Multifunctional Role of Nanostructured CdS Interfacial Layers in Hybrid Solar Cells.

We demonstrate here a multifunctional application of CdS layers with nanotextured and nanowire morphology in four types of hybrid solar cells, i.e., (i) nanocrystal-polymer cell, (ii) nanocrystal-organic donor-acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) inverted cell, (iii) nanocrystal-dye sensitized solid state cell and (iv) nanocrystal-dye sensitized electrochemical cell. The role of CdS layer in each type of the above cells has been elucidated and the photovoltaic (PV) performance of the PV cells has been compared. It is shown that CdS acts as acceptor in the cells of types (i) and (iii), while it plays the role of an electron-selective (hole-blocking) layer to direct electrons from the organic counterpart to anode in the cases (ii) and (iv). Morphology of the CdS layer makes a noticeable effect on the PV performance. In particular, the nanowire array demonstrated an improved efficiency of collection of charge carriers as compared with the continuous textured surface due to the increased organic-CdS interface area in PV cells of practically all types. It is demonstrated that the same nanocrystal-dye structure can operate either as PV cell of type (iii) or PV cell of type (iv).

[Molecular mechanisms of the repair of UV-induced DNA damages in plants].

Solar UV-B radiation is an environmental factor which damage and destabilize genomes. UV-B-induced DNA lesions have cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on the cells of pro- and eucaryotes including plants. In addition, such lesions can cause gene mutations in plants. The products of the damages of cellular DNA caused by UV are examined in the present review and plant reparative pathways including photoreactivation, base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair are analyzed. The review deals as well with the mechanisms of plant DNA damage tolerance which allow to reduce the toxic effects of UV-B radiation.

[Biologic doses of sun ultraviolet in various geographic regions of Ukraine]. / Biodozy solnechnogo ul'trafioletovogo oblucheniia v razlichnykh geograficheskikh zonakh Ukrainy.

The values of minimal erytemal doses (MED) were determinated for solar ultraviolet (UV) for two geographic zones of Ukraine taking in account the seasons of a year. It was calculated a daily energetic loud produced by solar UV in summer for persons in outdoor. The idea concerning seasonal alternations of human individual sensitivity to solar UV was established.