767 research outputs found
Efficient indoor p-i-n hybrid perovskite solar cells using low temperature solution processed NiO as hole extraction layers
We are grateful to the European Commission for financial support through the grant, EXCITON 321305. Dr. L.K.Jagadamma acknowledges support from a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (European Commission) (MCIF: No. 745776). We are also grateful to EPSRC for an equipment grant (EP/L017008/1).Hybrid perovskites have received tremendous attention due to their exceptional photovoltaic and optoelectronic properties. Among the two widely used perovskite solar cell device architectures of n-i-p and p-i-n, the latter is interesting in terms of its simplicity of fabrication and lower energy input. However this structure mostly uses PEDOT:PSS as a hole transporting layer which can accelerate the perovskite solar cell degradation. Hence the development of stable, inorganic hole extraction layers (HEL), without compromising the simplicity of device fabrication is crucial in this fast-growing photovoltaic field. Here we demonstrate a low temperature (~100 °C) solution - processed and ultrathin (~6 nm) NiO nanoparticle thin films as an efficient HEL for CH3NH3PbI3 based perovskite solar cells. We measure a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.3% on rigid glass substrates and 8.5% on flexible substrates. A comparison with PEDOT:PSS based MAPbI3 solar cells (PCE ~ 7.9%) shows that NiO based solar cells have higher short circuit current density and improved open circuit voltage (1.03 V). Apart from the photovoltaic performance under 1 Sun, the efficient hole extraction property of NiO is demonstrated for indoor lighting as well with a PCE of 23.0% for NiO based CH3NH3PbI2.9Cl0.1 p-i-n solar cells under compact fluorescent lighting. Compared to the perovskite solar cells fabricated on PEDOT:PSS HEL, better shelf-life stability is observed for perovskite solar cells fabricated on NiO HEL. Detailed microstructural and photophysical investigations imply uniform morphology, lower recombination losses, and improved charge transfer properties for CH3NH3PbI3 grown on NiO HEL.PostprintPeer reviewe
Effects of serum proteins on corrosion behavior of ISO 5832–9 alloy modified by titania coatings
Stainless steel ISO 5832–9 type is often used to
perform implants which operate in protein-containing physiological
environments. The interaction between proteins and
surface of the implant may affect its corrosive properties. The
aim of this work was to study the effect of selected serum
proteins (albumin and γ-globulins) on the corrosion of ISO
5832–9 alloy (trade name M30NW) which surface was modified
by titania coatings. These coatings were obtained by sol–
gel method and heated at temperatures of 400 and 800 °C. To
evaluate the effect of the proteins, the corrosion tests were
performed with and without the addition of proteins with
concentration of 1 g L−1 to the physiological saline solution
(0.9 % NaCl, pH 7.4) at 37 °C. The tests were carried out
within 7 days. The following electrochemical methods were
used: open circuit potential, linear polarization resistance, and
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In addition, surface
analysis by optical microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS) method was done at the end of weekly corrosion
tests. The results of corrosion tests showed that M30NW
alloy both uncoated and modified with titania coatings exhibits
a very good corrosion resistance during weekly exposition
to corrosion medium. The best corrosion resistance in
0.9 % NaCl solution is shown by alloy samples modified by
titania coating annealed at 400 °C. The serumproteins have no
significant effect onto corrosion of investigated biomedical
steel. The XPS results confirmed the presence of proteins on
the alloy surface after 7 days of immersion in proteincontaining
solutions.The investigations were supported by the National Science Centre project No. N N507 501339. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Janusz
Sobczak and Dr. hab. Wojciech Lisowski from Institute of Physical
Chemistry of PAS for XPS surface analyses
Non-supersymmetric heterotic model building
We investigate orbifold and smooth Calabi-Yau compactifications of the
non-supersymmetric heterotic SO(16)xSO(16) string. We focus on such Calabi-Yau
backgrounds in order to recycle commonly employed techniques, like index
theorems and cohomology theory, to determine both the fermionic and bosonic 4D
spectra. We argue that the N=0 theory never leads to tachyons on smooth
Calabi-Yaus in the large volume approximation. As twisted tachyons may arise on
certain singular orbifolds, we conjecture that such tachyonic states are lifted
in the full blow-up. We perform model searches on selected orbifold geometries.
In particular, we construct an explicit example of a Standard Model-like theory
with three generations and a single Higgs field.Comment: 1+30 pages latex, 11 tables; v2: references and minor revisions
added, matches version published in JHE
Novel Branches of (0,2) Theories
We show that recently proposed linear sigma models with torsion can be
obtained from unconventional branches of conventional gauge theories. This
observation puts models with log interactions on firm footing. If non-anomalous
multiplets are integrated out, the resulting low-energy theory involves log
interactions of neutral fields. For these cases, we find a sigma model geometry
which is both non-toric and includes brane sources. These are heterotic sigma
models with branes. Surprisingly, there are massive models with compact complex
non-Kahler target spaces, which include brane/anti-brane sources. The simplest
conformal models describe wrapped heterotic NS5-branes. We present examples of
both types.Comment: 36 pages, LaTeX, 2 figures; typo in Appendix fixed; references added
and additional minor change
Development of a novel, windowless, amorphous selenium based photodetector for use in liquid noble detectors
Detection of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) scintillation light produced by
liquid noble elements is a central challenge in order to fully exploit the
available timing, topological, and calorimetric information in detectors
leveraging these media. In this paper, we characterize a novel, windowless
amorphous selenium based photodetector with direct sensitivity to VUV light. We
present here the manufacturing and experimental setup used to operate this
detector at low transport electric fields (2.7-5.2 V/m) and across a wide
range of temperatures (77K-290K). This work shows that the first
proof-of-principle device windowless amorphous selenium is robust under
cryogenic conditions, responsive to VUV light at cryogenic temperatures, and
preserves argon purity. These findings motivate a continued exploration of
amorphous selenium devices for simultaneous detection of scintillation light
and ionization charge in noble element detectors
Target identification of hits using a concerted chemogenomic, biophysical and structural approach
Mycobacterium phenotypic hits are a good reservoir for new chemotypes for the treatment of tuberculosis. However, the absence
of defined molecular targets and modes of action could lead to failure in drug development. Therefore, a combination of
ligand-based and structure-based chemogenomic approaches followed by biophysical and biochemical validation have been used to
identify targets for Mycobacterium tuberculosis phenotypic hits. Our approach identified EthR and InhA as targets for several hits,
with some showing dual activity against these proteins. From the 35 predicted EthR inhibitors, eight exhibited an IC50 below 50
μM against M. tuberculosis EthR and three were confirmed to be also simultaneously active against InhA. Further hit validation was
performed using X-ray crystallography yielding eight new crystal structures of EthR inhibitors. Although the EthR inhibitors attain
their activity against M. tuberculosis by hitting yet undefined targets, these results provide new lead compounds that could be
further developed to be used to potentiate the effect of EthA activated pro-drugs, such as ethionamide, thus enhancing their
bactericidal effect.GM is grateful to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions for funding this work. VM and MB
acknowledge Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [subcontract by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)]
(OPP1024021). VM and MS acknowledge the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme [grant number 260872]. GP
would like to acknowledge the Wellcome Trust and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory for funding. JPO was funded by the
member nation states of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. TLB acknowledges The Wellcome Trust for funding and
support (grant number 200814/Z/16/Z)
Spinor-Vector Duality in Heterotic String Orbifolds
The three generation heterotic-string models in the free fermionic
formulation are among the most realistic string vacua constructed to date,
which motivated their detailed investigation. The classification of free
fermion heterotic string vacua has revealed a duality under the exchange of
spinor and vector representations of the SO(10) GUT symmetry over the space of
models. We demonstrate the existence of the spinor-vector duality using
orbifold techniques, and elaborate on the relation of these vacua to free
fermionic models.Comment: 20 pages. v2 minor corrections. Version to appear on JHEP. v3
misprints correcte
6D Effective Action of Heterotic Compactification on K3 with nontrivial Gauge Bundles
We compute the six-dimensional effective action of the heterotic string
compactified on K3 for the standard embedding and for a class of backgrounds
with line bundles and appropriate Yang-Mills fluxes. We compute the couplings
of the charged scalars and the bundle moduli as functions of the geometrical K3
moduli from a Kaluza-Klein analysis. We derive the D-term potential and show
that in the flux backgrounds U(1) vector multiplets become massive by a
Stuckelberg mechanism.Comment: 41 pages, typos corrected, references adde
Structural analysis and corrosion studies on an ISO 5832-9 biomedical alloy with TiO2 sol–gel layers
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the
relationship between the structural and corrosion properties
of an ISO 5832-9 biomedical alloy modified with titanium
dioxide (TiO2) layers. These layers were obtained via the
sol–gel method by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of titanium
isopropoxide in isopropanol solution. To obtain TiO2 layers
with different structural properties, the coated samples
were annealed at temperatures of 200, 300, 400, 450, 500,
600 and 800 C for 2 h. For all the prepared samples,
accelerated corrosion measurements were performed in
Tyrode’s physiological solution using electrochemical
methods. The most important corrosion parameters were
determined: corrosion potential, polarization resistance,
corrosion rate, breakdown and repassivation potentials.
Corrosion damage was analyzed using scanning electron
microscopy. Structural analysis was carried out for selected
TiO2 coatings annealed at 200, 400, 600 and 800 C. In
addition, the morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity,
thickness and density of the deposited TiO2 layers
were determined using suitable electron and X-ray measurement
methods. It was shown that the structure and
character of interactions between substrate and deposited
TiO2 layers depended on annealing temperature. All the
obtained TiO2 coatings exhibit anticorrosion properties, but
these properties are related to the crystalline structure and
character of substrate–layer interaction. From the point of
view of corrosion, the best TiO2 sol–gel coatings for stainless steel intended for biomedical applications seem to
be those obtained at 400 C.This study was supported by Grant No. N N507
501339 of the National Science Centre. The authors wish to express
their thanks to J. Borowski (MEDGAL, Poland) for the Rex 734 alloy
Yukawa couplings and masses of non-chiral states for the Standard Model on D6-branes on T6/Z6'
The perturbative leading order open string three-point couplings for the
Standard Model with hidden USp(6) on fractional D6-branes on T6/Z6' from
arXiv:0806.3039 [hep-th], arXiv:0910.0843 [hep-th] are computed. Physical
Yukawa couplings consisting of holomorphic Wilsonian superpotential terms times
a non-holomorphic prefactor involving the corresponding classical open string
Kaehler metrics are given, and mass terms for all non-chiral matter states are
derived. The lepton Yukawa interactions are at leading order flavour diagonal,
while the quark sector displays a more intricate pattern of mixings. While N=2
supersymmetric sectors acquire masses via only two D6-brane displacements -
which also provide the hierarchies between up- and down-type Yukawas within one
quark or lepton generation -, the remaining vector-like states receive masses
via perturbative three-point couplings to some Standard Model singlet fields
with vevs along flat directions. Couplings to the hidden sector and messengers
for supersymmetry breaking are briefly discussed.Comment: 52 pages (including 8p. appendix); 5 figures; 14 tables; v2:
discussion in section 4.1.3 extended, footnote 5 added, typos corrected,
accepted by JHE
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