Recent advances and new research trends in Sb2S3 thin film based solar cells

Although many environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials have been investigated for photovoltaic conversion (PVC) applications, Sb2S3 is the material of choice as an absorber in thin-film solar cells due to its broad-band optical response and excellent electrical properties. Though an Sb2S3 thin-film was predicted to have a 28% efficiency, the reported efficiency of 7% is significantly lower than the theoretically predicted efficiency and less competitive compared to other similar thin-film solar cells. This review investigates how structural and morphological changes in Sb2S3 thin films contribute to the current state of Sb2S3 solar cell development to understand and improve current device performance. We first discuss the fundamental structure and properties of Sb2S3 and then show how morphology and structural changes in Sb2S3 thin films produced using various fabrication techniques and conditions affect solar cell performance. This research includes several significant recent developments and current research trends that will pave the way for future improvements in the performance of Sb2S3-based photovoltaic solar cells

A comparison study of the efficacy of different activated charcoals derived from Palmyra kernel shell in removing phenolic compounds

Phenol is one of the most prevalent contaminants discovered in water bodies. The adsorption process is gaining popularity as a viable method of removing phenolic chemicals from contaminated aquatic resources. The elimination of phenolic chemicals using Palmyra kernel shell activated charcoal has been extensively investigated. The removal effectiveness of Palmyra kernel shell charcoal was calculated using physically, chemically (H3PO4 and NaOH) and magnetically activated Palmyra kernel shell charcoal for various amounts of phenolic components and varying adsorption durations. According to this research study, physically activated charcoal has a much higher removal efficiency than other activated charcoal. These findings show that physically activated charcoal is easily used to remove phenolic compounds from polluted water resources. Adsorption kinetics were discovered to follow a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin isotherm models were used to interpret the experimental results. Several kinetic formulas were utilized to evaluate the adsorption kinetics of phenolic compounds using various activated charcoals derived from Palmyra kernel shells. The experimental results are consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model. All of the activated and non-activated Palmyra kernel shells absorbed the phenolic chemicals, and the value of 1/n was found to be between 0.692 to 0.869. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is a technique used to characterize the surface morphology of adsorbents before and after adsorption. FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of phenolic compound functional groups on the adsorbents