ TEM investigation. Our study reveals the reversible dynamic structural transition of the iNPs during deactivation and regeneration, which provides a direct correlation between the atomic structure and the catalytic activity of the iNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of novel catalytic materials towards sustainable energy production and storage is important for tackling energy shortage and environmental issues. Here, we report the preparation of cobalt nanoparticles encapsulated by a nitrogen doped carbon nano-onion (Co-NCNO) and their applications in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Co-NCNO was prepared by one-step carbonization using an imidazolium ionic liquid as the carbon and nitrogen source. An in situ transmission electron microscope (in situ TEM) was used for the real time investigation of the carbon nano-onion formation process during a heating process from 450 °C to 850 °C. When applied to the ORR, Co-NCNO-850 exhibited high activity with a half-wave potential of 767 mV in 0.1 M KOH solution and high structural stability. Density functional theory (DFT) simulation indicates that the cobalt enhances the adsorption of reaction intermediates on the nitrogen doped carbon surface. Furthermore, Co-NCNO-850 also exhibited excellent performance for LIBs with a specific capacity of 774 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.5C after 500 cycles. The ionic liquid assisted synthesis of Co-NCNO opens a new avenue for the efficient fabrication of hybrid nano-catalysts for energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) have received a great deal of attention due to their great potential in the field of superlubricity. However, this superlubricity is susceptible to failure in practical applications due to the introduction of various defects. Here, a novel method based on strain engineering is employed for achieving superlubricity in the DWCNT using molecular dynamics simulations. The DWCNT exhibits a superlow friction force when an inner tube slides against a stretched outer tube even with a low content of defects. However, strain engineering shows its limitation on superlubricity in the case of a large magnitude of strain or a high content of point defects. The mechanism of superlubricity in the DWCNT could be explained by the analysis of the energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semiconductor oxide BiVO4 has been intensively studied as a highly efficient photocatalyst. Here we attempt to adopt trivalent lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped BiVO4 as a novel upconversion luminescence (UCL) material for achieving high-efficiency UCL and temperature sensing under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Er3+/Tm3+, Yb3+/Er3+, and Yb3+/Tm3+ ions were selected to co-dope the BiVO4 phosphors, achieving three primary colors of red, green, and blue (RGB) with high color-purity. At an optimal doping concentration, the upconversion quantum yield of the BiVO4:8%Yb3+,18%Er3+ phosphor reaches as high as 2.9%. Furthermore, we, for the first time, demonstrate the non-contact temperature sensing properties of a BiVO4:Er3+,Tm3+ phosphor via employing fluorescence intensity ratio technology. The results show that the maximum absolute thermal sensitivity is ≈70 × 10–4 K−1 at 473 K under 980 nm excitation, with high and stable sensitivity of more than 60 × 10−4 K−1 over a wide temperature range of 333–493 K. In addition, at a much safer wavelength of 1550 nm, this sample achieves maximum absolute sensitivity of 56 × 10−4 K−1 at 453 K. Moreover, the BiVO4:Er3+,Tm3+ phosphor presents high relative sensitivity of about 1.1% K−1 under both 980 and 1550 nm excitation at 293 K. These results indicate that the BiVO4 semiconductor oxide can be used as a novel host to achieve high UCL efficiency and promising thermal sensing performance, suggesting potential applications in the new fields of anti-counterfeiting, displays, and non-contact temperature sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hybrid lead iodide material (HP1) having 4-vinylphenylene ammonium as the organic cation has been prepared. The structural formula based on chemical analysis of HP1 corresponds to PbI2.5(4-styrylammonium)0.5. The crystallinity of HP1 was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The presence of the styryl ammonium moiety in HP1 allows post-synthetic modification by radical copolymerization with styrene to obtain the HP2 material with higher hydrophobicity. Stability tests reveal that both HP1 and HP2 show hydrogen evolution in the dark, indicating about 0.6% partial decomposition of the hybrid material. This hydrogen evolution increases by a factor of 3 when HP1 and HP2 are exposed to visible light. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows an increase of NH2 groups and a decrease of NH3+ units suggesting that the origin of hydrogen evolution is the deprotonation of ammonium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite/silicon tandem technology has emerged as a promising strategy for low-cost and efficient solar energy utilization. However, the performance reduction of silicon bottom cells under low intensity illumination still prevents the tandem systems from yielding ultimate electric power. In this paper, we employed a V-shaped tandem configuration as well as a low parasitic absorption tungsten doped indium oxide (IWO) transparent electric anode, which exhibits only ∼0.6% parasitic absorption for near infrared wavelengths, to achieve a 100% enhancement of incident light intensity for the silicon sub-cell and boost the open-circuit voltage (VOC) of the silicon sub-cell to a value of 0.719 V. As a result, by using a 21.13% efficiency silicon solar cell, the tandem system achieves a cumulative efficiency of 25.57% (9.43% from the silicon cell). In addition, the V-shaped tandem system can maintain over 73% output power as the incident angle varies within ±25°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From difunctionalization of a single alkene to radical-dual-difunctionalization of two different alkenes! Abundant aliphatic aldehydes were readily decarbonylated into alkyl radicals for the cascade construction of C(sp3)–C(sp3), C(sp3)–C(sp3) and C(sp3)–O bonds via double radical addition and radical–radical coupling, following the intrinsic nucleophilic/electrophilic reactivity of both the radicals and alkenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MFI zeolite film with specialized b-axis-orientation holds great potential for many technological applications in separation and catalysis. The elimination of parasitic twin crystals on oriented films has aroused widespread interest in recent years. Here we demonstrate for the first time that the generation of MFI nuclei can be substantially prohibited by introducing a chelating agent of 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (C6H6O2) into the synthesis system. Specifically, the silicate precursor nanoparticles (PNs) are complexed with C6H6O2 and their behavior of growing bigger or aggregation is therefore strictly confined. During secondary growth, siliceous species are gradually released from the complexed PNs at high temperature and only used to feed the growth of MFI seed crystals, resulting in the achievement of twin-free b-oriented MFI zeolite film. The controlled release approach enables the delicate micro-structure manipulation of many types of films/membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel ionically crosslinked gel polymer electrolyte (PADA gel electrolyte) with a transmittance of more than 97% was successfully fabricated and applied in electrochromic devices (ECDs) as an ion transport layer. The PADA gel-based ECDs (PECDs) exhibited the large optical modulation of 61% at 660 nm, the high coloration efficiency of 78.7 cm2 C−1, and a good memory effect. The shortest colored time (tc) and bleached time (tb) of the PECD were 7.5 s and 8.5 s, respectively, due to high Li+ mobility of the PADA layer. The ionic conductivities of the PADA gel electrolyte are 1.33 × 10−2 S cm−1 and 0.56 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 25 °C and −10 °C respectively, since its conductive behavior is similar to that of liquid electrolytes. The PECDs showed good cycling durability and long-term stability, which is attributed to the stable structures of the PADA gel electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cs/FA(CH(NH2)2+)/MA(CH3NH3+) triple cation composition engineering is considered as an effective strategy to achieve high performance devices due to the excellent bandgap, uniform film and highly thermal stability. However, hysteresis, as a common phenomenon in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), of the triple-cation perovskite based PSCs has become a complex issue to be solved on the road to the commercialization of PSCs. The introduction of Cs into small perovskite grains resulted in more grain boundaries for ions accumulation. Herein, we demonstrate a unique method to suppress J–V hysteresis and enhance the photoelectric performance via Cl doping into a CsFAMA precursor. We found that the grain size, perovskite crystallinity, and charge carrier lifetime significantly improved with the Cl incorporation. By optimizing the molar ratio of MABr and PbCl2, we achieved the optimal Cl-doped concentration in the perovskite film. 19.14% efficiency for a small area cell and 15.11% efficiency for a 5 × 5 cm2 large area mini-module were achieved based on the mesoporous structured devices. These results suggest that Cl-incorporated triple-cation perovskite (labeled CsFAMAClx) is an attractive absorber for producing efficient large area PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of thermal processing was demonstrated to treat zeolite seeded substrates prior to secondary growth. Due to the formation of a strong covalent linkage between the seed layer and the substrate during heat treatment, a compact and uniform b-oriented MFI zeolite film was obtained after secondary growth. The applicability of this method is validated by employing various film substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic–organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have drawn great attention in the past several years. As the stability of PSCs has been a major obstacle for their commercialization, a lot of work has been focused on improving the long-term stability. Here, we reported a meso-structured mixed PSC employing poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) as a hole transport layer (HTL) showing a stable performance even after one year of exposure to air. The impact of different HTL thicknesses on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs has been investigated. The performance of the PSCs was further improved by doping Li-salt/4-tert-butylpyridine into the P3HT HTL. A maximum PCE of 17.55% was achieved, superior to the 14.30% PCE of the pristine P3HT-based devices. The effect of the dopants on the stability of the devices has also been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]