Hybrid Multipixel Array X-Ray Detectors for Real-Time Direct Detection of Hard X-Rays

X-ray detectors currently employed in dosimetry suffer from a number of drawbacks including the inability to conform to curved surfaces and being limited to smaller dimensions due to available crystal sizes. In this study, a hybrid X-ray detector (HXD) has been developed which offers real-time response with added advantages of being highly sensitive over a broad energy range, mechanically flexible, relatively inexpensive, and able to be fabricated over large areas on the desired surface. The detector comprises an organic matrix embedded with high-atomic-number inorganic nanoparticles which increase the radiation attenuation and within the device allows for simultaneous transfer of electrons and holes. The HXD delivers a peak response of 14 nA cm −2 , which corresponds to a sensitivity of 30.8 μC Gy −1 cm −2 , under the exposure of 6-MV hard X-rays generated by a medical linear accelerator. The angular dependence of the HXD has been studied, which offers a maximum variation of 26% in the posterior versus lateral beam directions. The flexible HXD can be conformed to the human body shape and is expected to eliminate variations due to source-to-skin distance with reduced physical evaluation complexities

Tin(iv) dopant removal through anti-solvent engineering enabling tin based perovskite solar cells with high charge carrier mobilities

We report the need for careful selection of anti-solvents for Sn-based perovskite solar cells fabricated through the commonly used anti-solvent method, compared to their Pb-based counterparts.</p

Nano-engineering of hybrid organic heterojunctions with carbon nanotubes to improve photovoltaic performance

Organic-inorganic hybrid photovoltaics are beginning to show significant promise as a low cost highly efficient route towards renewable energy generation. Of the hybrid architectures available, carbon nanotube incorporated organic photovoltaics is considered to be among the most promising. Herein, the optical and electronic effects of localizing multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the donor polymer is investigated in comparison to its incorporation into the bulk heterojunction architecture (triple heterojunction scheme) through photoluminescence quenching and dark diode characteristics analysis. A significant improvement in photoluminescence quenching is observed when the nanotubes are localized in the donor polymer where the active layer is formed through a sequential deposition route in comparison to the triple heterojunction scheme. However, the former architecture also leads to a higher recombination of carriers due to the introduction of trap states as observed through space charge limited conduction analysis. In comparison, the triple heterojunction scheme shows a lower dark current and hence a significantly improved photovoltaic device performance (3.8% in comparison to 2.6% for the sequentially deposited architecture). This indicates that the formation of the triple heterojunction is the more ideal scheme for improving device performances in organic-inorganic hybrid architectures

Laser-assisted hydrothermal growth of size-controlled ZnO nanorods for sensing applications

Pulsed laser irradiation is used to seed the low-temperature hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods. UV laser irradiation produces ZnO nanoparticles in solution that act as nucleation seeds for the subsequent hydrothermal growth of the nanorods. By systematically varying the seed density and/or the concentration of the reactants, the diameter of the nanorods can be controlled over a wide range with a narrow size distribution. The nanorods are linked into multi-pod structures, due to nucleation at a central seed, but ultrasonic processing of the solutions is shown to yield isolated nanorods. Three-dimensional networks of these multi-pod structures are fabricated by drop-casting the solutions onto inter-digitated electrodes. These devices are used to detect ethanol, water vapour and UV light exposure

The origin of the metal enrichment of carbon nanostructures produced by laser ablation of a carbon-nickel target

Compositional analysis of metal-containing carbon thin films and nanostructures produced by pulsed laser ablation of a carbon-nickel target revealed significantly higher fractions of nickel in the materials than in the target used to produce them. Ablation of mixed targets is used routinely in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and to enhance the conductivity of amorphous carbon films by metal incorporation. In this extensive study we investigate the physical mechanisms underlying this metal-enrichment and relate changes in the dynamics of the ablation plumes with increasing background gas pressure to the composition of deposited materials. The failure to preserve the target atom ratios cannot, in this case, be attributed to conventional mechanisms for non-stoichiometric transfer. Instead, nickel-enrichment of the target surface by back-deposition, combined with significantly different propagation dynamics for C atoms, Ni atoms and alloy clusters through the background gas, appears to be the main cause of the high nickel fractions. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Control of nanocrystal surface defects for efficient charge extraction in polymer-ZnO photovoltaic systems

Factors determining the photovoltaic device performance of blends of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rr-P3HT) and ZnO nanostructures are reported. A decrease in the crystallinity of rr-P3HT upon the formation of ZnO (through hydrolysis) is observed through optical absorption spectroscopy. Increasing the humidity level for the ZnO formation leads to a decrease in the photoluminescence of the rr-P3HT:ZnO blend together with improved photovoltaic device performance. This is attributed to more efficient charge extraction due to a decrease in the radiative trap sites on the ZnO surface as a result of decreasing ZnO surface area with increasing humidity level. © 2012 American Institute of Physics