A Silicon-Singlet Fission Tandem Solar Cell Exceeding 100% External Quantum Efficiency with High Spectral Stability.

After 60 years of research, silicon solar cell efficiency saturated close to the theoretical limit, and radically new approaches are needed to further improve the efficiency. The use of tandem systems raises this theoretical power conversion efficiency limit from 34% to 45%. We present the advantageous spectral stability of using voltage-matched tandem solar cells with respect to their traditional series-connected counterparts and experimentally demonstrate how singlet fission can be used to produce simple voltage-matched tandems. Our singlet fission silicon-pentacene tandem solar cell shows efficient photocurrent addition. This allows the tandem system to benefit from carrier multiplication and to produce an external quantum efficiency exceeding 100% at the main absorption peak of pentacene.

The effect of biomechanical stimulation on osteoblast differentiation of human jaw periosteum-derived stem cells.

BACKGROUND: This study was to investigate the effect of biomechanical stimulation on osteoblast differentiation of human periosteal-derived stem cell using the newly developed bioreactor. METHODS: Human periosteal-derived stem cells were harvested from the mandible during the extraction of an impacted third molar. Using the new bioreactor, 4% cyclic equibiaxial tension force (0.5 Hz) was applied for 2 and 8 h on the stem cells and cultured for 3, 7, and 14 days on the osteogenic medium. Biochemical changes of the osteoblasts after the biomechanical stimulation were investigated. No treatment group was referred to as control group. RESULTS: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and ALP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level were higher in the strain group than those in the control group. The osteocalcin and osteonectin mRNA expressions were higher in the strain group compared to those in the control group on days 7 and 14. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression was higher in the strain group in comparison to that in the control group. Concentration of alizarin red S corresponding to calcium content was higher in the strain group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that cyclic tension force could influence the osteoblast differentiation of periosteal-derived stem cells under optimal stimulation condition and the force could be applicable for tissue engineering.

Laser Crystallization of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites attract enormous research interest for next generation solar energy harvest. Synergistic crystalline structures comprising organic and inorganic components enable solution processing of perovskite films. A reliable crystallization method for perovskites, compatible with fast continuous process over large-area flexible substrates, is crucial for high performance solar cell production. Here, we present laser crystallization of hybrid perovskite solar cells using near-infrared (NIR) laser (λ = 1064 nm). Crystalline morphology of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskite films are widely controllable with laser irradiation condition while maintaining film uniformity. Photothermal heating effectively assisted by interfacial photoconversion layers is critical for phase transformation without beam damage of multilayered device structures. Notably, laser crystallization attains higher device performances than conventional thermal annealing. Fast laser crystallization with manufacture level scan rate (1 m min(-1)) demonstrates inverted-type perovskite solar cells with 11.3 and 8.0% efficiencies on typical glass and flexible polymer substrates, respectively, without rigorous device optimization.

Dopant-specific unzipping of carbon nanotubes for intact crystalline graphene nanostructures.

Atomic level engineering of graphene-based materials is in high demand to enable customize structures and properties for different applications. Unzipping of the graphene plane is a potential means to this end, but uncontrollable damage of the two-dimensional crystalline framework during harsh unzipping reaction has remained a key challenge. Here we present heteroatom dopant-specific unzipping of carbon nanotubes as a reliable and controllable route to customized intact crystalline graphene-based nanostructures. Substitutional pyridinic nitrogen dopant sites at carbon nanotubes can selectively initiate the unzipping of graphene side walls at a relatively low electrochemical potential (0.6 V). The resultant nanostructures consisting of unzipped graphene nanoribbons wrapping around carbon nanotube cores maintain the intact two-dimensional crystallinity with well-defined atomic configuration at the unzipped edges. Large surface area and robust electrical connectivity of the synergistic nanostructure demonstrate ultrahigh-power supercapacitor performance, which can serve for AC filtering with the record high rate capability of -85° of phase angle at 120 Hz.

Synergistic concurrent enhancement of charge generation, dissociation, and transport in organic solar cells with plasmonic metal-carbon nanotube hybrids.

Plasmonic nanostructures are synthesized by decorating B- or N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with Au nanoparticles. While the plasmonic nanoparticles promote exciton generation and dissociation, the B- and N-doped CNTs enable charge-selective transport enhancement in the organic active layer. Such concurrent enhancements of all the principal energy-harvesting steps improve the device efficiency up to 9.98% for organic single-junction solar cells.

Semiconducting polymers with nanocrystallites interconnected via boron-doped carbon nanotubes.

Organic semiconductors are key building blocks for future electronic devices that require unprecedented properties of low-weight, flexibility, and portability. However, the low charge-carrier mobility and undesirable processing conditions limit their compatibility with low-cost, flexible, and printable electronics. Here, we present significantly enhanced field-effect mobility (µ(FET)) in semiconducting polymers mixed with boron-doped carbon nanotubes (B-CNTs). In contrast to undoped CNTs, which tend to form undesired aggregates, the B-CNTs exhibit an excellent dispersion in conjugated polymer matrices and improve the charge transport between polymer chains. Consequently, the B-CNT-mixed semiconducting polymers enable the fabrication of high-performance FETs on plastic substrates via a solution process; the µFET of the resulting FETs reaches 7.2 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), which is the highest value reported for a flexible FET based on a semiconducting polymer. Our approach is applicable to various semiconducting polymers without any additional undesirable processing treatments, indicating its versatility, universality, and potential for high-performance printable electronics.

High performance organic photovoltaics with plasmonic-coupled metal nanoparticle clusters.

Performance enhancement of organic photovoltaics using plasmonic nanoparticles has been limited without interparticle plasmon coupling. We demonstrate high performance organic photovoltaics employing gold nanoparticle clusters with controlled morphology as a plasmonic component. Near-field coupling at the interparticle gaps of nanoparticle clusters gives rise to strong enhancement in localized electromagnetic field, which led to the significant improvement of exciton generation and dissociation in the active layer of organic solar cells. A power conversion efficiency of 9.48% is attained by employing gold nanoparticle clusters at the bottom of the organic active layer. This is one of the highest efficiency values reported thus far for the single active layer organic photovoltaics.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and graphene composite structures for energy and catalytic applications.

Substitutional heteroatom doping is a promising route to modulate the outstanding material properties of carbon nanotubes and graphene for customized applications. Recently, (nitrogen-) N-doping has been introduced to ensure tunable work-function, enhanced n-type carrier concentration, diminished surface energy, and manageable polarization. Along with the promising assessment of N-doping effects, research on the N-doped carbon based composite structures is emerging for the synergistic integration with various functional materials. This invited feature article reviews the current research progress, emerging trends, and opening opportunities in N-doped carbon based composite structures. Underlying basic principles are introduced for the effective modulation of material properties of graphitic carbons by N-doping. Composite structures of N-doped graphitic carbons with various functional materials, including (i) polymers, (ii) transition metals, (iii) metal oxides, nitrides, sulphides, and (iv) semiconducting quantum dots are highlighted. Practical benefits of the synergistic composite structures are investigated in energy and catalytic applications, such as organic photovoltaics, photo/electro-catalysts, lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors, with a particular emphasis on the optimized interfacial structures and properties.

Transient ipsilateral mydriasis during correction of left blowout fracture.

Mydriasis, either bilateral or unilateral, seldom occurs during reconstruction of periorbital fracture. Anisocoria, a unilateral mydriasis, requires more urgent assessment than bilateral mydriasis does. Pharmacologic agents, local anesthetic infiltration, as well as direct or indirect oculomotor nerve damage are possible causes of unilateral mydriasis. Few cases have been reported about intraoperative temporary ipsilateral mydriasis during correction of blowout fracture. We have experienced an unusual case of anisocoria and report the case with literature reviews.

25th anniversary article: Chemically modified/doped carbon nanotubes & graphene for optimized nanostructures & nanodevices.

Outstanding pristine properties of carbon nanotubes and graphene have limited the scope for real-life applications without precise controllability of the material structures and properties. This invited article to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Advanced Materials reviews the current research status in the chemical modification/doping of carbon nanotubes and graphene and their relevant applications with optimized structures and properties. A broad aspect of specific correlations between chemical modification/doping schemes of the graphitic carbons with their novel tunable material properties is summarized. An overview of the practical benefits from chemical modification/doping, including the controllability of electronic energy level, charge carrier density, surface energy and surface reactivity for diverse advanced applications is presented, namely flexible electronics/optoelectronics, energy conversion/storage, nanocomposites, and environmental remediation, with a particular emphasis on their optimized interfacial structures and properties. Future research direction is also proposed to surpass existing technological bottlenecks and realize idealized graphitic carbon applications.

Work function engineering of ZnO electrodes by using p-type and n-type doped carbon nanotubes.

Transparent electrodes in organic electronic devices are strongly needed in order to replace indium tin oxide (ITO). Some of the best candidates are ZnO films, which have shown both good electronic properties and solution processability compatible with roll-to-roll production of the devices. We present the possibility to engineer the work function of ZnO by blending it with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). B-doped (p-type), N-doped (n-type) and undoped CNTs as well as their blends with ZnO have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results of Raman spectroscopy demonstrate the substitutional doping of carbon nanotubes, which preserves their covalent structure although increasing the disorder within the nanotubes. The roughness and average shape of grains of ZnO when blended with the doped nanotubes have been measured by AFM. Finally, SKPM shows that the work function of the blends can be engineered from 4.4 ± 0.1 to 4.9 ± 0.1 eV according to the kind of nanotube that is blended even if only a small amount of nanotubes is added to the blend (0.08 wt%).

The role of N-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes in achieving highly efficient polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells.

This paper reports an improved solar cell performance of 8.6% by incorporation of N-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes (N-MCNTs) into BHJ solar cells composed of PTB7 and PC71BM. It was demonstrated for the first time that incorporation of N-MCNTs leads to not only increased nanocrystallite sizes but also smaller phase-separated domain sizes of both PTB7 copolymers and PC71BM from X-ray scattering study. The results show that N-MCNTs could serve as both exciton dissociation centers and charge transfer channels. The enhanced charge dissociation probabilities and effective charge carrier lifetime in the active layer material offer evidence to support the conclusion that N-MCNTs facilitated charge separation and transport.

Exciton dissociation and charge-transport enhancement in organic solar cells with quantum-dot/N-doped CNT hybrid nanomaterials.

The incorporation of InP quantum-dot/N-doped multiwalled carbon nanotube (QD:NCNT) nanohybrids in the active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/indene-C60 bisadduct (P3HT/ICBA) bulk-heterojuction solar cells enhances V(OC) and J(SC) . The QDs encourage exciton dissociation by promoting electron transfer, while the NCNTs enhance the transport of the separated electrons and eventual charge collection. Such a synergistic effect successfully improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 4.68% (reference cells) to 6.11%.

Flexible multilevel resistive memory with controlled charge trap B- and N-doped carbon nanotubes.

B- and N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with controlled workfunctions were successfully employed as charge trap materials for solution processable, mechanically flexible, multilevel switching resistive memory. B- and N-doping systematically controlled the charge trap level and dispersibility of CNTs in polystyrene matrix. Consequently, doped CNT device demonstrated greatly enhanced nonvolatile memory performance (ON-OFF ratio >10(2), endurance cycle >10(2), retention time >10(5)) compared to undoped CNT device. More significantly, the device employing both B- and N-doped CNTs with different charge trap levels exhibited multilevel resistive switching with a discrete and stable intermediate state. Charge trapping materials with different energy levels offer a novel design scheme for solution processable multilevel memory.

Biomineralized N-doped CNT/TiO2 core/shell nanowires for visible light photocatalysis.

We report an efficient and environmentally benign biomimetic mineralization of TiO(2) at the graphitic carbon surface, which successfully created an ideal TiO(2)/carbon hybrid structure without any harsh surface treatment or interfacial adhesive layer. The N-doped sites at carbon nanotubes (CNTs) successfully nucleated the high-yield biomimetic deposition of a uniformly thick TiO(2) nanoshell in neutral pH aqueous media at ambient pressure and temperature and generated N-doped CNT (NCNT)/TiO(2) core/shell nanowires. Unlike previously known organic biomineralization templates, such as proteins or peptides, the electroconductive and high-temperature-stable NCNT backbone enabled high-temperature thermal treatment and corresponding crystal structure transformation of TiO(2) nanoshells into the anatase or rutile phase for optimized material properties. The direct contact of the NCNT surface and TiO(2) nanoshell without any adhesive interlayer introduced a new carbon energy level in the TiO(2) band gap and thereby effectively lowered the band gap energy. Consequently, the created core/shell nanowires showed a greatly enhanced visible light photocatalysis. Other interesting synergistic properties such as stimuli-responsive wettabilites were also demonstrated.

Comparative study on the results of non-surgical periodontal treatment according to the location of the affected site.

PURPOSE: The present study was performed to compare the treatment outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment according to the distribution of attachment loss of a given patient. METHODS: Forty-five patients with moderate to severe periodontitis were divided in two subgroups; Group I patients with teeth manifesting attachment loss of ≥6 mm at one or more sites on the buccal/labial aspect while maintaining an attachment level ≤5 mm at the lingual/palatal aspect, Group II patients with teeth manifesting an attachment level ≥6 mm at more than one site on the lingual/palatal aspect while maintaining an attachment level ≤5 mm at the buccal/labial aspect. The probing pocket depth, probing attachment level, tooth mobility, and chewing discomfort were recorded at baseline and 6 months examinations following non-surgical periodontal therapy. RESULTS: The buccal/labial surfaces of teeth with moderate to severe periodontitis in Group I patients demonstrated a greater amount of pocket reduction, gain of attachment level, and tooth mobility reduction than the lingual/palatal aspects of teeth examined in Group II patients. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of the present study, the patients demonstrating attachment loss ≥6 mm at buccal/labial surfaces responded better to the nonsurgical periodontal therapy than those demonstrating comparable attachment loss at lingual/palatal surfaces.

Selective electron- or hole-transport enhancement in bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells with N- or B-doped carbon nanotubes.

Doping improves performance. N- or B-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) uniformly dispersed in the active layer of P3HT/PCMB (poly (3-hexylthiophene/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) bulk-heterojunction solar cells selectively enhance electron or hole transport and eventually help carrier collection. Specifically, the incorporation of 1.0 wt% B-doped CNTs results in balanced electron and hole transport and accomplishes a power conversion efficiency improvement from 3.0% (without CNTs) to 4.1%.