Investigating the efficacy of functionalized graphene oxide with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane as an effective additive in sustainable ionic liquid-based electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells through experimental and DFT studies

The focus of the study has been on the first-ever use of functionalized graphene oxide with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (FGO-POSS) as an effective additive to ionic liquid-based electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrolytes consisted of binary ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (EMII), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (BMII). Different concentrations of the efficient additive FGO-POSS, ranging from 0% to 1%, were incorporated into the electrolytes. Under highly controlled conditions, a series of reactions was conducted to synthesize FGO-POSS. By reacting graphene oxide (GO) with L-phenylalanine, initially, GO-L-phenylalanine was obtained. In the next phase, GO-L-Phenylalanine reacted with SSQ-[3-(2-Aminoethyl) amino] propyl-Heptaisobutyl substituted to modify its structure with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The ILs, namely EMII, and BMII, were synthesized using the scientific methodologies detailed in the referenced articles. Furthermore, BMII was functionalized with CuI (BMICuI-2) through a specific procedure. Five types of electrolytes were prepared to be employed in DSSCs using prepared ILs and FGO-POSS, and their results were reported to show the electrical and gelatin features of these types of electrolytes. According to this study's findings, using FGO-POSS as an innovative and efficient additive in ILs-based environmentally sustainable nanocomposite electrolytes in an amount of 0.75 wt% increased the value of the short circuit current density (JSC) from 9.433 mA.cm−2 to 15.592 mA.cm−2, the open circuit voltage (VOC) from 0.738 V to 0.762 V, and the overall efficiency (η) increased from 4.965 to 8.303 %. The FGO-POSS and ILs, EMII, and BMICuI-2 boost electron transport and electrolyte conductivity, resulting in increased JSC, VOC, and η. Results of the density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicated that the adsorption of the FGO-POSS electrolyte additives on the TiO2 electrode surface produces midgap states in the band gap of TiO2, resulting in the reduction of the total bandgap and less barrier electron transfer and a redshift in the adsorption edge and enhancement of DSSCs' efficiency

Determination of the interaction energy in the martensitic state

8th International Symposium on Plasticity, WHISTLER, CANADA, JUL 17-21, 2000International audienc

Influence of microstructural parameters on shape memory alloys behavior

IUTAM Symposium on Mechanics of Martensitic Phase Transformation in Solids, HONG KONG UNIV, SCI & TECHNOL, HONG KONG, PEOPLES R CHINA, JUN 11-15, 2001International audienc

Superelastic behavior modeling in shape memory alloys

The superelastic behavior of shape memory alloys is useful for several industrial applications. To dimension the SMA structures, the development of specified phenomenological constitutive models are necessary. In this case the identification of a transformation criterion is required. Unfortunately, accurate determination of the loading surface which characterizes the behavior during the martensitic transformation is experimentally difficult. A numerical simulation of this surface is proposed from a micromechanical model based on the self-consistent scale transition method. The effect of the various crystallographic textures on the shape of these surfaces is studied in CuZnAl alloys. The obtained results permit to choose the best texture according to the loading type. The validity of the normality law has been verified during the transformation procedure for studied textures

Evaluating Poly(Acrylamide‐ co

The aim of this study is to investigate polyacrylamide-based hydrogels stress relaxation and the subsequent impact on the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Different hydrogels are synthesized by varying the amount of cross-linker and the ratio between the monomers (acrylamide and acrylic acid), and characterized by compression tests. It has been found that hydrogels containing 18% of acrylic acid exhibit an average relaxation of 70%, while pure polyacrylamide gels show an average relaxation of 15%. Subsequently, hMSCs are cultured on two different hydrogels functionalized with a mimetic peptide of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 to enable cell adhesion and favor their osteogenic differentiation. Phalloidin staining shows that for a constant stiffness of 55 kPa, a hydrogel with a low relaxation (15%) leads to star-shaped cells, which is typical of osteocytes, while a hydrogel with a high relaxation (70%) presents cells with a polygonal shape characteristic of osteoblasts. Immunofluorescence labeling of E11, strongly expressed in early osteocytes, also shows a dramatically higher expression for cells cultured on the hydrogel with low relaxation (15%). These results clearly demonstrate that, by fine-tuning hydrogels stress relaxation, hMSCs differentiation can be directed toward osteoblasts, and even osteocytes, which is particularly rare in vitro

Investigating the efficacy of functionalized graphene oxide with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane as an effective additive in sustainable ionic liquid-based electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells through experimental and DFT studies

The focus of the study has been on the first-ever use of functionalized graphene oxide with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (FGO-POSS) as an effective additive to ionic liquid-based electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrolytes consisted of binary ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (EMII), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (BMII). Different concentrations of the efficient additive FGO-POSS, ranging from 0% to 1%, were incorporated into the electrolytes. Under highly controlled conditions, a series of reactions was conducted to synthesize FGO-POSS. By reacting graphene oxide (GO) with L-phenylalanine, initially, GO-L-phenylalanine was obtained. In the next phase, GO-L-Phenylalanine reacted with SSQ-[3-(2-Aminoethyl) amino] propyl-Heptaisobutyl substituted to modify its structure with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The ILs, namely EMII, and BMII, were synthesized using the scientific methodologies detailed in the referenced articles. Furthermore, BMII was functionalized with CuI (BMICuI⁻₂) through a specific procedure. Five types of electrolytes were prepared to be employed in DSSCs using prepared ILs and FGO-POSS, and their results were reported to show the electrical and gelatin features of these types of electrolytes. According to this study's findings, using FGO-POSS as an innovative and efficient additive in ILs-based environmentally sustainable nanocomposite electrolytes in an amount of 0.75 wt% increased the value of the short circuit current density (JSC) from 9.433 mA.cm⁻² to 15.592 mA.cm⁻², the open circuit voltage (VOC) from 0.738 V to 0.762 V, and the overall efficiency (η) increased from 4.965 to 8.303 %. The FGO-POSS and ILs, EMII, and BMICuI⁻₂ boost electron transport and electrolyte conductivity, resulting in increased JSC, VOC, and η. Results of the density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicated that the adsorption of the FGO-POSS electrolyte additives on the TiO₂ electrode surface produces midgap states in the band gap of TiO₂, resulting in the reduction of the total bandgap and less barrier electron transfer and a redshift in the adsorption edge and enhancement of DSSCs' efficiency

Decreased carO gene expression and OXA-type carbapenemases among extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from burn patients in Tehran, Iran

A major challenge in the treatment of infections has been the rise of extensively drug resistance (XDR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) in Acinetobacter baumannii. The goals of this study were to determine the pattern of antimicrobial susceptibility, blaOXA and carO genes among burn-isolated A. baumannii strains. In this study, 100 A. baumannii strains were isolated from burn patients and their susceptibilities to different antibiotics were determined using disc diffusion testing and broth microdilution. Presence of carO gene and OXA-type carbapenemase genes was tested by PCR and sequencing. SDS-PAGE was done to survey CarO porin and the expression level of carO gene was evaluated by Real-Time PCR. A high rate of resistance to meropenem (98), imipenem (98) and doripenem (98) was detected. All tested A. baumannii strains were susceptible to colistin. The results indicated that 84.9 were XDR and 97.9 of strains were MDR. In addition, all strains bore blaOXA-51 like and blaOXA-23 like and carO genes. Nonetheless, blaOXA-58 like and blaOXA-24 like genes were harbored by 0 percent and 76 percent of strains, respectively. The relative expression levels of the carO gene ranged from 0.06 to 35.01 fold lower than that of carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii ATCC19606 and SDS - PAGE analysis of the outer membrane protein showed that all 100 isolates produced CarO. The results of current study revealed prevalence of blaOXA genes and changes in carO gene expression in carbapenem resistant A.baumannii. © 2021 Akademiai Kiado, Budapes

Carious lesion detection and management strategies among French dental students

International audienc