Search results for " layer"
showing 10 items of 1022 documents
Enhanced operational stability through interfacial modification by active encapsulation of perovskite solar cells
2020
Encapsulates are, in general, the passive components of any photovoltaic device that provides the required shielding from the externally stimulated degradation. Here we provide comprehensive physical insight depicting a rather non-trivial active nature, in contrast to the supposedly passive, atomic layer deposition (ALD) grown Al2O3 encapsulate layer on the hybrid perovskite [(FA0.83MA0.17)0.95Cs0.05PbI2.5Br0.5] photovoltaic device having the configuration: glass/FTO/SnO2/perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD/Au/(±) Al2O3. By combining various electrical characterization techniques, our experimental observations indicate that the ALD chemistry produces considerable enhancement of the electronic conductiv…
Efficient Optical Amplification in a Sandwich-Type Active-Passive Polymer Waveguide Containing Perylenediimides
2017
Polymer waveguides doped with luminescent materials serve as a suitable flexible platform for active elements (lasers and amplifiers) in on-chip optical circuits. However, at present, the best parameters (lowest thresholds) achieved with these devices are obtained with the use of the stripe excitation technique in the framework of which external illumination of an active material along the whole length of the waveguide is realized that is not convenient for the waveguide on-chip integration and requires high peak energies due to the large excitation area. In the present work, an elegant method is proposed to overcome this obstacle and provide efficient active material pumping along the whol…
Influence of ZnO/graphene nanolaminate periodicity on their structural and mechanical properties
2018
International audience; Structural, electronic and mechanical properties of ZnO/Graphene (ZnO/G) nanolaminates fabricated by low temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were investigated. We performed scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nanoindentation to characterize the ZnO/G nanolaminates. The main structural and mechanical parameters of ZnO/G nanolaminates were calculated. The obtained results were analyzed and interpreted taking into account mechanical interaction and charge effects occurring at the …
Self-Assembly of 1D/2D Hybrid Nanostructures Consisting of a Cd(II) Coordination Polymer and NiAl-Layered Double Hydroxides
2015
The preparation and characterization of a novel hybrid material based on the combination of a 2D-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets and a 1D-coordination polymer (1D-CP) has been achieved through a simple mixture of suspensions of both building blocks via an exfoliation/restacking approach. The hybrid material has been thoroughly characterized demonstrating that the 1D-CP moieties are intercalated as well as adsorbed on the surface of the LDH, giving rise to a layered assembly with the coexistence of the functionalities of their initial constituents. This hybrid represents the first example of the assembly of 1D/2D nanomaterials combining LDH with CP and opens the door for a plethora…
Forces between colloidal particles in aqueous solutions containing monovalent and multivalent ions
2017
The present article provides an overview of the recent progress in the direct force measurements between individual pairs of colloidal particles in aqueous salt solutions. Results obtained by two different techniques are being highlighted, namely with the atomic force microscope (AFM) and optical tweezers. One finds that the classical theory of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) represents an accurate description of the force profiles even in the presence of multivalent ions, typically down to distances of few nanometers. However, the corresponding Hamaker constants and diffuse layer potentials must be extracted from the force profiles. At low salt concentrations, double layer f…
Size effects in micro- and nanoscale indentation
2006
Abstract The indentation size effect (ISE) has been studied in single crystals, polycrystals and amorphous solids using the Vickers microhardness test. The ISE is clearly present in single crystals but is absent in fine-grained polycrystals. A size-dependent hardness for amorphous solids is observed only in the sub-micrometre surface layer. The behaviour of the ISE in single crystals for micro- and nanoindentation is compared. Estimates of the surface hardness are made by the extrapolation of the experimental hardness–indentation depth curves. The extrapolated hardness in the surface region reaches values corresponding to the theoretical shear strength. The results confirm the multifarious …
Degradation and Recycling of Films Based on Biodegradable Polymers: A Short Review
2019
The environmental performance of biodegradable materials has attracted attention from the academic and the industrial research over the recent years. Currently, degradation behavior and possible recyclability features, as well as actual recycling paths of such systems, are crucial to give them both durability and eco-sustainability. This paper presents a review of the degradation behaviour of biodegradable polymers and related composites, with particular concern for multi-layer films. The processing of biodegradable polymeric films and the manufacturing and properties of multilayer films based on biodegradable polymers will be discussed. The results and data collected show that: poly-lactic…
Surface reconstruction of the lamellar morphology in a symmetric poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-methyl methacrylate) triblock copolymer: A tappin…
1996
The surface morphology of a symmetric poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-methyl methacrylate) triblock copolymer (PS-b-PB-b-PMMA) with 6 wt % PB has been investigated by tapping mode scanning force microscopy (SFM). The results are compared to the bulk morphology as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In solvent-cast films PS/PMMA lamellae are formed, which are oriented nearly perpendicular to the free surface. Like in the bulk, also at the free film surface polybutadiene spheres are located at the lamellar PS/PMMA interface. However, contrary to the bulk, the surface morphology includes a large number of defects such as curved lamellar and disclinations, and the lamellar …
An asymmetric electrospun membrane for the controlled release of ciprofloxacin and FGF-2: Evaluation of antimicrobial and chemoattractant properties.
2021
Here, an asymmetric double-layer membrane has been designed and fabricated by electrospinning as a tool for a potential wound healing application. A hydrophobic layer has been produced by using a polyurethane-polycaprolactone (PU-PCL) copolymer and loaded with the antibacterial ciprofloxacin whereas an ion responsive hydrophilic layer has been produced by using an octyl derivative of gellan gum (GG-C8) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and loaded with the growth factor FGF-2. This study investigated how the properties of this asymmetric membrane loaded with actives, were influenced by the ionotropic crosslinking of the hydrophilic layer. In particular, the treatment in DPBS and the crosslinking i…
Polymer solar cell based on ternary active layer consists of medium bandgap polymer and two non-fullerene acceptors
2020
Abstract An efficient PSCs consisting of a ternary active layer containing a medium bandgap conjugated polymer P and two well-known non-fullerene acceptors i.e. ITIC-m and Y6 was fabricated. An overall Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) of about 15.13% was achieved, with the optimized ternary active layer consisting of 20 wt% of ITIC-m in acceptors i.e. P:ITIC-m:Y6 (1:0.3:1.2). This value is higher than that for the binary counter parts i.e. 12.10% and 13.16% for P:ITIC-m (1:1.5 w:w) and P:Y6 (1:1.5 w:w). The higher short circuit current density of the ternary active layer PSCs is related to the broader absorption spectra as compared to the binary active layer analogs. The open circuit volta…