Ambient Air Conditions Research Articles

Ambient-air crystallization of CsPbIBr2 films with polymer towards stable and efficient carbon-based perovskite solar cells

Cesium lead mixed-halide all-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibit promising balance between the efficiency and environmental stability in contrast to hybrid PSCs. Nonetheless, they face challenges due to rapid crystallization of solution processed perovskite film, resulting in elevated lattice defect density and energy loss. Therefore, a hydrophobic long-chained polymer, polypropylene carbonate (PPC) is added in varying concentrations to CsPbIBr2 precursor solution to yield a good-quality film under ambient air and low-temperature conditions. Here, the 2 % PPC added film displayed improved crystallinity and morphology and large grain-size with passivated grain-boundaries. The absorption intensity of the film was largely enhanced with reduced charge recombination and tuned energy level alignment at perovskite/carbon interface which enhanced both efficiency and stability of hole-transport layer free C–IPSCs in ambient air (humidity∼ 65–70 %). The efficiency increased upto 7.36 % which is 62.4 % higher than the bare device, attributed to its increased photovoltage (1.17 V–1.25 V), current-density (8.42 mA cm−2 to 10.25 mA cm−2), and fill-factor (46 %–57.5 %). Furthermore, optimized device has a significantly longer lifetime than bare device. Hence, this work presents a simple strategy for developing commercially feasible PSCs.

Numerical analysis of vapor condensation process in a condensation dome of a patent-based solar-vacuum desalination plant

Water-desalination process using renewable energy sources have become more and more popular as they can produce drinking water without negative effect to the environment. The present study examines the condensation dome of a vacuum-based water desalination plant using transient 3D finite volume method. The whole system is under semi-vacuum condition (to reduce the boiling temperature of the saltwater) and the water vapor is condensed in the mentioned condensation dome. The objective of the current research is to evaluate the performance of the proposed condensation dome in a patent-based desalination plant under various novel possible geometric and operational conditions which have not been investigated before. First, four different scenarios of the fins are examined for a given time step. Then the best selected fin arrangement is simulated under a wide range of ambient air conditions in the same time step. Finally, the condensation process is simulated for the selected geometric and ambient conditions under various time steps between 1 and 60 s. The results revealed that, adding only external fins, and then considering both internal and external fins can boost the water condensation rate around 24 % and 62 % respectively compared to that for the base dome without any fin. Besides, when both internal and external fins are in the same direction, the condensation performance is 5 % higher than that for case 3 in which any internal fin is located between every pair of external fins. However, condensation rate is less sensitive for fin configuration when ambient air becomes warmer. Furthermore, higher level of ambient air heat transfer coefficient (higher wind speed) boosts the water condensation rate as well. The general outcome for the tested size of the dome is promising with around 2000 gr condensed water after 60s in the best selected conditions.

Effects of pH-dependent speciation on the photolytic degradation mechanism of phosphonates

Phosphonates, commonly used as strong metal chelating agents in household and industrial products, partially persist through water treatment processes, releasing significant amounts into the environment and raise concerns about potential environmental impacts. This study investigated effects of pH-dependent speciation of phosphonates on their photolysis by a medium-pressure mercury lamp in aqueous solution under ambient air conditions. Different species of aminotrimethylphosphonic acid (ATMP), and its most important transformation products iminodimethylphosphonic acid(IDMP) and aminomethylphosphonic acid(AMPA) were analyzed by liquid chromatography in combination with isotope ratio (CSIA) and high resolution mass spectrometry. UV radiation (<320 nm) was required for the photolytic degradation of ATMP, IDMP, and AMPA, and their photolysis was influenced by pH-dependent speciation. Degradation rate constant of ATMP was affected by pH, but a direct correlation between kobs and pH was not found. In contrast, IDMP and AMPA exhibited a direct correlation between pH and kobs during photolysis. CSIA revealed an inverse carbon kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for ATMP, while a normal carbon KIE was observed for IDMP and AMPA. Quantum chemical calculations supported degradation pathway interpretation and KIE understanding. Energy barrier calculations distinguished N-C vs C-P bond cleavage, favoring N-C cleavage on average, consistent with observed transformation products. Further calculations, considering possible transition states, provide first promising hints for elucidation of present KIEs.

Research on prediction model of electric vehicle thermal management system based on particle swarm optimization- Back propagation neural network

The variation of temperature in various components of the Electric Vehicle Thermal Management (EVTM) system is the main factor affecting energy consumption. A good temperature prediction method is a prerequisite for optimizing energy strategies. The temperature variation of each component in the thermal management system is influenced by various factors, such as ambient temperature, vehicle speed, and air conditioning compressor speed. Therefore, this paper proposes a temperature prediction method based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Back propagation Neural Network (BP). The PSO-BP method is used to update the weights and thresholds of the neural network. Real-time data collected from road experiments are used to ensure the accuracy of the influencing factors. Simulation results show that compared to the BP neural network, the proposed PSO-BP prediction method reduces the prediction errors by 66%, 75%, and 25% respectively.

Correlation of a Shape Factor and Degree of Saturation of Sickle Cell Red Blood Cells to Vaso-Occulsive Episodes in Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) can experience intermittent episodes of vaso-occlusive episodes (VOE) leading to acute pain. Additionally, patients can experience changes in pain over their lifetime such that they can have nociceptive, neuropathic, and opiate induced hyperalgesia, all contributing to the development of chronic pain. Developing a test that can delineate VOE from steady state and also differentiate it from chronic pain continues to pose an elusive problem in SCD. It not only impacts endpoints in clinical studies, it can pose a significant challenge for the patient in terms of timely clinical diagnosis and treatment of pain. Cell Tracking Velocimetry, (CTV), tracks cells on a single cell basis in a very high magnetic energy gradient. This instrument allows us to use the cell's magnetic, v x, and settling velocities, v y, to be transformed into estimates of the oxygen saturation and deformity of the red blood cells, (RBCs). Based on statistical correlations of these measurements to patient status, VOE can be independently identified. Results: Patients were consented in a single center Institutional Review Board, (IRB) approved study. Clinical data including genotype of the patients were collected in 5 clinical states, including healthy donors (0). Steady State no chronic pain ≤ 3 crisis/year (1), Steady state with chronic pain 3 ≤ crisis/year (2), Steady state with no chronic pain &amp;gt; 3 crisis/year (3), Steady state with chronic pain &amp;gt; 3 crisis/year (4), and during acute pain crisis (5). Steady state was defined as no VOC requiring health care intervention for &amp;gt; 4 weeks and no VOE crisis on day of clinic. The patients' samples (n=49; distributed between each state) and clinical state was deidentified for initial laboratory evaluation. The CTV instruments returns two types of data: magnetic velocity and settling velocity. It was demonstrated that the range of the magnetic velocity of the top and bottom 1 percent of the measured velocities (i.e the fastest and slowest moving RBCs) correlates to a patient in VOE, when compared to normal, healthy RBCs and SCD patients in steady state (p &amp;gt; 0.0168). Further, the ratio of the magnetic to settling velocity of the top and bottom 1 percent of these ratios correlates to a patient in VOE, when compared to normal RBCs and SCD patients in steady state (p &amp;gt; 0.0003). These correlations are significant for both RBCs under deoxygenated and ambient air conditions. Discussion: We suggest that these correlations have physical significance since further mathematical modeling of these experimental velocities can be reduced to two factors: a shape factor, fe-x/fe-y, (velocities are proportional to the effective diameter of the cells) and the oxygen-hemoglobin saturation of the RBCs. This ratio of this shape factor can be considered as a measure of how “deformed” the RBC is, while the degree of oxygen-hemoglobin saturation is consistent with the traditional oxygen saturation measurement. Conclusion: While further studies on a larger patient population are warranted, these data suggests that the CTV instrument could potentially provide a biological point of care test to help diagnose VOE. Furthermore, this seems to delineate chronic pain and steady state from acute VOE. A longitudinal study in a consistent patient population would help further delineate and refine this for the specific patient but may offer significant insight over time to correlate the clinical phenotype with a laboratory correlation.

Dienediamine: A safe surrogate for the herbicide paraquat

Paraquat (PQ) has been used as an herbicide worldwide because of its potent activity against weeds. However, it is highly toxic to humans. The very high fatality of PQ poisoning is due to its inherent toxicity and the lack of any effective treatment. Consequently, developing a non-toxic herbicide with comparable efficacy to PQ will contribute to global food security and help prevent PQ-related fatalities. Herein, we report a new herbicide called dienediamine, which was discovered from how to intervene the redox cycle of PQ, an inherent toxicity nature. Dienediamine, the “reduced” form of PQ with no function as an electron transfer agent, was shown to be non-toxic through comprehensive in vivo and in vitro experiments at molar concentrations equivalent to PQ’s absolute lethal dose. Remarkably, dienediamine can undergo conversion to PQ under natural sunlight and ambient air conditions, exhibiting herbicidal activities that are comparable to those of PQ. The conversion of dienediamine to PQ, which is toxic to chloroplasts, is the key mechanism underlying its potent herbicidal activity. Our study discovers that dienediamine is a safe and superior alternative to PQ, possessing significant potential for application in sustainable agriculture globally.

Ethanol-treated eggshell-derived sorbents for direct air capture

Eggshell is a cheap and environmentally friendly waste stream from the food industry, which could be potentially used for different applications in a circular economy scenario. Carbonation of eggshell derived sorbents has been investigated for calcium looping high temperature applications. Nevertheless, the application of these sorbents for direct air capture is yet to be explored in detail. In this work, waste eggshell (ES) and three different ethanol/water treated eggshell samples (E70, E80 and E90) are assessed for direct air capture and compared to limestone. These samples are exposed to ambient air in two distinct conditions. Namely, i) ambient air at 25 °C in a laboratory and ii) refrigerator conditions at 4 °C in order to simulate how these sorbents might perform in different climatic scenarios for varying geographic areas. Carbonation and hydration conversions were calculated for times of ∼ 3000 h. It was found that treating the eggshells with ethanol was key in order to obtain a suitable material for this application. Two of the ethanol-treated samples obtained similar conversions in comparable amounts of time for ambient air conditions, while limestone still performed better in refrigerator conditions.

Boosting the efficiency and stability of CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells through modified multi-step spin-coating method

In this research, we enhance the stability of all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells using a modified multi-step spin-coating technique. By introducing low-concentration CsBr and PbBr2 in two additional steps, we achieve a PbBr2 layer with fewer pinholes, improved crystallinity, and a smoother surface. This promotes the formation of a high-quality CsPbBr3 film with larger grains by incorporating a derivative-phase CsPb2Br5. This film reduces interface defects, enhances grain growth, and boosts power conversion efficiency from 5.43% to 9.36%. Notably, unencapsulated devices maintain stable performance for over 2400 h in ambient air conditions.

Surface, Structural, and Electrochemical Analysis of High-Voltage Spinel Cathode LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Evolution Upon Ambient Storage Conditions

Spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as one of the high-energy positive electrode materials for next generation Li-ion batteries has attracted significant interest due to its economic and environmental advantages. However, the sensitivity of this type of material upon short to long term ambient storage conditions and the impact on the electrochemical performances remains poorly explored. Nevertheless, this remains an important aspect for practical large-scale synthesis, storage and utilization. Herein, we study and compare the evolution of surface chemistry, bulk crystal structure and elemental content evolution and distribution of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 using a variety of characterization techniques including XPS and STEM-EDS-EELS, as well as electrochemical analysis. We show that Mn species dominate the outer surface (0–5 nm), while Ni and Li are preferentially located further away and in the bulk. The studied LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material is found to be stable, with minor changes in surface or bulk characteristics detected, even after 12 months of storage under ambient air conditions. The low surface reactivity to air also accounts for the minor changes to the electrochemical performance of the air-exposed LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, compared to the pristine material. This study provides guidance for the appropriate storage, handling and processing of this high-performance cathode material.

Extracellular self-photosensitizer combined with metal oxide-based nano bio-hybrid system encapsulated by alginate improves hydrogen production in the presence of oxygen

The photocatalytic nano-biohybrid systems have great potential for the conversion of solar energy to fermentative hydrogen production. Herein, a whole-cell nano-biohybrid system consisting of biosynthesized cadmium sulfide, Enterobacter aerogenes cells, and metal oxide nanoparticles was constructed. The system was encapsulated with sodium alginate and used for light-driven biohydrogen production under anaerobic and in the presence of oxygen conditions. After 48 h incubation in the presence of oxygen, the E. aerogenes cells with the encapsulated hybrid system yielded 2.7 mmol H2/mmol glucose, a 13.5-fold higher than that of the E. aerogenes cells without encapsulation. The encapsulated hybrid system could produce hydrogen for up to 96 h and could produce hydrogen even under natural sunlight conditions. These results revealed that efficient hydrogen production is possible in the presence of oxygen. Overall, the present study demonstrated the potential of using proper nano-biohybrid system with encapsulation for the production of hydrogen under ambient air condition.

Flexible Wearable Strain Sensors Based on Laser-Induced Graphene for Monitoring Human Physiological Signals.

Flexible wearable strain sensors based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) have attracted significant interest due to their simple preparation process, three-dimensional porous structure, excellent electromechanical characteristics, and remarkable mechanical robustness. In this study, we demonstrated that LIG with various defects could be prepared on the surface of polyimide (PI) film, patterned in a single step by adjusting the scanning speed while maintaining a constant laser power of 12.4 W, and subjected to two repeated scans under ambient air conditions. The results indicated that LIG produced at a scanning speed of 70 mm/s exhibited an obvious stacked honeycomb micropore structure, and the flexible strain sensor fabricated with this material demonstrated stable resistance. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity within a low strain range of 0.4-8.0%, with the gauge factor (GF) reaching 107.8. The sensor demonstrated excellent stability and repeatable response at a strain of 2% after approximately 1000 repetitions. The flexible wearable LIG-based sensor with a serpentine bending structure could be used to detect various physiological signals, including pulse, finger bending, back of the hand relaxation and gripping, blinking eyes, smiling, drinking water, and speaking. The results of this study may serve as a reference for future applications in health monitoring, medical rehabilitation, and human-computer interactions.

Preparation of Self-Coating Al2O3 Bonded SiAlON Porous Ceramics Using Aluminum Dross and Silicon Solid Waste under Ambient Air Atmosphere.

Al2O3-bonded SiAlON ceramic with self-coating was prepared using aluminum dross and silicon solid waste as starting materials under ambient air conditions. The changes in phase, microstructure, and physical properties of the ceramic with temperature were analyzed and the formation mechanism of the SiAlON phase was elucidated. The results showed that higher temperature was more suitable for the preparation of SiAlON ceramics. As the temperature increased from 1400 to 1600 °C, the main phases in the ceramic transformed from mullite, Al2O3, and SiAlON to Al2O3 and SiAlON. An Al2O3-rich layer spontaneously coated the surface of the porous ceramic as Al melted and oxidized at high temperature. The thickness of this layer decreased as the temperature increased. The presence of Al2O3-rich coating layer impeded air flow, allowing nitriding of Si and Al, and the formation of the SiAlON phase in ambient air conditions. This study not only presents a strategy to successfully recycle aluminum dross and silicon solid waste but also offers a straightforward approach to preparing SiAlON material in air atmosphere.

Interactions of gulf cordgrass, Spartina spartinae (Trin.) Merr. ex Hitchc., habitat with ixodids on the South Texas coastal plain

Many ixodid species on the South Texas coastal plain can transmit pathogens to their hosts. Substantial areas are dominated by gulf cordgrass, Spartina spartinae (Trin.) Merr. ex Hitch. The S. spartinae habitat was examined in terms of abiotic and biotic factors that likely impinge upon ixodids using the plant for questing. Natural enemies, temperature, humidity, and plant structure were investigated as possible mortality factors and improving ixodid survival. Spartina spartinae (soil and foliage) harbored few natural enemies of ixodids, and soil salinity was nonlethal. Conditions were cooler and more humid inside S. spartinae clumps than in the canopies; hence, questing ixodids can rehydrate inside the clump when threatened by desiccation. Leaves were mostly “V” shaped in cooler months and, during warm months, the tightly folded leaf slot predominated, into which larvae crawled. Immature ixodids were more abundant in the concave side of the “V”-shaped leaves than on the exposed convex side. Larvae sought refuge from potential lethal ambient air conditions by entering tight warm season leaf folds. The leaf “V” and fold offer opportunities for rehydration on the leaf without moving to the clump’s base. In addition to five other species collected on the grass, a relatively heavy larval southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), population was detected, suggesting that abundances in the South Texas cattle fever tick eradication quarantine zone are increasing and might spread further into Texas.

An investigation on the cyclic temperature-dependent performance behaviors of ultrabright air-stable QLEDs

The aerobic and thermal stability of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) is an important factor for the practical applications of these devices under harsh environmental conditions. We demonstrate all-solution-processed amber QLEDs with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of > 14% with almost negligible efficiency roll-off (droop) and a peak brightness of > 600,000 cd/m2, unprecedented for QLEDs fabricated under ambient air conditions. We investigate the device efficiency and brightness level at a temperature range between − 10 and 85 °C in a 5-step cooling/heating cycle. We conducted the experiments at brightness levels higher than 10,000 cd/m2, required for outdoor lighting applications. Our device performance proves thermal stability, with minimal standard deviation in the performance parameters. Interestingly, the device efficiency parameters recover to the initial values upon returning to room temperature. The variations in the performance are correlated with the modification of charge transport characteristics and induced radiative/non-radiative exciton relaxation dynamics at different temperatures. Being complementary to previous studies on the subject, the present work is expected to shed light on the potential feasibility of realizing aerobic-stable ultrabright droop-free QLEDs and encourage further research for solid-state lighting applications.

Investigating Dry Room Compatibility of Chloride Solid-State Electrolytes for Scalable Manufacturing

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are receiving growing attention as they can replace conventional organic liquid electrolytes to alleviate flammability issues. The low Young’s modulus, decent ionic conductivity, and good oxidation stability make chloride SSEs promising candidates to be used as catholytes in all-solid-state batteries. To assess the scalability of chloride SSEs, their chemical stability in air and dry room environments needs to be evaluated. In this study, threechloride SSEs are investigated for their chemical stability under ambient air and dry room conditions: Li2ZrCl6 (LZC), Li3YCl6 (LYC), and Li3InCl6 (LIC). LZC undergo an irreversible hydrolysis reaction during air exposure and cannot be recovered by heat treatment. LYC decomposes into its hydrated precursors when exposed to ambient air, and further hydrolyzed during heat treatment and was thus not recoverable. LIC forms a stable hydrate and can be easily recovered by heating at 260 °C under vacuum. Finally, the electrochemical performance of dry room exposed chloride SSEs is evaluated where capacity loss was observed due to the lower SSE ionic conductivity due to the irreversible reactions.

Relations between photosynthetic pigments, macro-element contents and selected trace elements accumulated in Lolium Multiflorum L. exposed to ambient air conditions

Relations between photosynthetic pigments, macro-element contents and selected trace elements accumulated in Lolium Multiflorum L. exposed to ambient air conditions

Surface engineering of mesoporous-TiO2 electron transport layer for improved performance of organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells via suppressing interface defects, enhancing charge extraction and boosting carrier transport

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PrSCs) have emerged as a promising solar photovoltaic technology in terms of realizing high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, their limited lifetime and poor device stability limit their commercialization in future. In this regard, interface engineering of the electron transport layer (ETL) using 2D materials have been currently used owing to their high carrier mobility, high thermal stability and tunable work function which in turn enormously impact the charge carrier dynamics. In this work, we report an easy and effective way of simultaneously enhancing the efficiency and air-stability of PrSCs via interface engineering by incorporating 2D-MoS2 (bi/tri-layered) in mesoporous-titanium dioxide (mp-TiO2) scaffold electron transport buffer layer, and using CVD grown perovskite layers. The PrSCs were fabricated in ambient air conditions in device configuration, FTO/c-TiO2/mp-TiO2:2D-MoS2/CH3NH3PbI3/P3HT/Au, with an active area of 0.16 cm2. The best device using c-TiO2/mp-TiO2:2D-MoS2 (0.5 wt%) ETL exhibited a substantial increase in PCE ∼13.04% as compared to PCE ∼8.75% realized in reference device fabricated without incorporating MoS2 in mp-TiO2 buffer layer. The incorporation of MoS2 nanoflakes in mp-TiO2 ETL not only enhances the PCE to ∼49%, but also improve the lifetime (retaining PCE ∼86% of its initial value up to 500 hrs, without encapsulation). The enhancement in performance of c-TiO2/mp-TiO2:2D-MoS2 ETL based devices as compared with reference c-TiO2/mp-TiO2 ETL based devices is attributed to, (i) reduction in the work function of mp-TiO2 ETL buffer on dispersion of 2D-MoS2 nanoflakes forming of a perfect interface at ETL/perovskite offering extremely less interfacial energy barrier to promote the charge extraction process at the interface, and suppress the surface recombination losses, (ii) fast charge collection as 2D-MoS2 in TiO2 strongly support the electron transport due to their highly crystalline nature, and (iii) lifetime improvement due to better moisture stability of 2D-MoS2 and high quality of chemical vapor grown perovskite thin films. This work presents an efficient mp-TiO2:2D-MoS2 scaffold ETL for realizing high performance, low cost, air-processed PrSCs for their future development.

Transcriptional insights into Chlorella sp. ABC-001: a comparative study of carbon fixation and lipid synthesis under different CO2 conditions

BackgroundMicroalgae's low tolerance to high CO2 concentrations presents a significant challenge for its industrial application, especially when considering the utilization of industrial exhaust gas streams with high CO2 content—an economically and environmentally attractive option. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the metabolic changes in carbon fixation and lipid accumulation of microalgae under ambient air and high CO2 conditions, deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving these processes, and identify potential target genes for metabolic engineering in microalgae. To accomplish these goals, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of the high CO2-tolerant strain, Chlorella sp. ABC-001, under two different carbon dioxide levels (ambient air and 10% CO2) and at various growth phases.ResultsCells cultivated with 10% CO2 exhibited significantly better growth and lipid accumulation rates, achieving up to 2.5-fold higher cell density and twice the lipid content by day 7. To understand the relationship between CO2 concentrations and phenotypes, transcriptomic analysis was conducted across different CO2 conditions and growth phases. According to the analysis of differentially expressed genes and gene ontology, Chlorella sp. ABC-001 exhibited the development of chloroplast organelles during the early exponential phase under high CO2 conditions, resulting in improved CO2 fixation and enhanced photosynthesis. Cobalamin-independent methionine synthase expression was also significantly elevated during the early growth stage, likely contributing to the methionine supply required for various metabolic activities and active proliferation. Conversely, the cells showed sustained repression of carbonic anhydrase and ferredoxin hydrogenase, involved in the carbon concentrating mechanism, throughout the cultivation period under high CO2 conditions. This study also delved into the transcriptomic profiles in the Calvin cycle, nitrogen reductase, and lipid synthesis. Particularly, Chlorella sp. ABC-001 showed high expression levels of genes involved in lipid synthesis, such as glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and phospholipid-diacylglycerol acyltransferase. These findings suggest potential targets for metabolic engineering aimed at enhancing lipid production in microalgae.ConclusionsWe expect that our findings will help understand the carbon concentrating mechanism, photosynthesis, nitrogen assimilation, and lipid accumulation metabolisms of green algae according to CO2 concentrations. This study also provides insights into systems metabolic engineering of microalgae for improved performance in the future.

Dopant-Free Hole-Transporting Material Based on Poly(2,7-(9,9-bis(N,N-di-p-methoxylphenylamine)-4-phenyl))-fluorene for High-Performance Air-Processed Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

It is a great challenge to develop low-cost and dopant-free polymer hole-transporting materials (HTM) for PSCs, especially for efficient air-processed inverted (p-i-n) planar PSCs. A new homopolymer HTM, poly(2,7-(9,9-bis(N,N-di-p-methoxylphenyl amine)-4-phenyl))-fluorene (denoted as PFTPA), with appropriate photo-electrochemical, opto-electronic and thermal stability, was designed and synthesized in two steps to meet this challenge. By employing PFTPA as dopant-free hole-transport layer in air-processed inverted PSCs, a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 16.82% (0.1 cm2) was achieved, much superior to that of commercial HTM PEDOT:PSS (13.8%) under the same conditions. Such a superiority is attributed to the well-aligned energy levels, improved morphology, and efficient hole-transporting, as well as hole-extraction characteristics at the perovskite/HTM interface. In particular, these PFTPA-based PSCs fabricated in the air atmosphere maintain a long-term stability of 91% under ambient air conditions for 1000 h. Finally, PFTPA as the dopant-free HTM was also fabricated the slot-die coated perovskite device through the same fabrication condition, and a maximum PCE of 13.84% was obtained. Our study demonstrated that the low-cost and facile homopolymer PFTPA as the dopant-free HTM are potential candidates for large-scale production perovskite solar cell.

Optimized Placement of Frost-Measuring Sensors in Heat Exchangers via Image Processing of Frost Formation Pattern.

Heat exchangers (HXs) play a critical role in maintaining human thermal comfort and ensuring product safety and quality in various industries. However, the formation of frost on HX surfaces during cooling operations can significantly impact their performance and energy efficiency. Traditional defrosting methods primarily rely on time-based control of heaters or HX operation, overlooking the actual frost formation pattern across the surface. This pattern is influenced by ambient air conditions (humidity and temperature) and surface temperature variations. To address this issue, frost formation sensors can be strategically placed within the HX. However, the non-uniform frost pattern poses challenges in sensor placement. This study proposes an optimized sensor placement approach using computer vision and image processing techniques to analyze the frost formation pattern. Through creating a frost formation map and evaluating various sensor locations, frost detection can be optimized to control defrosting operations with higher accuracy, thereby enhancing the thermal performance and energy efficiency of HXs. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in accurately detecting and monitoring frost formation, providing valuable insights for sensor placement optimization. This approach presents significant potential in enhancing the overall performance and sustainability of the operation of HXs.