Modelling of novel-structured copper barium tin sulphide thin film solar cells

[EN] In this work, a novel structured Cu2BaSnS4 (CBTS)/ZnS/Zn(O, S) photovoltaic device is proposed. A nontoxic, earth-abundant and auspicious quaternary semiconductor compound copper barium tin sulphide (Cu2BaSnS4) is used as an absorber layer. We propose a novel Zn(O, S) buffer layer for a high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CBTS-based thin film photovoltaic cells. Solar cell capacitance simulator software is used for device modelling and simulations are performed under a 1.5 AM illumination spectrum. The proposed device is investigated by means of numerical modelling and optimized the parameters to maximize its efficiency. Promising optimized functional parameters had been achieved from the proposed structure with back surface field layer with a PCE of 18.18%, a fill factor of 83.45%, a short-circuit current of 16.13 mA cm¿2 and an open-circuit voltage of 1.3 V. The promising results give an imperative standard for possible manufacturing of high efficiency, eco-friendly inorganic CBTS-based photovoltaic cells.This work was supported by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (ENE2016-77798-C4-2-R) and Generalitat valenciana (Prometeus 2014/044).Hameed, KY.; Baig, F.; Toura, H.; Marí, B.; Beg, S.; Khani, NAK. (2019). Modelling of novel-structured copper barium tin sulphide thin film solar cells. Bulletin of Materials Science. 42(5):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-019-1919-9S18425Ge J, Koirala P, Grice C R, Roland P J, Yu Y, Tan X et al 2017 Adv. Energy Mater. 7 1601803Khattak Y H, Mahmood T, Alam K, Sarwar T, Ullah I and Ullah H 2014 Am. J. Electr. Power Energy Syst. 3 86Steinmann V, Brandt R E and Buonassisi T 2015 Nat. Photonics 9 355Jackson P, Hariskos D, Wuerz R, Kiowski O, Bauer A, Friedlmeier T M et al 2015 Phys. Status Solidi: Rapid. Res. Lett. 9 28Shin D, Saparov B and Mitzi D B 2017 Adv. Energy Mater. 7 1602366Paper C, Le A, Universit D, Universit B, Universit M A, Marchionna S et al 2017 Eur. Photovolt. Sol. Energy Conf. 33 25Khattak Y H, Baig F, Ullah S, Marí B, Beg S and Ullah H 2018 J. Renew. Sustain. Energy 10 033501Fontané X, Izquierdo-Roca V, Saucedo E, Schorr S, Yukhymchuk V O, Valak M Y et al 2012 J. Alloys Compd. 539 190Zhang X, Bao N, Ramasamy K, Wang Y-H A, Yifeng Wang B L and Gupta A 2012 Chem. Commun. 48 4956Adewoyin A D, Olopade M A and Chendo M 2017 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 133 122Boutebakh F Z, Zeggar M L, Attaf N and Aida M S 2017 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 144 180Ananthakumar S, Ram Kumar J and Moorthy Babu S 2016 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 127 10360Jianjun L, Dongxiao W, Xiuling L and Zeng Y 2018 Adv. Sci. 5 1700744Khattak Y H, Baig F, Ullah S, Marí B, Beg S and Ullah H 2018 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 164 547Xiao Z, Meng W, Li J V. and Yan Y 2017 ACS Energy Lett. 2 29Shin D, Saparov B, Zhu T, Huhn W P, Blum V and Mitzi D B 2016 Chem. Mater. 28 477Repins I L, Romero M J, Li J V, Wei S-H, Kuciauskas D, Jiang C-S et al 2013 J. Photovoltaics 3 439Zhou H, Hsu W-C, Duan H-S, Bob B, Yang W, Song T-B et al 2013 Energy Environ. Sci. 6 2822Khattak Y H, Baig F, Toura H, Ullah S, Marí B, Beg S et al 2018 Curr. Appl. Phys. 18 633Ge J, Roland P J, Koirala P, Meng W, Young J L, Petersen R et al 2017 Chem. Mater. 29 916Ge J and Yan Y 2017 J. Mater. Chem. C 5 6406Hong F, Lin W, Meng W and Yan Y 2016 Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 18 4828Todorov T, Gunawan O and Guha S 2016 Mol. Syst. Des. Eng. 1 370Baig F, Ullah H, Khattak Y H and Mari Soucase B 2016 Int. Ren. Sus. En. Conf. 596, https://doi.org/10.1109/IRSEC.2016.7983899Lin L-Y, Qiu Y, Zhang Y and Zhang H 2016 Chinese Phys. Lett. 33 10780Platzer B C, Törndahl T, Abou-Ras D, Malmström J, Kessler J and Stolt L 2006 J. Appl. Phys. 100 044506Persson C, Platzer-Björkman C, Malmström J, Törndahl T and Edoff M 2006 Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 146403Burgelman M, Nollet P and Degrave S 2000 Thin Solid Films 361 527Khattak Y H, Baig F, Soucase B M and Beg S 2018 Mater. Focus 84 758Simya O K, Mahaboobbatcha A and Balachander K A 2015 Superlattices Microstruct. 82 248Shin D, Zhu T, Huang X, Gunawan O, Blum V and Mitzi D B 2017 Adv. Mater. 29 1Saha U and Alam M K 2018 Phys. Status Solidi: Rapid Res. Lett. 12 1Zhu T, Huhn W P, Wessler G C, Shin D, Saparov B, Mitzi D B et al 2017 Chem. Mater. 29 7868Ge J, Grice C R and Yan Y 2017 J. Mater. Chem. A 5 2920Baig F, Khattak Y H, Marí B, Beg S, Gillani S R and Ahmed A 2018 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 170 463Khattak Y H, Baig F, Ullah S, Marí B, Beg S and Gillani S R 2018 Optik—Int. J. Light Electron Opt. 171 45

Gender violence in schools: taking the ‘girls-as-victims’ discourse forward

This paper draws attention to the gendered nature of violence in schools. Recent recognition that schools can be violent places has tended to ignore the fact that many such acts originate in unequal and antagonistic gender relations, which are tolerated and ‘normalised’ by everyday school structures and processes. After examining some key concepts and definitions, we provide a brief overview of the scope and various manifestations of gender violence in schools, noting that most research to date has focused on girls as victims of gender violence within a heterosexual context and ignores other forms such as homophobic and girl violence. We then move on to look at a few interventions designed to address gender violence in schools in the developing world and end by highlighting the need for more research and improved understanding of the problem and how it can be addressed

Mechanistic insight into proton-coupled mixed valency

Stabilisation of the mixed-valence state in [Mo2(TiPB)3(HDOP)]2+ (HTiPB = 2,4,6-triisopropylbenzoic acid, H2DOP = 3,6-dihydroxypyridazine) by electron transfer (ET) is related to the proton coordinate of the bridging ligands. Spectroelectrochemical studies suggest that ET is slower than 109 s−1. The mechanism has been probed using DFT calculations, which show that proton transfer induces a larger dipole in the molecule resulting in ET

Visualization of Abscess Formation in a Murine Thigh Infection Model of Staphylococcus aureus by 19F-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Background: During the last years, 19 F-MRI and perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion (PFC) emerged as a powerful contrast agent based MRI methodology to track cells and to visualize inflammation. We applied this new modality to visualize deep tissue abscesses during acute and chronic phase of inflammation caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection. Methodology and Principal Findings: In this study, a murine thigh infection model was used to induce abscess formation and PFC or CLIO (cross linked ironoxides) was administered during acute or chronic phase of inflammation. 24 h after inoculation, the contrast agent accumulation was imaged at the site of infection by MRI. Measurements revealed a strong accumulation of PFC at the abscess rim at acute and chronic phase of infection. The pattern was similar to CLIO accumulation at chronic phase and formed a hollow sphere around the edema area. Histology revealed strong influx of neutrophils at the site of infection and to a smaller extend macrophages during acute phase and strong influx of macrophages at chronic phase of inflammation. Conclusion and Significance: We introduce 19 F-MRI in combination with PFC nanoemulsions as a new platform to visualize abscess formation in a murine thigh infection model of S. aureus. The possibility to track immune cells in vivo by this modality offers new opportunities to investigate host immune response, the efficacy of antibacterial therapies and th

A new Late Pliocene large provannid gastropod associated with hydrothermal venting at Kane Megamullion, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Taylor & Francis for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 10 (2012): 423-433, doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.607193.A new gastropod, Kaneconcha knorri gen et sp. nov., was found in marlstone dredged from the surface of Adam Dome at Kane Megamullion on the flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in an area of former hydrothermal activity. The snail is interpreted as a large provannid similar to the chemosymbiotic genera Ifremeria and Alviniconcha. This is the first record of presumably chemosymbiotic provannids from the Atlantic Ocean and also the first fossil record of such large provannids associated with hydrothermal venting. Extant Alviniconcha and Ifremeria are endemic to hydrothermal vents in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Kaneconcha differs from Ifremeria in having no umbilicus and a posterior notch, and it differs from Alviniconcha in having the profile of the whorl slightly flattened and having no callus on the inner lip. A dark layer covering the Kaneconcha shell is interpreted here as a fossilized periostracum. The shell/periostracum interface shows fungal traces attributed to the ichnospecies Saccomorpha clava. We hypothesize that large chemosymbiotic provannids (i.e., Kaneconcha, Ifremeria, and Alviniconcha) form a clade that possibly diverged from remaining provannids in the Late Jurassic, with the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous Paskentana being an early member.R/V Knorr Cruise 180- 2 to Kane Megamullion was supported by National Science Foundation grant OCE- 0118445. A. Kaim acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. B. Tucholke acknowledges support from an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Award for Innovative Research and from the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Clear cell chondrosarcoma of the head and neck

Clear cell chondrosarcoma is a rare variant of chondrosarcoma that mostly involves the end of long bones. However, nine cases have been reported in the head and neck: four in larynx, two in nasal septum, two in maxilla and one in the skull. These cases form the basis of this review. Head and neck cases accounts for less than 5% of Clear cell chondrosarcomas in the whole body and the larynx is the most common place. The histological findings of head and neck cases are consistent with general features of this entity in the whole body and nearly all tumors in this case series had a component of conventional chondrosarcoma. Clear cell chondrosarcoma is an intracompartmental tumor and retains "Grenz zone" just beneath the epithelium. Therefore, the overlying mucosa remained intact in all laryngeal cases. Nasal tumor caused ballooning of the septum and the maxillary lesion did not involve the oral mucosa. This tumor presents various radiographic features in the head and neck area. Chondroblastoma, chondroma, osteoblastoma, osteosarcoma and metastatic renal cell carcinoma are included in the histologic differential diagnoses. Differentiation from chondroblastic osteosarcoma is important in the maxilla. A wide resection is adequate in most cases. However, some laryngeal cases show tendency to recur. Clear cell chondrosarcoma is a slow growing tumor and this necessitates a long time follow-up of patients. Due to the extreme rarity in the head and neck, diagnosis of Clear cell chondrosarcoma in this area, must be confirmed by histochemical and immunohistochemical studies

A bird’s eye view over ecosystem services in Natura 2000 sites across Europe

Recent ‘New Conservation’ approaches called for more ecosystem services (ES) emphasis in conservation. We analysed data from 3757 Natura 2000 special protection areas (SPAs) and translated positive and negative impacts listed by conservation managers into indicators of the use of nine provisioning, regulating and cultural ES. Overall, the use of ES is considered by SPA managers to affect conservation goals more negatively than positively. ES associated with livestock keeping and fodder production are recorded as having the highest fraction of positive impacts on SPAs, ranging from 88% and 78% in the Boreal biogeographic region to 20% and 6% in the Mediterranean. The use of ES varied according to dominant habitat class, highlighting the dependence of specific ES on associated ecosystem functions. For instance, fibre production was the predominant ES throughout forest habitats while crop, fodder and livestock exhibit similar patterns of dominance across agricultural landscapes. In contrast, the use of wild food and recreation activities are seen as causing mainly negative effects across all habitats. Our analysis suggests that most uses of ES result in negative effects on conservation goals. These outcomes should be considered when implementing future conservation strategies