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Fulltext Tetraalkylammonium salts (TAS) in solar energy applications - A review on in vitro and in vivo toxicity

Mustafa NM, Jumaah FN, Ludin NA, Akhtaruzzaman M, Hassan NH, Ahmad A, et al.

Heliyon, 2024 Apr 15;10(7):e27381.
PMID: 38560257 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27381

Tetraalkylammonium salt (TAS) is an organic salt widely employed as a precursor, additive or electrolyte in solar cell applications, such as perovskite or dye-sensitized solar cells. Notably, Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered acclaim for their exceptional efficiency. However, PSCs have been associated with environmental and health concerns due to the presence of lead (Pb) content, the use of hazardous solvents, and the incorporation of TAS in their fabrication processes, which significantly contributes to environmental and human health toxicity. As a response, there is a growing trend towards transitioning to safer and biobased materials in PSC fabrication to address these concerns. However, the potential health hazards associated with TAS necessitate a thorough evaluation, considering the widespread use of this substance. Nevertheless, the overexploitation of TAS could potentially increase the disposal of TAS in the ecosystem, thus, posing a major health risk and severe pollution. Therefore, this review article presents a comprehensive discussion on the in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays of TAS as a potential material in solar energy applications, including cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, in vivo dermal, and systemic toxicity. In addition, this review emphasizes the toxicity of TAS compounds, particularly the linear tetraalkyl chain structures, and summarizes essential findings from past studies as a point of reference for the development of non-toxic and environmentally friendly TAS derivatives in future studies. The effects of the TAS alkyl chain length, polar head and hydrophobicity, cation and anion, and other properties are also included in this review.
Transition Metals-Based Water Splitting Electrocatalysts on Copper-Based Substrates: The Integral Role of Morphological Properties

Selvanathan S, Meng Woi P, Selvanathan V, Karim MR, Sopian K, Akhtaruzzaman M

Chem Rec, 2024 Jan;24(1):e202300228.
PMID: 37857549 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300228

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a promising alternative to produce high purity hydrogen gas as the green substitute for renewable energy. Thus, development of electrocatalysts for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are vital to improve the efficiency of the water splitting process particularly based on transition metals which has been explored extensively to replace the highly active electrocatalytic activity of the iridium and ruthenium metals-based electrocatalysts. In situ growth of the material on a conductive substrate has also been proven to have the capability to lower down the overpotential value significantly. On top of that, the presence of substrate has given a massive impact on the morphology of the electrocatalyst. Among the conductive substrates that have been widely explored in the field of electrochemistry are the copper based substrates mainly copper foam, copper foil and copper mesh. Copper-based substrates possess unique properties such as low in cost, high tensile strength, excellent conductor of heat and electricity, ultraporous with well-integrated hierarchical structure and non-corrosive in nature. In this review, the recent advancements of HER and OER electrocatalysts grown on copper-based substrates has been critically discussed, focusing on their morphology, design, and preparation methods of the nanoarrays.
Synergistic Effect of Allium-like Ni9 S8 & Cu7 S4 Electrodeposited on Nickel Foam for Enhanced Water Splitting Activity

Mottakin M, Selvanathan V, Ariful Islam M, Almohamadi H, Alharthi NH, Yoshimura S, et al.

Chem Asian J, 2023 Aug 06.
PMID: 37544903 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202300532

This study explores a water-splitting activity using a biphasic electrodeposited electrode on nickel foam (NF). The *Ni9 S8 /Cu7 S4 /NF electrode with citric acid reduction exhibits superior OER (oxygen evolution reaction) and HER (hydrogen evolution reaction) performance with reduced overpotential and a steeper Tafel slope. The *Ni9 S8 /Cu7 S4 /NF electrode displays the ultra-low overpotential value of 212 mV for OER and 109 mV for HER at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 . The Tafel slope of 25.4 mV dec-1 for OER and 108 mV dec-1 for HER was found from that electrode. The maximum electrochemical surface area (ECSA), lowest series resistance and lowest charge transfer resistance are found in citric acid reduced electrode, showing increased electrical conductivity and quick charge transfer kinetics. Remarkably, the *Ni9 S8 /Cu7 S4 /NF electrode demonstrated excellent stability for 80 hours in pure water splitting and 20 hours in seawater splitting. The synergistic effect of using bimetallic (Cu&Ni) sulfide and enhanced electrical conductivity of the electrode are caused by reduction of metal sulfide into metallic species resulting in improved water splitting performance.
Fulltext Impact of Diverse Parameters on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Green-Synthesized Zinc Oxide-Copper Oxide Nanocomposites Derived from an Aqueous Extract of Garcinia mangostana L. Leaf

Chan YB, Aminuzzaman M, Tey LH, Win YF, Watanabe A, Djearamame S, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2023 Aug 02;16(15).
PMID: 37570124 DOI: 10.3390/ma16155421

Compared to conventional metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxide nanocomposites have demonstrated significantly enhanced efficiency in various applications. In this study, we aimed to synthesize zinc oxide-copper oxide nanocomposites (ZnO-CuO NCs) using a green synthesis approach. The synthesis involved mixing 4 g of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O with different concentrations of mangosteen (G. mangostana) leaf extract (0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 g/mL) and 2 or 4 g of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O, followed by calcination at temperatures of 300, 400 and 500 °C. The synthesized ZnO-CuO NCs were characterized using various techniques, including a UV-Visible spectrometer (UV-Vis), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) with an Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer. Based on the results of this study, the optical, structural and morphological properties of ZnO-CuO NCs were found to be influenced by the concentration of the mangosteen leaf extract, the calcination temperature and the amount of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O used. Among the tested conditions, ZnO-CuO NCs derived from 0.05 g/mL of mangosteen leaf extract, 4 g of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and 2 g of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O, calcinated at 500 °C exhibited the following characteristics: the lowest energy bandgap (2.57 eV), well-defined Zn-O and Cu-O bands, the smallest particle size of 39.10 nm with highest surface area-to-volume ratio and crystalline size of 18.17 nm. In conclusion, we successfully synthesized ZnO-CuO NCs using a green synthesis approach with mangosteen leaf extract. The properties of the nanocomposites were significantly influenced by the concentration of the plant extract, the calcination temperature and the amount of precursor used. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers seeking innovative methods for the production and utilization of nanocomposite materials.
Fulltext Phytochemical-assisted green synthesis of CuFeOx nano-rose electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

Sarkar DK, Selvanathan V, Mottakin M, Hasan AKM, Islam MA, Almohamadi H, et al.

RSC Adv, 2023 Jun 22;13(28):19130-19139.
PMID: 37362330 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra02512h

This study represents a green synthesis method for fabricating an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode by depositing two-dimensional CuFeOx on nickel foam (NF). Two-dimensional CuFeOx was deposited on NF using in situ hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of Aloe vera extract. This phytochemical-assisted synthesis of CuFeOx resulted in a unique nano-rose-like morphology (petal diameter 30-70 nm), which significantly improved the electrochemical surface area of the electrode. The synthesized electrode was analyzed for its OER electrocatalytic activity and it was observed that using 75% Aloe vera extract in the phytochemical-assisted synthesis of CuFeOx resulted in improved OER electrocatalytic performance by attaining an overpotential of 310 mV for 50 mA cm-2 and 410 mV for 100 mA cm-2. The electrode also sustained robust stability throughout the 50 h of chronopotentiometry studies under alkaline electrolyte conditions, demonstrating its potential as an efficient OER electrode material. This study highlights the promising use of Aloe vera extract as a green and cost-effective way to synthesize efficient OER electrode materials.
Fulltext A comprehensive photovoltaic study on tungsten disulfide (WS2) buffer layer based CdTe solar cell

Emon EI, Islam AM, Sobayel MK, Islam S, Akhtaruzzaman M, Amin N, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Mar;9(3):e14438.
PMID: 36950573 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14438

Transition metal di-chalcogenides (TMCDs)-Tungsten disulfide (WS2) exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties such as suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, good conductivity, high carrier mobility, etc. to be used as a photovoltaic material for thin-film solar cells. In the present work, we have replaced the traditional buffer CdS and ITO/ZnO window layer in CdTe solar cells with the non-toxic, earth-abundant WS2 buffer and SnO2 window layer, respectively. The SCAPS-1D solar simulator is used to investigate the potentiality of WS2 as buffer material in CdTe solar cells. This numerical study provides a comparison of the performances between the proposed structure: SnO2/WS2/CdTe/Au and the baseline structure: ITO/ZnO/CdS/CdTe/Au. The impacts of the charge carrier generation rate, spectral response, current-voltage characteristics, bulk defect density, defect density at buffer/absorber interface, operating temperature, and capacitance-voltage characteristics on the solar cell performance parameters have also been analyzed. The tolerance level of defect density in WS2 bulk and WS2/CdTe interface are found to be 1017 cm-3 and 1012 cm-3, respectively. The temperature study reveals the poor structural robustness and thermal stability of the proposed cell. The conversion efficiency of the proposed cell has found to be 20.55% at the optimized device structure. Nevertheles, these findings may provide an insight to fabricate viable, environment friendly, and inexpensive CdTe thin-film solar cells.
Fulltext Provision of renal-specific nutrition knowledge for changing dietary practice in Bangladeshi hemodialysis patients

Rahman T, Ahmed S, Kabir MR, Akhtaruzzaman M, Mitali EJ, Rashid HU, et al.

PEC Innov, 2022 Dec;1:100028.
PMID: 37213733 DOI: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2022.100028

OBJECTIVE: Studies show that provision of nutrition knowledge help renal patients make informed food choices. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nutrition knowledge for changing dietary practice among Bangladeshi dialysis patients.
METHODS: Following development of a renal-specific nutrition booklet, a pilot study was conducted among 50 hemodialysis patients from a single dialysis setting. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, biochemical, dietary data, and a 10-item MCQ on renal-specific nutrition information were collected before and 3 months after the provision of the booklet.
RESULTS: 52% of the participants were male, 54% had twice weekly dialysis, age 53 ± 12 years, and dialysis vintage was 46 ± 25 months. Serum potassium and phosphorous, dietary potassium, phosphorous, and phosphorous to protein ratio were significantly reduced after the provision of the booklet. Additionally, patients consuming >3 meals/day increased to 66% while adherence to renal-specific cooking method and vegetable preference were significantly increased to 70% and 62%, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Provision of knowledge via renal-specific nutrition booklet was able to improve patients' dietary practice and enhance their dietary adherence to renal specific recommendations.
INNOVATION: The booklet was developed using locally available food items in local language and was found beneficial in low-resource settings where overall health care facilities, including nutrition support are limited.
Optimization of a high-performance lead-free cesium-based inorganic perovskite solar cell through numerical approach

Tulka TK, Alam N, Akhtaruzzaman M, Sobayel K, Hossain MM

Heliyon, 2022 Nov;8(11):e11719.
PMID: 36425430 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11719

In this work, an ultra-thin (0.815 μm) lead-free all-inorganic novel PV cell structure consisting of solid-state layers with the configuration SnO2/ZnOS/CsGeI3/CZTSe/Au has been optimized using SCAPS-1D simulator. ZnOS electron transport layer (ETL) has been deployed and various hole transport layer (HTL) material candidates have been considered to find the most suitable one in order to get the maximum possible power conversion efficiency (PCE). The simulation begins with the optimization of the thickness of the ZnOS buffer layer, followed by an analysis of HTL and ETL doping concentrations, thickness and bandgap optimization of absorber layer. The maximum permissible defect density at the ZnOS/CsGeI3 interface and the bulk defect density of the absorber layer (CsGeI3) are also investigated. It is also found that when the temperature rises, short circuit current density (J sc ) rises by 1.43 mA/K and open-circuit voltage (V oc ) degrades by 2 mV/K. The optimized structure results in a PCE of 26.893% with J sc , V oc , and fill factor (FF) of 28.172 mA cm-2, 1.0834 V, and 88.107% respectively. The cell performance parameters outperform those found in the recent literature. The simulated results of the proposed configuration are expected to be a helpful reference for the future implementation of a cost-effective and efficient all-inorganic perovskite PV cell.
Fulltext Degradation of Perovskite Thin Films and Solar Cells with Candle Soot C/Ag Electrode Exposed in a Control Ambient

Islam MA, Mohafez H, Sobayel K, Wan Muhamad Hatta SF, Hasan AKM, Khandaker MU, et al.

Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 Dec 20;11(12).
PMID: 34947812 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123463

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have already achieved efficiencies of over 25%; however, their instability and degradation in the operational environment have prevented them from becoming commercially viable. Understanding the degradation mechanism, as well as improving the fabrication technique for achieving high-quality perovskite films, is crucial to overcoming these shortcomings. In this study, we investigated details in the changes of physical properties associated with the degradation and/or decomposition of perovskite films and solar cells using XRD, FESEM, EDX, UV-Vis, Hall-effect, and current-voltage (I-V) measurement techniques. The dissociation, as well as the intensity of perovskite peaks, have been observed as an impact of film degradation by humidity. The decomposition rate of perovskite film has been estimated from the structural and optical changes. The performance degradation of novel planner structure PSCs has been investigated in detail. The PSCs were fabricated in-room ambient using candle soot carbon and screen-printed Ag electrode. It was found that until the perovskite film decomposed by 30%, the film properties and cell efficiency remained stable.
Paste Aging Spontaneously Tunes TiO2 Nanoparticles into Reproducible Electrosprayed Photoelectrodes

Shahiduzzaman M, Chen B, Akhtaruzzaman M, Wang L, Fukuhara H, Tomita K, et al.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2021 Nov 17;13(45):53758-53766.
PMID: 34735118 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c13793

In this study, the spontaneous microstructure tuning of TiO2 was observed by aging the ethanol/water TiO2 paste for up to 20 days at ambient conditions. A dynamic light scattering study reveals that it formed the outstanding reproducible TiO2 microstructure with a ∼200 nm average particle size and stabilizes in 6 to 20 days under an ambient atmosphere. Interestingly, the as-deposited day 15 sample spontaneously changed its crystallinity upon keeping the paste at ambient conditions; meanwhile the day 0 sample showed an amorphous structure. A dense, uniform, and stable TiO2 electrode was cast on a fluorine doped-tin oxide substrate using the electrospray technique. We exploit the spontaneous evolution of the TiO2 nanopowder to revisit the fabrication procedure of the TiO2 photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The controlled microstructure TiO2 film was used in DSSCs, which, to the best of our knowledge, achieved the highest power conversion efficiency of 9.65% using N719 dye in sensitizing the TiO2 photoanode.
Fulltext Transformation of Oil Palm Waste-Derived Cellulose into Solid Polymer Electrolytes: Investigating the Crucial Role of Plasticizers

Abouloula CN, Rizwan M, Selvanathan V, Yahya R, Althubeiti K, Alkhammash HI, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Oct 26;13(21).
PMID: 34771242 DOI: 10.3390/polym13213685

This study explores the possibility of transforming lignocellulose-rich agricultural waste materials into value-added products. Cellulose was extracted from an empty fruit bunch of oil palm and further modified into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a water-soluble cellulose derivative. The CMC was then employed as the polymeric content in fabrication of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) films incorporated with lithium iodide. To enhance the ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolytes, the compositions were optimized with different amounts of glycerol as a plasticizing agent. The chemical and physical effects of plasticizer content on the film composition were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the interaction plasticizer with the polymer matrix and the amorphous nature of fabricated SPEs. The highest ionic conductivity of 6.26 × 10-2 S/cm was obtained with the addition of 25 wt % of glycerol. By fabricating solid polymer electrolytes from oil palm waste-derived cellulose, the sustainability of the materials can be retained while reducing the dependence on fossil fuel-derived materials in electrochemical devices.
Fulltext Muntingia calabura Leaves Mediated Green Synthesis of CuO Nanorods: Exploiting Phytochemicals for Unique Morphology

Selvanathan V, Aminuzzaman M, Tey LH, Razali SA, Althubeiti K, Alkhammash HI, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2021 Oct 25;14(21).
PMID: 34771914 DOI: 10.3390/ma14216379

In this study, phytochemical assisted nanoparticle synthesis was performed using Muntingia calabura leaf extracts to produce copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) with interesting morphology. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of the biosynthesized CuO NPs reveal formation of distinct, homogeneous, and uniform sized CuO nanorods structure with thickness and length of around 23 nm and 79 nm, respectively. Based on Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, the unique combinations of secondary metabolites such as flavonoid and polyphenols in the plant extract are deduced to be effective capping agents to produce nanoparticles with unique morphologies similar to conventional chemical synthesis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis verified the monoclinical, crystalline structure of the CuO NPs. The phase purity and chemical identity of the product was consolidated via X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopic data which indicate the formation of a single phase CuO without the presence of other impurities. The direct and indirect optical band gap energies of the CuO nanorods were recorded to be 3.65 eV and 1.42 eV.
Impact of Ar Flow Rates on Micro-Structural Properties of WS2 Thin Film by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Akhtaruzzaman M, Shahiduzzaman M, Amin N, Muhammad G, Islam MA, Rafiq KSB, et al.

Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 Jun 22;11(7).
PMID: 34206518 DOI: 10.3390/nano11071635

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) thin films were deposited on soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at different Ar flow rates (3 to 7 sccm). The effect of Ar flow rates on the structural, morphology, and electrical properties of the WS2 thin films was investigated thoroughly. Structural analysis exhibited that all the as-grown films showed the highest peak at (101) plane corresponds to rhombohedral phase. The crystalline size of the film ranged from 11.2 to 35.6 nm, while dislocation density ranged from 7.8 × 1014 to 26.29 × 1015 lines/m2. All these findings indicate that as-grown WS2 films are induced with various degrees of defects, which were visible in the FESEM images. FESEM images also identified the distorted crystallographic structure for all the films except the film deposited at 5 sccm of Ar gas flow rate. EDX analysis found that all the films were having a sulfur deficit and suggested that WS2 thin film bears edge defects in its structure. Further, electrical analysis confirms that tailoring of structural defects in WS2 thin film can be possible by the varying Ar gas flow rates. All these findings articulate that Ar gas flow rate is one of the important process parameters in RF magnetron sputtering that could affect the morphology, electrical properties, and structural properties of WS2 thin film. Finally, the simulation study validates the experimental results and encourages the use of WS2 as a buffer layer of CdTe-based solar cells.
Fulltext New insights of phenolic compounds from optimized fruit extract of Ficus auriculata

Shahinuzzaman M, Akhtar P, Amin N, Ahmed Y, Anuar FH, Misran H, et al.

Sci Rep, 2021 Jun 14;11(1):12503.
PMID: 34127747 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91913-w

In this study, the extraction conditions extracted maximize amounts of phenolic and bioactive compounds from the fruit extract of Ficus auriculata by using optimized response surface methodology. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated through the assay of radical scavenging ability on DPPH and ABTS as well as reducing power assays on total phenolic content (TPC). For the extraction purpose, the ultrasonic assisted extraction technique was employed. A second-order polynomial model satisfactorily fitted to the experimental findings concerning antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.968, P
Fulltext Defect Study and Modelling of SnX3-Based Perovskite Solar Cells with SCAPS-1D

Samiul Islam M, Sobayel K, Al-Kahtani A, Islam MA, Muhammad G, Amin N, et al.

Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 May 05;11(5).
PMID: 34063020 DOI: 10.3390/nano11051218

Recent achievements, based on lead (Pb) halide perovskites, have prompted comprehensive research on low-cost photovoltaics, in order to avoid the major challenges that arise in this respect: Stability and toxicity. In this study, device modelling of lead (Pb)-free perovskite solar cells has been carried out considering methyl ammonium tin bromide (CH3NH3SnBr3) as perovskite absorber layer. The perovskite structure has been justified theoretically by Goldschmidt tolerance factor and the octahedral factor. Numerical modelling tools were used to investigate the effects of amphoteric defect and interface defect states on the photovoltaic parameters of CH3NH3SnBr3-based perovskite solar cell. The study identifies the density of defect tolerance in the absorber layer, and that both the interfaces are 1015 cm-3, and 1014 cm-3, respectively. Furthermore, the simulation evaluates the influences of metal work function, uniform donor density in the electron transport layer and the impact of series resistance on the photovoltaic parameters of proposed n-TiO2/i-CH3NH3SnBr3/p-NiO solar cell. Considering all the optimization parameters, CH3NH3SnBr3-based perovskite solar cell exhibits the highest efficiency of 21.66% with the Voc of 0.80 V, Jsc of 31.88 mA/cm2 and Fill Factor of 84.89%. These results divulge the development of environmentally friendly methyl ammonium tin bromide perovskite solar cell.
Fulltext Recovery of FTO coated glass substrate via environment-friendly facile recycling perovskite solar cells

Chowdhury MS, Rahman KS, Selvanathan V, Hasan AKM, Jamal MS, Samsudin NA, et al.

RSC Adv, 2021 Apr 15;11(24):14534-14541.
PMID: 35423997 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00338k

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently emerged as a potential candidate for large-scale and low-cost photovoltaic devices. However, the technology is still susceptible to degradation issues and toxicity concerns due to the presence of lead (Pb). Therefore, investigation on ideal methods to deal with PSC wastes once the device attains its end-of-life is crucial and to recycle the components within the cell is the most cost effective and energy effective method by far. This paper reported on a layer-by-layer extraction approach to recycle the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate which is the most expensive component in the device architecture of mesoporous planar PSC. By adapting the sequential removal of each layer, chemical properties of individual components, including spiro-OMeTAD and gold can be preserved, enabling the material to be easily reused. It also ensured that the toxic Pb component could be isolated without contaminating other materials. The removal of all individual layers allows the retrieval of FTO conductive glass which can be used in various applications that are not only restricted to photovoltaics. Comparison of electrical, morphological and physical properties of recycled FTO glasses to commercial ones revealed minimal variations. This confirmed that the recycling approach was useful in retrieving the substrate without affecting its physicochemical properties.
Fulltext Spray Pyrolyzed TiO2 Embedded Multi-Layer Front Contact Design for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells

Shahiduzzaman M, Hossain MI, Visal S, Kaneko T, Qarony W, Umezu S, et al.

Nanomicro Lett, 2021 Jan 04;13(1):36.
PMID: 34138244 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-020-00559-2

The photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be improved by utilizing efficient front contact. However, it has always been a significant challenge for fabricating high-quality, scalable, controllable, and cost-effective front contact. This study proposes a realistic multi-layer front contact design to realize efficient single-junction PSCs and perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells (TSCs). As a critical part of the front contact, we prepared a highly compact titanium oxide (TiO2) film by industrially viable Spray Pyrolysis Deposition (SPD), which acts as a potential electron transport layer (ETL) for the fabrication of PSCs. Optimization and reproducibility of the TiO2 ETL were discreetly investigated while fabricating a set of planar PSCs. As the front contact has a significant influence on the optoelectronic properties of PSCs, hence, we investigated the optics and electrical effects of PSCs by three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and finite element method (FEM) rigorous simulations. The investigation allows us to compare experimental results with the outcome from simulations. Furthermore, an optimized single-junction PSC is designed to enhance the energy conversion efficiency (ECE) by > 30% compared to the planar reference PSC. Finally, the study has been progressed to the realization of all-perovskite TSC that can reach the ECE, exceeding 30%. Detailed guidance for the completion of high-performance PSCs is provided.
Fulltext Resorcinol-Formaldehyde (RF) as a Novel Plasticizer for Starch-Based Solid Biopolymer Electrolyte

Selvanathan V, Ruslan MH, Aminuzzaman M, Muhammad G, Amin N, Sopian K, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2020 Sep 22;12(9).
PMID: 32972016 DOI: 10.3390/polym12092170

A starch-resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF)-lithium triflate (LiTf) based biodegradable polymer electrolyte membrane was synthesized via the solution casting technique. The formation of RF crosslinks in the starch matrix was found to repress the starch's crystallinity as indicated by the XRD data. Incorporation of the RF plasticizer improved the conductivity greatly, with the highest room-temperature conductivity recorded being 4.29 × 10-4 S cm-1 achieved by the starch:LiTf:RF (20 wt.%:20 wt.%:60 wt.%) composition. The enhancement in ionic conductivity was an implication of the increase in the polymeric amorphous region concurrent with the suppression of the starch's crystallinity. Chemical complexation between the plasticizer, starch, and lithium salt components in the electrolyte was confirmed by FTIR spectra.
Fulltext In vitro antioxidant activity of Ficus carica L. latex from 18 different cultivars

Shahinuzzaman M, Yaakob Z, Anuar FH, Akhtar P, Kadir NHA, Hasan AKM, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 07 02;10(1):10852.
PMID: 32616768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67765-1

As synthetic antioxidants that are widely used in foods are known to cause detrimental health effects, studies on natural additives as potential antioxidants are becoming increasingly important. In this work, the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of Ficus carica Linn latex from 18 cultivars were investigated. The TPC of latex was calculated using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were used for antioxidant activity assessment. The bioactive compounds from F. carica latex were extracted via maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with 75% ethanol as solvent. Under the same extraction conditions, the latex of cultivar 'White Genoa' showed the highest antioxidant activity of 65.91% ± 1.73% and 61.07% ± 1.65% in DPPH, 98.96% ± 1.06% and 83.04% ± 2.16% in ABTS, and 27.08 ± 0.34 and 24.94 ± 0.84 mg TE/g latex in FRAP assay via maceration and UAE, respectively. The TPC of 'White Genoa' was 315.26 ± 6.14 and 298.52 ± 9.20 µg GAE/mL via the two extraction methods, respectively. The overall results of this work showed that F. carica latex is a potential natural source of antioxidants. This finding is useful for further advancements in the fields of food supplements, food additives and drug synthesis in the future.
Fulltext Metal Oxide Compact Electron Transport Layer Modification for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Shahiduzzaman M, Fukaya S, Muslih EY, Wang L, Nakano M, Akhtaruzzaman M, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2020 May 11;13(9).
PMID: 32403454 DOI: 10.3390/ma13092207

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have appeared as a promising design for next-generation thin-film photovoltaics because of their cost-efficient fabrication processes and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, PSCs containing a metal oxide compact layer (CL) suffer from poor long-term stability and performance. The quality of the underlying substrate strongly influences the growth of the perovskite layer. In turn, the perovskite film quality directly affects the efficiency and stability of the resultant PSCs. Thus, substrate modification with metal oxide CLs to produce highly efficient and stable PSCs has drawn attention. In this review, metal oxide-based electron transport layers (ETLs) used in PSCs and their systemic modification are reviewed. The roles of ETLs in the design and fabrication of efficient and stable PSCs are also discussed. This review will guide the further development of perovskite films with larger grains, higher crystallinity, and more homogeneous morphology, which correlate to higher stable PSC performance. The challenges and future research directions for PSCs containing compact ETLs are also described with the goal of improving their sustainability to reach new heights of clean energy production.

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