Synthesis of hexagonal structured wurtzite and chalcopyrite CuInS2 via a simple solution route

Wurtzite semiconductor CuInS2 [CIS] has been reported in recent years. As a kind of metastable structure, it is a great challenge to synthesize pure wurtzite CIS at low temperature. In this paper, via a simple and quick solution route, we synthesize both wurtzite- and chalcopyrite-structure CIS. Well-controlled wurtzite CIS hexagonal plates are obtained when an appropriate agent is added. The influence of the used agent triethanolamine [TEA] has also been studied, and it turns out that without TEA, chalcopyrite CIS with a kind of rare morphology is formed through this method

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Simple Synthesis of Flower-Like ln2S3 Structures and Their Use as Templates to Prepare CuS Particles

Flower-like structure In2S3 particles are prepared by a simple and rapid method. The reaction proceeds in a polyalcohol system without using any complex precursors. The phase and morphology of the In2S3 are investigated. Furthermore, flower-like structure CuS particles are synthesized via the reaction of Cu2+ ions with the obtained In2S3 as templates. Both the In2S3 and CuS particles can be used in preparing compound solar cell material CuInS2

CdSe Quantum Dots Sensitized Mesoporous TiO2 Solar Cells with CuSCN as Solid-State Electrolyte

Mesoporous TiO2 is functionalized by 3-mercaptopropyl trimethyoxysilane (MPTMS) to anchor CdSe quantum dots (QDs). The resulting TiO2/CdSe is combined with solid-state electrolyte (CuSCN) to form solar cells. It is found that the efficiency of electron injection from QDs to TiO2 can be improved owing to the substitution of the long chains of organic capping agents at the surface of QDs with MPTMS. The hydrolyzate of MPTMS forms an insulating barrier layer to reduce the recombination at the TiO2/CdSe interface, leading to the increase of open-circuit voltage (Voc)