Light Absorption Research Articles

Surface self-modification of TiO2 for enhanced photocatalytic toluene oxidation via photothermal effect

Surface modification plays an important role in extending light absorption and enhancing the catalytic performance of semiconductor photocatalysts. However, most current studies focus on pre-modification of the semiconductors before reaction, while surface self-modification of catalyst during photocatalytic reaction process is often neglected. Here, we report the surface self-modification of TiO2 catalyst during photocatalytic oxidation of toluene under UV light irradiation, which changes the colour of TiO2 from white to yellow, and effectively extends its light absorption range into visible light region. The absorbed visible light is primarily released as thermal energy, significantly increasing the temperature of the catalytic system. Mechanistic studies reveal that the temperature elevation facilitates the separation of photogenerated charge carriers in TiO2 and promotes the generation of •O2−, consequently accelerating the surface redox reactions. The surface self-modified TiO2 exhibits an enhanced photothermal catalytic benzaldehyde generation of 4485 μmol g−1h−1 under UV–visible light irradiation, which surpasses the UV-driven activity of TiO2 by a factor of 1.9. This study offers new perspectives on the surface modification of semiconductor photocatalysts during organic transformations. It is anticipated to trigger increased research attention to this effect, ultimately advancing solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

Self‑supporting magnetic nanoporous silver-nickel films with broadband light absorption for efficient interfacial solar steam generation

Interfacial solar steam generation (SSG) is a promising eco-friendly strategy for freshwater production to address the global water crisis, which depends upon high-efficiency and low-cost photothermal materials. Herein, a series of self-supporting magnetic nanoporous silver-nickel (NP-AgNi) films were fabricated by one-step dealloying of specially designed Al99AgxNi1-x (x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) precursors. Both in-situ and ex-situ characterizations were performed to unveil the phase/structure evolution during dealloying of AlAgNi. Specially, the obtained NP-AgNi films with high porosity (>89 %) and tunable magnetic properties exhibit a unique three-dimensional bicontinuous ligament-channel Ag network with embedded Ni microparticles, as well as good hydrophilicity. Combined with the synergistic light absorption of the bimetal Ag and Ni, the NP-AgNi films exhibit good broadband absorption over the 200–2500 nm wavelength. More importantly, the NP-AgNi films show excellent SSG performance (evaporation efficiency over 89 %, evaporation rate ≥ 1.42 kg·m−2·h−1 and good cycling stability) under one sun irradiation. Additionally, the NP-AgNi films show outstanding seawater desalination and dye wastewater purification capability. This work provides an inspiration for the design and fabrication of multi-functional metal-based photothermal films in solar water treatment.

An automatic 3D tomato plant stemwork phenotyping pipeline at internode level based on tree quantitative structural modelling algorithm

Phenotypic traits of stemwork are important indicators of plant growing status, contributing to multiple research domains including yield estimation, breeding engineering, and disease control. Traditional plant phenotyping with human work faces serious bottlenecks on labour intensity and time consumption. In recent years, the application of Quantitative Structural Modeling (QSM) together with three-dimensional (3D) sensor-based data acquisition techniques provides a feasible solution towards the automatic stemwork phenotyping. Nevertheless, existing QSM-based pipelines are sensitive towards the point cloud quality, and mostly focus on the phenotyping at plant or organ level. Information at internode level which are closely related to photosynthesis and light absorption was generally overlooked. To this end, a 3D automatic stemwork phenotyping pipeline is developed for tomato plants at both plant and internode level. Coloured point clouds are taken as the sensor input of the pipeline. A semantic segmentation based on PointNet++ was used to detect and localise the stemwork points. To improve the quality of the segmented stemwork point clouds, a density-based refining pipeline is proposed containing three main processes: non-replacement resampling, interference branch removal, and noise removal. A Tree Quantitative Structural Modeling (TreeQSM) algorithm was then applied to the stemwork point cloud to construct a digital reconstruction. The target phenotypic traits were finally calculated from the digital model by employing an internode association process. The proposed phenotyping pipeline was evaluated with a test dataset containing three tomato plant cultivars: Merlice, Brioso, and Gardener Delight. The related rooted mean squared errors of calculated internode length, internode diameters, leaf branching angle, leaf phyllotactic angle, and stem length range from 4.8 to 64.4%. Considering the time consuming manual phenotyping process, the proposed work provides a feasible solution towards the high throughput plant phenotyping, from which facilitates the related research on plant breeding and crop management.

First principle investigation of Sr and Eu doped La2NiMnO6: Structural, Electronic, Optical, Magnetic, and Spintronics properties

This study investigates the effects of substituting La₂NiMnO₆ (LNMO) with Strontium (Sr) and Europium (Eu) dopants at the A-site, focusing on changes in material properties. Utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT) with Local Density Approximation and Hubbard U Correction (LDA + U), we analyze the significant impact of these dopants on LNMO's optical, magnetic, electrical, and spintronic properties. Sr and Eu doping modifies the electronic structure of LNMO, enhancing its dielectric properties, which is crucial for applications requiring a high dielectric constant. The improved optical conductivity of doped LNMO makes it more efficient in light absorption and photoconductivity, beneficial for optoelectronic devices. Doping also enhances the magnetic properties of LNMO, advantageous for spintronics where spin control is essential. These dual improvements in electrical and magnetic properties suggest that Sr and Eu-doped LNMO are highly effective for energy storage technologies. Additionally, the mechanical properties of doped LNMO show improved resilience and stability, key indicators for the durability and longevity of devices. This comprehensive analysis highlights the potential of Sr and Eu-doped LNMO for advancements in spintronics, optoelectronics, and energy storage. The findings provide valuable insights into tuning material properties through doping, paving the way for synthesizing new multifunctional materials. This study not only enhances our understanding of the impact of dopants in double perovskites but also expands possibilities for innovative applications in high-tech fields, offering the potential for creating versatile materials and future innovations.

Insights into a photo-driven laccase coupling system for enhanced photocatalytic oxidation and biodegradation

Effective depolymerization of lignin into environmentally friendly aromatic chemicals under mild conditions is gaining interest. Fungal laccase is capable of catalyzing a wide range of reactions, but its low redox potential and preference for acidic pH limit its potential applications. Herein, we developed a laccase-methylene blue (LAC-MB) coupling system, combining the selectivity of enzyme catalysis with the high reactivity of photocatalysis, for the efficient degradation of lignin model compounds. Theoretical calculations indicate that the electron donor’s distance to the LAC’s active site T1 Cu is shortened from 29.7 to 7.3 Å in the LAC-MB. In this system, MB, possessing strong interaction with T1 Cu, acts as a light absorber, enabling the rapid transfer of photogenerated electrons to T1 Cu. This significantly enhances the degradation rate of guaiacol (GUA) from 28.8 % to 91.46 %. The LAC-MB can oxidize both phenolic and non-phenolic lignin model compounds under red-LED irradiation with wide pH ranging from 3.0 to 7.0 and high-efficiency. By tuning the primary coordination sphere and the access tunnel of T1 Cu, we further revealed that enhanced binding affinity and active site accessibility for the LAC-MB complex attributed to the photocatalysis’s high reactivity. Based on this, LAC variants with enhanced binding capabilities were constructed and the resulting mutant LAC-MB are characterized by higher oxygen consumption and ROS generation activated by red-LED, specifically a higher quantum yield of 1O2, demonstrating increased electron transfer and light-driven reactivity. This photo-enzyme coupling system presents a new pathway for the high-efficiency processing of lignocellulosic biomass and offers insights for designing future artificial photosynthetic systems.

Influence of excitation wavelength on LIBS (1064 nm vs 266 nm) for multi-element mortar analysis

The influence of laser parameters, such as the excitation wavelength, on the emission signal obtained by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), has been studied since the beginning of the technique’s applications, until today. Choosing the best wavelength for a given sample, or a unique emission line, is always a challenge for researchers. This work evaluates the influence of excitation wavelength for the analyse of a full-width LIBS spectrum range. Particularly, eight different mortar samples were used in this study. Firstly, the average spectra obtained with the two excitations (266 and 1064 nm) were evaluated by superimposing the two acquired spectra, and, a trend of different behavior was observed, depending on the emission spectral region. Excitation using the 1064 nm laser was favorable for the spectral range of 180–310 nm, on the other hand, the 266 nm was for the range of 312 nm − 1000 nm. The intensities of the C I, Si I, Zr III, Sb I, Fe II, Mg I, Mg II, Ca I, Ca II, Li I, K I, and, Na I emission lines were evaluated individually, and the results followed the same behavior. The size of the crater was assessed for both lasers and showed more effectiveness for 266 nm than 1064 nm. It is observed that the temperature or ablated size was not exclusively determined for the emission signal. A competition of physical phenomena must be contributing to this. For 1064 nm excitation, the inverse Bremsstrahlung (IB) phenomenon and higher temperature caused by the greater absorption of laser light at this wavelength favored emission in the UV region of the spectrum. On the other hand, the spectra obtained by 266 nm excitation, where Photoionization (PI) effect prevail the temperature achieved in this case is more favorable for filling the levels involved in transitions in the visible and IR range.

Highly efficient and salt resistant solar interface evaporator based on pressed wood flour with multi-level pores

Interfacial solar steam generation has garnered significant attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable technology for desalination and wastewater purification. Nevertheless, in challenging conditions such as strong brine and high-intensity settings, both the evaporation efficiency and the service life of the solar evaporator are inevitably diminished due to salt accumulation on the surface of interfacial solar evaporators. Here, a platelike evaporator that features high water evaporation rate in brine without salt accumulation is developed by rational design of polydopamine-coated wood powder with a hierarchical pore structure. This evaporator not only exhibits high water evaporation rate of 2.299 kg m−2 h−1 along with 155.4 % solar-to-steam conversion efficiency under 1 sun illumination, but also deliver exceptional salt accumulation resistance even in 20 wt% brine. With the advantages of a high light absorption rate, easy preparation process, and low cost, this evaporator shows promising potential in the field of solar steam generation and seawater desalination.

Interface Engineering of Platinum–Copper Alloy/Titanium Dioxide for Enhanced Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction

To develop an efficient photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions and greenhouse effects, we propose a straightforward strategy involving hydrogen reduction treatment of PtCu/Ti to create the PtCu/Ti-H2 catalyst with a distinctive interface structure. Compared with the fresh PtCu/Ti catalyst and the benchmark anatase TiO2, the CH4 production of the PtCu/Ti-H2 catalyst increased by 2 times and 81.6 times, respectively. Comprehensive characterizations confirmed the formation of Ptδ+-Ov-Ti3+ and Cuδ+-Ov-Ti3+ interface structures on the hydrogen-treated PtCu/Ti-H2 catalyst, enhancing light absorption and the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Further investigation into the reaction mechanism revealed that the Ptδ+-Ov-Ti3+ and Cuδ+-Ov-Ti3+ species on PtCu/Ti-H2 serve as more favorable sites for CO2 adsorption and activation, promoting an enhanced formaldehyde mechanism. This study not only elucidates the relation between photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity and the PtCu/Ti interface structure but also offers a novel strategy for designing alloy/oxide-based catalysts for CO2 photoreduction, overcoming the limitations of previous studies that focused on metal or vacancy systems.

Turning Waste into Treasure: Utilizing Environment-Pollutant Graphite Tailings as Photocatalyst for Photocatalytic Building Materials

Graphite tailings, as solid waste residuals from graphite extraction and refinement, pose serious risks to the surrounding ecological environment and the safety of residents’ lives. However, it is desirable but challenging how to rationalize the utilization of graphite tailings and further to develop their functionality. Herein, we demonstrate a "turning waste into treasure" strategy: capitalizing on the characteristics of graphite tailings in visible light absorption and rich metal catalytic sites, graphite tailings are employed as photocatalysts and fine aggregates to manufacture photocatalytic building materials, achieving sustainable use. Tailings powder from Luobei, Heilongjiang Province is selected as the photocatalyst, we discover that it exhibits photocatalytic degradation capability for methylene blue (MB) in water under visible-light irradiation: the degradation rates reach 70% within one hour and near-complete degradation within two hours, accompanying good recyclability. Structural analysis reveals that the graphite tailings are enriched with Fe2O3 and TiO2. They are capable of forming type-II heterojunction that enable efficient charge separation and transfer processes, transmitting photogenerated electrons to the active catalytic site to accomplish the photocatalytic degradation of MB. Moreover, other tailings, such as those from Jixi, also achieve photocatalytic degradation of MB, and cement specimens made with graphite tailings also bespoke photocatalytic degradation performance. This work is to provide solutions for the reuse of graphite tailings in the field of functional building materials, and to explore the feasibility of transforming graphite tailings from industrial solid waste to photocatalytic building materials.

Light harvesting S-scheme g-C3N4/TiO2/M photocatalysts for efficient removal of hazardous moxifloxacin

The development of advanced photocatalysts with enhanced efficiency for environmental remediation is critical for addressing persistent organic pollutants like Moxifloxacin. In this study, we present a novel S-scheme heterojunction g-C3N4/TiO2/M photocatalyst designed to optimize light harvesting and charge separation for the effective degradation of Moxifloxacin. The innovative S-scheme configuration enables superior charge transfer dynamics by retaining potent photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of TiO2 and holes in the valence band of g-C3N4, significantly improving photocatalytic performance compared to conventional Type-II systems. Heterogeneous photocatalysis, particularly using TiO2-based materials, offers a promising approach. Here, we synthesized TiO2 hybridized with metal-doped g-C3N4 (GCNTM) via a simple hydrothermal method. The fabricated nanocomposites were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV–Vis (DRS). These GCNTM nanocomposites were employed for the degradation of hazardous Moxifloxacin (MXF) under visible light. Detailed analysis of the photocatalytic mechanism reveals that the synergistic interaction between g-C3N4, TiO2, and the co-catalyst M not only broadens the light absorption spectrum but also enhances the separation and lifespan of charge carriers. Among the synthesized materials, GCNTLa demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency, achieving 96 % removal of MXF. This enhanced activity is attributed to the effective suppression of charge recombination, leading to the generation of reactive species responsible for MXF degradation. Additionally, GCNTM showed remarkable stability and reusability, with only a 6 % reduction in efficiency after five cycles, confirming its high reusability and mechanical stability. Our S-scheme photocatalyst demonstrates a marked increase in the degradation rate of Moxifloxacin under visible light irradiation, highlighting its potential for practical environmental applications.

Highly efficient solar seawater evaporation by aerogel with vertical channels and hierarchical pores structure based on high-absorbent alginate fibers

Utilizing interfacial evaporation under sunlight is an effective way for desalination. Researchers have developed various solar evaporators to replace traditional processes. However, crystalline salt deposition and low evaporation rates have hindered the application of solar evaporators, which remain critical challenges in the field. Inspired by vascular plants, a novel strategy using natural high-absorbent alginate fibers as the aerogel backbone and polypyrrole as the solar absorber was employed to prepare an eco-friendly solar evaporator in this study. The biomimetic evaporator with abundant hydrophilic groups, vertical channels, and hierarchical pores structure inside achieves a maximum evaporation efficiency of 4.27 kg m-2h−1 under one solar intensity radiation, with an energy efficiency of more than 99 %. The nano polymer photo absorbents provide composite aerogels with excellent light absorption and mechanical properties, maintaining their shape and evaporation efficiency even after repeated use dozens of times. Its unique structures reduce water transport resistance radially to provide a fast water transport channel and efficiently desalinate, preventing salt from crystallizing on the evaporator surface. Obtaining a structurally controllable solar-driven evaporator in this way is expected to be used on a large scale for high-efficiency water purification, solving the freshwater resource crisis.

Covalent triazine frameworks as particle electrode for three-dimensional photoelectrocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline: Synergy effects, pathway, and mechanism.

Photoelectrocatalysis has been widely employed for degrading antibiotics due to its high efficiency. However, the application is significantly impeded by the rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and the limited surface areas of photoelectrodes. In the study, high crystallinity covalent triazine frameworks were fabricated at low temperature of 150°C and firstly used as particle photoelectrode in the three-dimensional photoelectrochemical reactor to degrade oxytetracycline (OTC). SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and FT-IR confirmed the successful synthesis of high crystallinity covalent triazine frameworks. Compared to CTF-120 (71.2%) and CTF-180 (46.9%), CTF-150 exhibited excellent OTC removal. Electrochemical impedance, UV-vis absorption spectra, and Mott-Schottky tests showed that CTF-150 demonstrated more wide light absorption range of 501nm and narrow bandgap of 2.52eV, and smaller Rct value under illumination, in comparing to CTF-120 and CTF-180. When the initial concentration of OTC was 50mgL-1, the 86.2% of OTC removal and 62.7% of mineralization were obtained under light irradiation (λ>420nm), current of 10mA, pH of 6.4, electrolyte of 0.1M Na2SO4. The synergy effect between photocatalytic and electrocatalytic processes of CTF-150 not only enhanced by 38.5% current efficiency but also reduced energy consumption to 1.90 kWh m-3. CTF-150 had a wide range of acid-base application and displayed resistance on coexisting ions. Electron spin resonance detection, quenching experiments, and probe experiments illustrated that h+, •O2-, 1O2, and •OH contributed to the degradation of OTC and the generation pathways of •O2-, 1O2, and •OH were verified. Moreover, •O2-, 1O2, and h+ were the main reactive species responsible for OTC removal, while 1O2 was for OTC mineralization. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection, OTC with benzene ring was decomposed to opening ring products. The acute toxicity, developmental toxicity, bioaccumulation factor and mutagenicity of OTC and its intermediates using T.E.S.T. showed the toxicity of 82.35% degradation products decreased.

Functionalized SWCNTs as targeted co-delivery carriers to enhance the anticancer efficacy by mediating chemotherapy in coordination with photothermal therapy

As one of the powerful nanomaterials, single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be used in antitumor application field for targeted drug delivery. SWCNTs have also an excellent light absorption characteristic in the near-infrared area (NIR, 700-1400 nm), which can increase the temperature in a medium environment to realize hyperthermia. In this study, pristine SWCNTs were acidized by nitric acid and the shortened products (CNTs) were modified with NH2-PEG2000-NH2 and folic acid (FA). The resulting SWCNTs-PEG-FA were further coated by phase-change material (PCM)-1-Tetradecanol (TD) to adsorb photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG). The final SWCNTs-PEG-FA-ICG/TD (CNTs-PFI/T) and other functionalized carriers were characterized and assessed in terms of various properties. The results showed that various modified SWCNTs had better monodispersity, stability, and biocompatibility. Especially, CNTs-PFI/T exhibited more excellent physical and chemical properties, as well as photothermal conversion performance under NIR laser irradiation (808 nm). In vitro experiment results demonstrated that CNTs-PFI/T@DOX could induce the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells and affect the cycle distribution more efficiently than other formulations, by mediating the coordination of chemotherapy and hyperthermia. In tumor-bearing model animals, CNTs-PFI/T@DOX similarly exhibited the highest antitumor activities among all the treatment groups. Thus, the functionalized CNTs-PFI/T designed in this study could be promising delivery systems to realize cooperative chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT).

Synergetic effect of Hexaferrite and reduced Graphene oxide (rGO) in Photothermal therapy and Hyperthermia applications

This research article describes the synthesis of composite materials by combining T-type hexagonal ferrite and reduced Graphene Oxide using the standard ceramic process. The Calcium-based T-type hexagonal ferrite was synthesized by using the sol-gel auto-combustion method whiles the reduced graphene oxide by adopting the Hummer method. The crystallite size varied in the range of 34.11 to 42.07nm as calculated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. Consequently, the lattice parameters 'a' and 'c' decreased from 5.9 to 5.1Å and from 29.92 to 28.32Å, respectively. The use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a range of particle sizes at the surface, varying from 1.70nm to 3.85nm. Moreover, the saturation and remanence magnetization values demonstrated an increasing trend with T-type hexaferrites concentration whereas the coercivity decreased. The UV-vis near-infrared spectra exhibited substantial light absorption, characterized by a wide absorption range in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) region (700 to 1100nm) which indicates its use in Photothermal therapy (PTT). The Calcium T- type hexaferrite exhibited clear peaks in the blue, green, violet, and yellow spectra in its photoluminescence (PL) properties. These peaks are believed to be caused by oxygen vacancies and defects. The synthesized samples displayed a lossy behavior in the polarization-electric field (P-E) loop, with saturation polarization levels exceeding remnant polarization, which is an amenable condition for lossy behavior. Most importantly, the synthesized materials had significant thermal responses when exposed to an alternation (AC) magnetic field, indicating their potential use in magnetic hyperthermia applications.

Novel carbon nitride for efficient degradation of organic pollutants and value-added recycled plastics: synergistic effects of nitrogen vacancies and Fe

The introduction of nitrogen vacancies (VN) and iron (Fe) single atoms sites significantly enhances the visible light absorption and charge transfer ability of carbon nitride (CN) catalysts. This paper presents the successful synthesis of a VN-rich, Fe single atoms incorporated CN, a catalyst that demonstrates exceptional degradation performance and cycling stability. The 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) removal rate by 20Fe-CN reached 99.51% within just 11min under visible light, and the catalyst maintained superior photocatalytic performance upon repeated use. Additionally, the 20Fe-CN/Photo/High-temperature system effectively converted polystyrene (PS) to benzoic acid (BA), achieving a BA yield of 19.73% after 48hours. Under visible light irradiation, the VN sites captured electrons and facilitated their rapid transfer to neighboring Fe sites, enhancing the photocatalytic redox processes. This study also identified ·O2- as the primary active species in the photocatalytic process. This research supports the development of diverse single-atom modified carbon nitride photocatalysts, holding significant potential for wastewater treatment and plastic resource recycling, and providing valuable insights for future photocatalysts in environmental remediation.

Investigation of Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of Ni-Co and MWCNT Nanocomposites.

In recent years, severe electromagnetic interference among electronic devices has been caused by the unprecedented growth of communication systems. Therefore, microwave absorbing materials are required to relieve these problems by absorbing the unwanted microwave. In the design of microwave absorbers, magnetic nanomaterials have to be used as fine particles dispersed in an insulating matrix. Besides the intrinsic properties of these materials, the structure and morphology are also crucial to the microwave absorption performance of the composite. In this study, Ni-Co- MWCNT composites were synthesized, and the changes in electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, and reflectance loss of the samples were evaluated at frequencies of 2 to 18 GHz. Nickel-Cobalt-Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) composites were successfully synthesized by the co-precipitation chemical method. The structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the samples were characterized and investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), and Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The results revealed that the Ni-Co-MWCNT composite has the highest electromagnetic wave absorption rate with a reflectance loss of -70.22 dB at a frequency of 10.12 GHz with a thickness of 1.8 mm. The adequate absorption bandwidth (RL <-10 dB) was 6.9 GHz at the high-frequency region, exhibiting excellent microwave absorbing properties as a good microwave absorber patent. Based on this study, it can be argued that the Ni-Co-MWCNT composite can be a good candidate for making light absorbers of radar waves at frequencies 2- 18 GHz.

Enhancement of photocatalytic NO oxidation by Ag-sulfide on TiO2 mixed with Na-ZSM-5

Enhancing NO oxidation performance is pivotal for integrating photocatalysts with wet scrubbers in continuous flow systems. Despite the recent development of various catalysts, such as MOFs, our goal was to simplify the composition by using photocatalyst + zeolite catalyst, bringing us closer to a catalyst that can be practically applied. In this study, we have utilized Ag2S doping and Na-ZSM-5 mixing to improve the photocatalytic NO oxidation performance. Results showed that Ag2S doping improved visible light absorbance and NO oxidation, despite the observed fluctuations in NO conversion being attributable to mass transfer limitations. Mixing with Na-ZSM-5 compensated for the mass transfer limitations and improved its average NO conversion from 19 to 34 %. The Na-ZSM-5 increased the NO adsorption capacity considerably to 0.67 mmol g−1, which reduced the fluctuations in the catalytic performance; subsequently, the diffusion of NO led to its oxidation. Detailed analyses using NO-TPD and DRIFTS further elucidated these improvements, highlighting the significance of optimizing both oxidation reaction and mass transfer rates in the photocatalytic process. We believed that the composite of Ag2S-TiO2 + Na-ZSM-5 could simplify the ways to improve the photocatalytic NO oxidation performance and make it closer to practical applications.

A Survey Paper on Plastic Solar Cell Technology

The demand of energy is increasing day by day so non-conventional source of energy has to be used. Sun is the nonconventional source of energy. Conventional solar panels convert solar energy into electrical energy. A plastic solar cell is the type of photovoltaic that makes use of organic electronics dealing with conductive organic polymers or small molecules for light absorption and charge transport to produce electricity from sunlight by the photovoltaic effect. Polymers Provide the Advantage of Solution Processing at Room Temperature, which is Less Expensive and Enables One to Use Plastics. Therefore, If Silicon Is Replaced with Polymer Nanowires, The Solar Cell Would Be Much Lighter and Ultimately Less Costly. These Solar Cells are Thin, Several Microns in Diameter, and Scavenge All the Rays from the Sun's Radiation. Plastic Solar Cell Technology is Based on Conjugated Polymers and Molecules. Polymer Solar Cells have Generated Considerable Interest Since it Provides Environmentally Friendly, Flexible, Lightweight, Low Cost, Possibility of High-Efficiency Solar Cells in the Last Couple of Decades. Plastic Solar Cells are More Efficient and Viable in Usage. This dissertation focuses on the development and optimization of plastic solar cell technology, in particular this potential towards flexible, lightweight, and cost-effective alternative sources to traditional silicon-based solar cells. The focus of the present research work is to find optimum organic materials for higher efficiency and stability in plastic solar cells, varying from conjugated polymers to small organic molecules. Some of the main goals are improving the charge transport mechanisms and optimizing the architecture of devices through state-of-the-art techniques of fabrication, like roll-to-roll printing and layer-by-layer deposition. The other key aspect is that the project assesses the environmental aspects and lifecycle of plastic solar cells to ensure an environmentally friendly production process. Huge preliminary results were achieved at high power conversion efficiencies and durability has been greatly improved, targeting very wide spread application from portable electronics up to building-integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, the discovery of plastic solar cells might be a major step for applicable solutions in renewable energy and towards overcoming the world's increasing energy challenges.

Underwater Image Enhancement Methods Using Biovision and Type-II Fuzzy Set

Accurately extracting underwater images has never been more challenging, as the lack of clarity of detail due to issues such as scattering and light absorption is more noticeable than ever before. This research method addresses these problems while clarifying the limitations of existing methods and proposes a comprehensive approach to underwater image processing. Current methods tend to focus only on the effects of individual factors, such as color shifts, visibility, or contrast enhancement, and do not take into account biological vision applications. In contrast, the method proposed in this paper applies a color correction module that takes into account the effects of biological vision in LAB color space, and an enhanced Type-II Fuzzy set visibility enhancement module. This synchronized approach overcomes the limitations of the previous methods in that the contrast enhancement utilizes a curve transform and a multi-scale fusion strategy that preserves the essential image details. The framework not only adjusts the overall image features, but also finely handles the local details, resulting in a significant enhancement of both the overall quality and the local detail clarity of underwater images. The experimental results demonstrate that the application of the method of this study on two datasets gives results that are better than those of the top 10 existing algorithms. By explicitly addressing the limitations of existing methods, the method becomes an advantageous solution in underwater image processing, providing enhancements in image quality and task-specific applications in a concise and efficient manner.

Improving Solar Cell Efficiency of Silicon and Silicon Tandem Structure by Using Surface Modification

Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells face challenges in maximizing energy capture due to limitations in light collection and surface passivation. To address this, the use of SHJ tandem solar cells in a back‐to‐back configuration is explored, allowing illumination from both sides to enhance light absorption and energy generation. This study aims to improve the stability and efficiency of these cells through Al2O3 and Nafion surface treatments. Al2O3 is deposited to enhance bifacial light collection, while Nafion is applied for surface passivation to increase the fill factor (FF). The method involves adding 0.1–0.6 units of incident light to the rear of the cells to evaluate the effects of these treatments. The results show a 2.06% increase in efficiency with Al2O3 and a 1.72% improvement with Nafion under standard illumination conditions. The optimized tandem SHJ with Al2O3 and Nafion achieves a Jsc of 62.01 mA cm−2, Voc of 650.63 mV, FF of 76.49%, and an efficiency of 30.86%. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of these surface treatments to enhance the overall performance of bifacial back‐to‐back tandem SHJ solar cells.