Origin of passivation in hole-selective transition metal oxides for crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have recently demonstrated to be a good alternative to boron/phosphorous doped layers in crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. In this work, the interface between n-type c-Si (n-Si) and three thermally evaporated TMOs (MoO3, WO3, and V2O5) was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, secondary ion-mass, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For the oxides studied, surface passivation of n-Si was attributed to an ultra-thin (1.9–2.8 nm) SiOx~1.5 interlayer formed by chemical reaction, leaving oxygen-deficient species (MoO, WO2, and VO2) as by-products. Carrier selectivity was also inferred from the inversion layer induced on the n-Si surface, a result of Fermi level alignment between two materials with dissimilar electrochemical potentials (work function difference ¿¿ = 1 eV). Therefore, the hole-selective and passivating functionality of these TMOs, in addition to their ambient temperature processing, could prove an effective means to lower the cost and simplify solar cell processing.Postprint (author's final draft

Superior performance of V2O5 as hole selective contact over other transition metal oxides in silicon heterojunction solar cells

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have recently been proved to efficiently serve as hole-selective contacts in crystalline silicon (c-Si) heterojunction solar cells. In the present work, two TMO/c-Si heterojunctions are explored using MoO3 (reference) and V2O5 as an alternative candidate. It has been found that V2O5 devices present larger (16% improvement) power conversion efficiency mainly due to their higher open-circuit voltage. While V2O5/c-Si devices with textured front surfaces exhibit larger short-circuit currents, it is also observed that flat solar cell architectures allow for passivation of the V2O5/n-Si interface, giving significant carrier lifetimes of 200 µs (equivalent to a surface recombination velocity of Seff ~140 cm s-1) as derived from impedance analysis. As a consequence, a significant open-circuit voltage of 662 mV is achieved. It is found that, at the TMO/c-Si contact, a TMO work function enhancement ¿FTMO occurs during the heterojunction formation with the consequent dipole layer enlargement ¿’=¿+¿FTMO. Our results provide new insights into the TMO/c-Si contact energetics, carrier transport across the interface and surface recombination allowing for further understanding of the nature of TMO/c-Si heterojunctions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Solvent-Free Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Diacylgycerols as Low-Calorie Food Ingredients

Problems derived from obesity and overweight have recently promoted the development of fat substitutes and other low-calorie foods. On the one hand, fats with short- and medium-chain fatty acids are a source of quick energy, easily hydrolyzable and hardly stored as fat. Furthermore, 1,3-diacylglycerols are not hydrolyzed to 2-monoacylglycerols in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the formation of chylomicron and lowers the serum level of triacylglycerols by decreasing its resynthesis in the enterocyte. In this work, these two effects were combined to synthesize short- and medium-chain 1,3-diacylglycerols, leading to a product with great potential as for their low-calorie properties. Lipase-catalyzed transesterification reactions were performed between short- and medium-chain fatty acid ethyl esters and glycerol. Different variables were investigated, such as the type of biocatalyst, the molar ratio FAEE:glycerol, the adsorption of glycerol on silica gel, or the addition of lecithin. Best reaction conditions were evaluated considering the percentage of 1,3-DAG produced and the reaction rate. Except Novozym 435 (Candida antarctica), other lipases required the adsorption of glycerol on silica gel to form acylglycerols. Lipases that gave the best results with adsorption were Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RM IM (Rhizomucor miehei) with 52 and 60.7% DAG at 32 h, respectively. Because of its specificity for sn-1 and sn-3 positions, lipases leading to a higher proportion of 1,3-DAG vs. 1,2-DAG were Lipozyme RM IM (39.8 and 20.9%, respectively) and Lipase PLG (Alcaligenes sp.) (35.9 and 19.3%, respectively). By adding 1% (w/w) of lecithin to the reaction with Novozym 435 and raw glycerol, the reaction rate was considerably increased from 41.7 to 52.8% DAG at 24 hThis work was supported by the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid: ALIBIRD, project number S2013/ABI-272

Arcillas cerámicas de Andalucía. VI. Yacimientos terciarios y cuaternarios de la provincia de Huelva. comarcas de Huelva y El Condado

Se estudian veintiséis muestras de arcilla de interés cerámico, procedentes de diversos yacimientos en explotación situados en el Sur de la provincia de Huelva, en las comarcas de El Condado y zona costera. Los materiales proceden de sedimentos terciarios (la mayor parte) y cuaternarios, constituidos por margas de textura arcillo-arenosa o arcillo-limosa y se emplean en la fabricación de ladrillos y tejas en fábricas modernas de gran producción. Los materiales más plásticos se utilizan en alfarería y talleres de cerámica artística en Huelva y Trigueros. Las técnicas empleadas han sido las Siguientes: Análisis químico, capacidad de cambio, análisis térmico ponderal y diferencial, diagramas de difracción de rayos X, examen al microscopio electrónico, análisis mecánico, agua de moldeo, plasticidad (Riecke) , poroSidad, secado a 50ºC. (Diagramas de Bourry) , contracción por calcinación, peso específico y resistencia a la compresión en probetas calcinadas. Se desprende que estas arcillas son de naturaleza fundamentalmente montmorillonítica, con una elevada participación de minerales caoliníticos y micáceos (ilita y micas potásicas). Como minerales secundarios y accesorios contienen cuarzo, geles y feldespatos. Todas las muestras contienen cantidades medias hasta altas de calcita en grano fino, que en ciertos casos es de mayor tamaño y puede llegar a ser perjudicial sin un tratamiento conveniente. Las pruebas tecnológicas indican que se trata de materiales naturales de buenas propiedades cerámicas, de utilidad para la industria de materiales de construcción, y en otros casos para alfarería y cerámica artística. La gran potencia de los yacimientos, su fácil explotación y laboreo, su situación en terreno llano y de buenas comunicaciones y la constancia en la composición química y textura de la materia bruta, hace que los consideremos de interés industrial.Twenty Six samples of clay, interesting from the ceramic viewpoint, from several beds located in the South of the province of Huelva, in the country of El Condado and the coast have been studied. The great majority of materials belong to the Tertiary and Quaternary sediments and are formed by marls of sandy or silty clayed texture. They are used by large modern factories producing bricks and tiles. The more plastic materials are used by pottery and artistic ceramic industries in Huelva and Trigueros. The following techniques have been used: Chemical analysis, base exchange capacity, ponderal thermal analysis, D. T. A., X-ray difraction, electronic microscope, mechanical analysis, moulding water, plasticity (Riecke), porosity, drying shrinkage at 50°C. (Bourry's diagrams) firing shrinkage, specific gravity and crushing strength of fired bodies. It is concluded that these clays are fundamentally of montmorillonitic nature, with, a high proportion of kaolinitic and micaceous minerals (illite and potasic micas). They contain as secondary minerals, quartz gels and feldspars. All the samples contain medium to high quantities of fine grain ed calcite, which, in some casos, may be of larger size, being pernicious without previous treatment. The technological tests suggest that these materials are of good ceramic properties, useful in the building industry and in other cases, for pottery and artistic ceramics. The great depth of these beds, their easy explotation and working, their situation on flat and well communicated land and the constancy of chemical and textural composition of the raw materials make them of industrial interest

Arcillas cerámicas de Andalucía V. Yacimientos de terrenos ígneos y sedimentos primarios de la provincia de Huelva. Comarcas de Sierra Morena y Andévalo

Twenty two samples of clays, interesting from the ceramic viewpoint, from several beds located on the northern and central regions of the province of Huelva, in the country of Sierra Morena and El Andévalo, respectively, have he en studied. The materials belong to outcrops of igneous nature and slate sediments from the Silurian and Carboniferous, and are of highly sandy texture in general. They are used to make bricks and tiles. The materials of higher clay content are used in pottery and artistic ceramic industries, specially those from Aracena and Cortegana. The following techniques have been used: chemical arialysis, base exchange capacity, ponderal thermal analysis D.T.A., X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, mechanical analysis, moulding water, plasticity (Riecke), porosity, drying shrinkage at 50ºC. (Bourry's diagrams), firing shrinkage, specific gravity and crushing strength in fired bodies. It is concluded that the main components of the materials belonging to the igneous outcrops (granites, porphides, etc.), are fundamentally of kaolinitic nature, with a high proportion of micaceous minerals, free quartz as an accesory mineral and a variable amount of hydrated iron and aluminum oxides. Minerals of 14 A spacings are scarce. Samples from altered slate of Andévalo show distinctly a higher illite content followed by kaolinite and iron and aluminum gels. The presence of montmorillonitic minerals is more obvious. The technological tests suggest) that these raw materials have good ceramic properties, with a high iron content, appropriate for the uses mentioned above. The small extension of these beds prevent the use of these materials by the large ceramic industries.Se estudian veintidós muestras de arcilla de interés cerámico procedentes de diversos yacimientos situados en las regiones norte y centro de la provincia de Huelva, en las comarcas de Sierra Morena y El Andévalo, respectivamente. Los materiales proceden de afloramientos de naturaleza ígnea y sedimentos de pizarras del Silúrico y Carbonífero, de textura fuertemente arenosa en general, y se emplean en la fabricación de ladrillos y tejas. Los materiales más arcillosos se utilizan en alfarerías y talleres de cerámica artística, destacando los de Aracena y Cortegana. Las técnicas empleadas han sido las siguientes: Análisis químico, capacidad de cambio, análisis térmico ponderal y diferencial, diagramas de difracción de rayos X, examen al microscopio electrónico, análisis mecánico, agua de moldeo, plasticidad (Riecke), porosidad, secado a 50ºC (diagramas de Bourry), contracción por calcinación, peso específico y resistencia a la compresión en probetas calcinadas. Se deduce que los materiales procedentes de yacimientos sobre afloramientos ígneos (granito, pórfidos, etc.) son de naturaleza fundamentalmente caolinita, con una alta proporción de minerales micáceos, cuarzo libre como mineral accesorio y un contenido variable en óxidos de hierro y aluminio hidratados. Minerales con espaciados de 14 A apenas son apreciables. Las muestras procedentes de pizarras alteradas de El Andévalo destacan por su mayor contenido en Hita, seguida de caolinita y geles de hierro y aluminio. Se intensifica la presencia de minerales montmorilloníticos. Las pruebas tecnológicas indican que se trata de materiales naturales de buenas propiedades cerámicas, con alto contenido en hierro, aptos para los usos que hemos citado

On the convergence of multi-level Hermite-Padé approximants for a class of meromorphic functions

The present paper deals with the convergence properties of multi-level Hermite-Padé approximants for a class of meromorphic functions given by rational perturbations with real coefficients of a Nikishin system of functions, and study the zero location of the corresponding multiple orthogonal polynomials

Solvent-free lipase-catalyzed synthesis of diacylgycerols as low-calorie food ingredients

Problems derived from obesity and overweight have recently promoted the development of fat substitutes and other low-calorie foods. On the one hand, fats with short- and medium-chain fatty acids are a source of quick energy, easily hydrolyzable and hardly stored as fat. Furthermore, 1,3-diacylglycerols are not hydrolyzed to 2-monoacylglycerols in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the formation of chylomicron and lowers the serum level of triacylglycerols by decreasing its resynthesis in the enterocyte. In this work, these two effects were combined to synthesize short- and medium-chain 1,3-diacylglycerols, leading to a product with great potential as for their low-calorie properties. Lipase-catalyzed transesterification reactions were performed between short- and medium-chain fatty acid ethyl esters and glycerol. Different variables were investigated, such as the type of biocatalyst, the molar ratio FAEE:glycerol, the adsorption of glycerol on silica gel, or the addition of lecithin. Best reaction conditions were evaluated considering the percentage of 1,3-DAG produced and the reaction rate. Except Novozym 435 (Candida antarctica), other lipases required the adsorption of glycerol on silica gel to form acylglycerols. Lipases that gave the best results with adsorption were Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RM IM (Rhizomucor miehei) with 52 and 60.7% DAG at 32h, respectively. Because of its specificity for sn-1 and sn-3 positions, lipases leading to a higher proportion of 1,3-DAG vs. 1,2-DAG were Lipozyme RM IM (39.8 and 20.9%, respectively) and Lipase PLG (Alcaligenes sp.) (35.9 and 19.3%, respectively). By adding 1% (w/w) of lecithin to the reaction with Novozym 435 and raw glycerol, the reaction rate was considerably increased from 41.7 to 52.8% DAG at 24h.This work was supported by the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid: ALIBIRD, project number S2013/ABI-2728.Peer Reviewe

Intermittent chaos for ergodic light trapping in a photonic fiber plate

Extracting the light trapped in a waveguide, or the opposite effect of trapping light in a thin region and guiding it perpendicular to its incident propagation direction, is essential for optimal energetic performance in illumination, display or light harvesting devices. Here we demonstrate that the paradoxical goal of letting as much light in or out while maintaining the wave effectively trapped can be achieved with a periodic array of interpenetrated fibers forming a photonic fiber plate. Photons entering perpendicular to that plate may be trapped in an intermittent chaotic trajectory, leading to an optically ergodic system. We fabricated such a photonic fiber plate and showed that for a solar cell incorporated on one of the plate surfaces, light absorption is greatly enhanced. Confirming this, we found the unexpected result that a more chaotic photon trajectory reduces the production of photon scattering entropy.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version