Search

The partial nitritation (PN)–anammox (PN/A) process offers a sustainable alternative to nitrogen management in wastewater treatment, addressing the high costs and increasing the low eco-friendliness associated with traditional nitrification/denitrification processes. Stable partial nitritation (PN) is critical for effective PN/A operation, and this study specifically focused on the need to suppress nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) to facilitate the enrichment of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Utilizing two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), PN1 and PN2 with different free ammonia (FA) concentrations, this study aimed to evaluate the NOB suppression strategy while enriching AOB. The PN2 reactor, which operated with a higher initial FA concentration (50 mg/L), successfully maintained high nitritation activity, with 96.1% ammonium removal efficiency (ARE) and 95.1% nitrite accumulation efficiency (NAE) at reduced influent NH4+-N concentrations (50 mg NH4+-N/L, FA 10 mg/L). In contrast, PN1 showed inadequate NOB suppression due to lower FA concentrations (10 mg/L). These results suggest that initiating the nitritation process with higher FA concentrations can effectively suppress NOB, enhancing the stability and efficiency of PN/A processes in mainstream applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains challenging to fabricate efficient, scalable large-area organic solar cells (OSCs) owing to the unfavorable morphology of photoactive blend films. To address this challenge, two asymmetric nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) IPC1CN-BBO-IC2F and IPC1CN-BBO-IC2Cl are synthesized, where 12,13-bis(2-butyloctyl)-3,9-diundecyl-12,13-dihydro-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4- e]thieno[2'",3'":4',5']thieno[2',3':4,5]pyrrolo[3,2-g]thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno-[3,2- b]indole (BBO) is the molecular core, and two types of end groups are appended to its ends, namely the 9H-indeno[1,2-fe]pyrazine-2,3,8-tricarbonitrile (IPC1CN) end group and one of 2-(5,6-dihalo-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile end groups (IC2F or IC2Cl). These NFAs facilitate effective tuning of light absorption and energy levels, offer high carrier mobilities, and allow for the formation of appropriate morphologies. Note that these benefits apply even to large-area devices, unlike typical Y6-based NFAs. In addition, a random copolymer PM6-PBDBT(55) is synthesized and its energy levels are optimally matched with those of the asymmetric NFAs. The blade-coated 1 cm2-area OSCs based on PM6-PBDBT(55):IPC1CN-BBO-IC2Cl exhibit a PCE of 14.12%, which is higher than that of PM6-PBDBT(55)-IPC1CN-BBO-IC2F-based OSCs. More importantly, the PM6-PBDBT(55):IPC1CN-BBO-IC2Cl-based large-area (58.50 cm2) modules yield an impressive PCE of 11.28% with a small cell-to-module loss in fill factor. These results suggest that a combination of the asymmetric molecular design using the IPC1CN group and the terpolymer strategy will pave a new path for fabricating highly efficient and scalable large-area OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we investigated the effects of CeO2−x nanostructures as free radical scavengers on the long-term photostability of an organic photovoltaic (OPV) structure. From powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption experiments, it was determined that the single-crystalline hollow CeO2−x nanorods were very effective as hydroxyl radical scavengers. This was attributed to their having more Ce3+ states and a wider surface area than other types of CeO2 nanostructures. Time-dependent UV-visible absorption spectra analyses also revealed that the improved scavenging of hydroxyl radicals in the OPV device was related to the better interfacial compatibility between the organic active and ZnO layers, resulting in improved OPV photostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to uncover the ways in which different, yet closely related, discourses on the Indonesia–Korea e-Government partnerships are constructed and evaluated through the lens of donor–recipient cross narratives. The current frameworks for measuring and evaluating the effects of e-Government have given too much attention to the material dimension, thereby falling short of providing a holistic view of the discourse on the partnerships. To provide analysis that best represents the main discursive points articulated by principal actors, we developed a more comprehensive conceptual framework that encompasses both ideational and material dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photomultiplication‐type organic photodetectors (PM‐OPDs) with high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of over 100% are attracting increasing attention due to their potential importance in detecting weak incident light. Considering that the gain of PM‐OPD is determined by the ratio of carrier lifetime over carrier transit time, a systematic study on the effect of the end‐functionalization of a new extended aromatic fused‐ring non‐fullerene acceptor (NFA) on the carrier trap/transit time of the PM‐OPD. Photophysical analyses by means of ultraviolet‐visible absorption, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence combined with structural analyses through grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering show that fluorination of the NFA with the deepest lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level and non‐isotropic molecular ordering can yield the longest carrier lifetime. Furthermore, surface energy study show that fluorination of the NFA can also yield the most hydrophobic nature, which can allow the most efficient injection barrier thinning/lowering of the active layer/cathode interface under illumination due to the localized acceptor distribution toward cathode, maximizing the hole injection efficiency from cathode. As a result, an unprecedentedly high EQE of 156 000% is obtained from the optimized PM‐OPD. This work shows the importance of the molecular design of acceptor molecules in fabricating high‐performance PM‐OPDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]