Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Two-step glycine-nitrate combustion method for synthesizing lanthanide-doped YAG nanocrystals with adjustable morphology and RGB photoemission","authors":"Rashad Abbas,&nbsp;Lev Aleksandrovich Lebedev,&nbsp;Maksim Igorevich Tenevich,&nbsp;Evgeniia Musaevna Khairullina,&nbsp;Artem Anatolevich Lobinsky,&nbsp;Vadim Igorevich Popkov","doi":"10.1007/s10971-025-07092-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-025-07092-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The demand for nanostructured luminescent materials with tunable optical properties and scalable synthesis methods continues to grow due to their relevance in solid-state lighting, displays, and photonic devices. In this study, we report a two-step glycine-nitrate solution combustion method for synthesizing yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) nanopowders doped with lanthanide ions (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, Tm³⁺) to achieve red, green, and blue (RGB) photoemission. The process involves low-temperature combustion at 300 °C followed by calcination in air at 800–1200 °C. Structural and morphological analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that higher calcination temperatures enhance crystallinity, reduce agglomeration, and lead to the formation of uniform granular morphologies. The optimized temperature of 1000 °C yielded phase-pure YAG with an average crystallite size of 26 nm (Eu³⁺), 27 nm (Tb³⁺), and 25 nm (Tm³⁺), as determined by the fundamental parameters approach. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed a homogeneous distribution of dopants. Photoluminescence measurements demonstrated strong and well-resolved emission peaks at 460 nm (Tm³⁺: ¹D₂ → ³F₄), 543 nm (Tb³⁺: ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₅), and 591 nm (Eu³⁺: ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁), with chromaticity coordinates corresponding to pure blue, green, and orange-red emission. The PL behavior was closely linked to the structural features of the host matrix, including lattice symmetry, crystallinity, and defect-induced energy states. This work highlights the effectiveness of glycine-assisted combustion as a rapid and versatile route for producing size-controlled, RGB-emitting YAG nanophosphors. The results contribute to the understanding of structure–property relationships in lanthanide-doped oxide systems and demonstrate potential for use in optical and optoelectronic technologies.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-025-07092-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phytochemical-driven engineering of spinel CoFe₂O₄ nanoferrites: correlating structural, magnetic, and anticancer properties using green self-ignition synthesis","authors":"Heba Hussein,&nbsp;Sobhy Sayed Ibrahim","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07219-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07219-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Green synthesis has emerged as an environmentally sustainable strategy for engineering multifunctional nanomaterials with enhanced biomedical performance. In this study, cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized via a self-ignition route using carrot extract (Co-C) and pomegranate juice (Co-P) as eco-friendly reducing and stabilizing agents. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation of phase-pure inverse spinel CoFe₂O₄ with cubic Fd3̅m symmetry and lattice constants of 8.369 Å for Co-C and 8.367 Å for Co-P. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed dominant nanoscale hydrodynamic populations centered at 11.83 nm for Co-C and 18.17 nm for Co-P, whereas intensity distributions indicated moderate magnetic agglomeration, with secondary populations extending to 286.47 and 551.47 nm, respectively. AFM analysis showed that the pomegranate-mediated ferrite had significantly lower surface roughness (R_a = 0.244 nm; R_q = 0.318 nm) than the carrot-mediated sample (R_a = 1.04 nm; R_q = 1.31 nm), indicating superior nanoscale smoothness and morphological homogeneity. FESEM and HRTEM investigations confirmed the formation of interconnected nanocrystalline ferrite architectures with extract-dependent morphology and aggregation behavior. Magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed ferrimagnetic ordering, with Curie temperatures decreasing from ∼ 829 K for Co-C to 781 K for Co-P, reflecting weakening A–B superexchange interactions induced by cation redistribution. Anticancer performance against PC-3 prostate cancer and MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity for both ferrite systems. Co-P nanoparticles exhibited superior anticancer activity, with IC₅₀ values of 1.2 mg/mL for PC-3 and 0.60 mg/mL for MDA-MB-231 cells, compared with 1.8 and 0.75 mg/mL, respectively, for Co-C. The enhanced cytotoxicity of Co-P was attributed to its larger surface area (538.17 m²/g), higher porosity (13.38%), and the presence of highly bioactive phytochemicals such as ellagic and protocatechuic acids. Mechanistically, the nanoparticles induced ROS-mediated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, apoptosis, and autophagic stress. These findings establish green-synthesized CoFe₂O₄ ferrite nanoparticles as promising multifunctional nanoplatforms for future magnetic, catalytic, and nanomedicine applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07219-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148628583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes using highly crystalline MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation","authors":"Mohammed Adel Mesbahi,&nbsp;Laid Zeghoud,&nbsp;Souhaila Meneceur,&nbsp;Abderrhmane Bouafia,&nbsp;Ahmed Bouaoune,&nbsp;Imen Zaghbib,&nbsp;Johar Amin Ahmed Abdullah","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07180-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07180-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Magnesium ferrite (MgFe₂O₄) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via a controlled co-precipitation route to develop efficient and environmentally benign photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a highly crystalline pure cubic spinel phase with an average crystallite size of approximately 19 nm, while scanning electron microscopy revealed agglomerated quasi-spherical particles with mean diameters of 40–42 nm. FTIR spectra exhibited characteristic metal–oxygen stretching vibrations corresponding to tetrahedral and octahedral sites, further validating the spinel structure formation. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance data showed strong visible-light absorption with direct and indirect bandgap energies of 2.51 eV and 2.18 eV, respectively, accompanied by a low Urbach energy (0.137 eV), indicating minimal structural disorder. The measured zeta potential (−29.52 mV) suggested moderate-to-good colloidal stability. Under natural sunlight, MgFe₂O₄ demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic activity, achieving degradation efficiencies of 98.64% for methylene blue, 94.08% for Congo red, and 89.56% for Rose Bengal within 120 min, following pseudo-first- and second-order kinetics. The outstanding performance is attributed to efficient visible-light harvesting, reduced electron–hole recombination, and enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species, establishing MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles as promising candidates for sustainable photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater systems.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07180-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diol-bridged octasilicate polymers: synthesis via dehydrogenative condensation and characterization","authors":"Hiroki Nonaka,&nbsp;Ryosuke Iguchi,&nbsp;Sota Onozato,&nbsp;Tomohiro Imai,&nbsp;Kazuki Yamamoto,&nbsp;Takahiro Gunji","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07215-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07215-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, diol-bridged octasilicate polymers (Diol-OSs) were synthesized via the dehydrogenative condensation reaction between octakisdimethylsiloxy octasilicate (Q₈^DMS) and diols such as 2-butyne-1,4-diol (BYD), 1,4-benzenedimethanol (BDM), and diethylene glycol (DEG) in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The reactions were performed in the presence of <i>N,N</i>-diethylhydroxylamine, yielding the corresponding Diol-OSs: BYD-OS, BDM-OS, and DEG-OS. Correlations between the structure and physical properties of Diol-OSs were investigated. The molecular weights of Diol-OSs increased with decreasing diol:Q₈^DMS molar ratio because side chain conversion by the diol occurred more rapidly at higher initial diol concentration. This process reduced the amount and reactivity of the remaining hydrosilyl groups, thereby decreasing the polymerization rate. Furthermore, at the same diol:Q₈^DMS molar ratio, the molecular weight increased in the order DEG &lt; BYD &lt; BDM. This trend indicates that the chain length and rigidity of diols influence the molecular weight. Compared with DEG-OS and BDM-OS, BYD-OS exhibited a high degree of crosslinking, indicating the formation of a low-branched linear polymer with intramolecular crosslinks. Homogeneous, transparent, and flexible freestanding films of Diol-OSs were obtained by casting THF solutions of Diol-OSs into Teflon^TM Petri dishes, followed by heating. Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis of the freestanding films revealed that the Si–O–C bonds in BYD-OS and BDM-OS decomposed more slowly than those in DEG-OS. This phenomenon can be attributed to the restricted thermal motion and stability of the rigid diol structures. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the BYD-OS and BDM-OS freestanding films were higher than those of the DEG-OS freestanding films because of the rigid structures of BYD-OS and BDM-OS compared with that of DEG-OS. These results demonstrate that the thermal and mechanical properties of Diol-OSs can be controlled by varying the structure of the crosslinked diol.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07215-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148614076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not so inert gases: Substantial weight gain by oxidation of a porous SiCO gel under N2, Ar, and He atmospheres","authors":"Hannah M. Hayes,&nbsp;Marcus Schmidt,&nbsp;Gian Domenico Sorarù,&nbsp;Christel Gervais,&nbsp;Peter Kroll","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07222-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07222-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We investigate the pyrolysis of a polymer-derived porous SiCO gel through thermogravimetric analysis. Despite using “ultra-pure” (99.999%) Ar, N₂, or He, we observe a substantial apparent mass gain of 4 percentage points at temperatures above 700 °C and below 900 °C. Chemical analysis and FT-IR characterization of the pyrolyzed material attribute the effect to oxidation. By implementing additional gas purification steps, we reduce or even eliminate the mass gain, identifying the “inert” gas used during pyrolysis as the source of oxidation. As the porous SiCO gel decomposes, it becomes hypersensitive and reacts almost quantitatively with trace impurities in the gas stream. At 800 °C, the oxidation by trace impurities blocks a fraction of mesopores and reduces the surface area of the sample. The material presented here can serve as a probe to test the inert environment used in thermal experiments. Moreover, similar porous silicon oxycarbide precursors may have undergone oxidation that went unnoticed.</p>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07222-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148613683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of gelation pH on whey protein aerogel properties","authors":"Umair Ashraf,&nbsp;Marta Gallo,&nbsp;Luigi Manna,&nbsp;Francesca Bosco,&nbsp;Barbara Onida","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07221-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07221-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to their bioinspired self-assembly and biocompatibility, protein-based aerogels have drawn growing interest in biomedical applications. With its excellent gelling and self-assembly properties, whey protein isolate (WPI) represents a promising source for the fabrication of biodegradable and homogeneous tunable aerogels. Gelation pH has a significant impact on the morphological homogeneity of protein biomaterials, which is essential for controlling tissue-implant interactions. In this study, WPI aerogels were produced without gelation-induced agents (followed by a supercritical CO₂ drying process), and the effect of the gelation pH was investigated by varying its value from 2 to 11. Aerogels with a high fluid absorption capacity ( ~ 760%), specific surface area (312 m². g⁻¹), and pore volume (1.02 cm³. g⁻¹) were obtained by gelation at neutral to mildly alkaline conditions (pH 7-8.5). Because of their excellent fluid absorption capacity, these aerogels have the potential to be a biocompatible wound dressing. On the other hand, aerogels from acidic gelation conditions (pH &lt; 3) dissolved or disintegrated during fluid absorption. Monolithic aerogels were obtained by increasing the gelation pH. However, as the gelation pH approached the WPI isoelectric region (pH 4-6) or extreme alkaline pH (pH ≥ 9), aerogels presented low specific surface area and fluid absorption capacity. Overall, this study confirms that gelation pH affects the structural and functional properties of WPI aerogels and offers a systematic investigation of the effect of gelation pH on the resulting aerogels.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07221-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148613682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural, magnetic, and dielectric tailoring of Nd3+-substituted Ni0.7Zn0.3Cr0.5Fe1.5-xNdxO4 nanoferrites","authors":"A. A. Doke,&nbsp;K. P. Gattu,&nbsp;S. S. Kammar,&nbsp;Ahamad Imran,&nbsp;Ahmed Mohamed El-Toni,&nbsp;Y. R. Kapse,&nbsp;R. H. Kadam,&nbsp;Sagar E. Shirsath,&nbsp;G. H. Kale","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07217-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07217-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Nd³⁺-substituted Ni_0.7Zn_0.3Cr_0.5Fe_1.5-xNd_xO₄ nanoferrites (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) were synthesized by the sol–gel auto-combustion route to examine how rare-earth substitution tunes the structural, dielectric, electrical, and magnetic characteristics of Ni–Zn ferrites. X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure for all compositions. The larger ionic radius of Nd³⁺ compared with Fe³⁺ causes lattice expansion/local strain and indicates preferential incorporation into the octahedral B-site network, as also supported by the Bertaut-type cation-distribution analysis. TEM revealed a progressive reduction in particle size with increasing Nd content, consistent with the observed microstructural evolution. Elemental mapping/EDS supported a uniform spatial distribution of constituent elements across the investigated samples. FTIR spectra showed ferrite-related low-wavenumber metal–oxygen vibrational features, with band-shape modifications attributable to Nd-induced perturbation of the local bonding environment. Dielectric spectroscopy showed the expected dispersion of ε′ and tanδ with frequency; moreover, ε′ and dielectric loss decrease with Nd substitution, suggesting suppression of space-charge/interfacial polarization and reduced charge carrier mobility at grain boundaries. The frequency dependence of σ_ac follows the typical ferrite response and is consistent with a hopping-assisted conduction mechanism; σ_ac decreases with increasing Nd content, indicating inhibited hopping between localized states (e.g., Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺). Room-temperature M–H measurements confirmed soft ferrimagnetic behavior for all compositions, while the gradual reduction in saturation magnetization and coercivity with Nd incorporation is correlated with weakened A–B superexchange interactions, magnetic dilution, increased Yafet–Kittel spin canting, and modified anisotropy. Overall, Nd³⁺ substitution provides a viable pathway to tailor the microstructure and multifunctional response of Ni–Zn–Cr ferrites for high-frequency and low-loss magnetic/dielectric device applications.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07217-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148459119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TiO2/CDs/g-C3N4 heterojunction: synthesis, characterization and its enhanced photocatalytic C(sp3)-O bond formation under blue LED illumination","authors":"Ravichandran Manjupriya,&nbsp;Selvaraj Mohana Roopan,&nbsp;Murugesan Shobika,&nbsp;Mohamed Sulthan Hasan Fathima Afridha","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07200-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07200-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Photoredox catalysis has developed as an effective and adaptable tool for generating novel synthesis procedures. Among its different variants, heterogeneous photoredox catalysis stands out for many significant energy efficiency benefits. Herein, we examined a ternary TiO₂/CDs/g-C₃N₄ (TCC) heterojunction as a photocatalyst for promoting C(sp³)-O bond formation upon illumination with blue LED light. A 10 wt% loading of TiO₂ on carbon dots/g-C₃N₄ (CDCN) showed the best efficiency in the photocatalytic C(sp³)-O bond formation. The structural, optical, electronic properties, surface morphology, topography, functional group analysis, chemical states and elemental composition were characterized using various analysis techniques. HRTEM analysis shows the presence of spherical, monodispersed carbon dots (CDs) with a mean particle size of 6 nm. The CDs in the nanocomposite act as an electron mediator, thus forming a Z-scheme heterojunction between two semiconductors. The average diameter and d-spacing value of TiO₂ on CDCN are assessed to be 12 and 0.23 nm, respectively. Further, the production of photoexcited holes and electrons during the photocatalytic process has been identified with the help of scavenging studies. The prepared photocatalyst shows excellent product yields of up to 99% within 5 h of reaction time with high turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF).</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07200-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hybrid semiconductor based on CuO/Cu2O/CIGS: analysis of photovoltaic properties","authors":"Abdelghani Rahal,&nbsp;Idris Bouchama,&nbsp;M. R. Khalladi,&nbsp;M. A. Ghebouli,&nbsp;M. Fatmi,&nbsp;F. Benlakhdar,&nbsp;S. Alomairy,&nbsp;Mustafa Jaipallah Abdelmageed Abualreish,&nbsp;Samah Saidi,&nbsp;Aseel Smerat,&nbsp;Murat Yaylacı","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07213-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07213-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents a comprehensive analysis of various hybrid solar cell structures based on copper oxide (CuO, Cu₂O) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) configurations. Three different architectures CuO/CIGS, Cu₂O/CIGS, and CuO/Cu₂O/CIGS were simulated using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D) to investigate their optoelectronic properties and performance parameters. The influence of key factors including the CIGS absorber layer thickness (0.5–3.0 µm), acceptor density (10¹⁵–10¹⁷ cm⁻³), and defect density (10¹³–10¹⁵ cm⁻³) was systematically analyzed. Energy band diagrams were constructed to elucidate the charge carrier transport mechanisms at the heterojunction interfaces. The results demonstrate that the CuO/Cu₂O/CIGS structure exhibits superior performance with a power conversion efficiency of up to 24.2% at optimized parameters, compared to 21.8% for Cu₂O/CIGS and 24.2% for CuO/CIGS configurations. The enhanced performance is attributed to the favorable band alignment and reduced interface recombination in the triple-layer structure. This work provides valuable insights for designing high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and establishes optimal parameters for future experimental fabrication of copper oxide-CIGS hybrid photovoltaic devices.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07213-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailoring porosity and band gap of pistachio shell–derived carbons via different activation strategies for efficient photodegradation","authors":"Mojtaba Alboghobeish,&nbsp;Ahmad Gholizadeh,&nbsp;Sadaf Bashirkhan","doi":"10.1007/s10971-026-07188-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10971-026-07188-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A series of activated carbons was fabricated from a biomass precursor using physical (steam) and chemical activation routes (H₃PO₄, KOH, and ZnCl₂), and their photocatalytic performance toward methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible-light irradiation was systematically investigated. The activation strategy strongly influenced the textural characteristics, optical properties, and charge-carrier dynamics of the resulting materials. Chemical activation, particularly with KOH and ZnCl₂, led to the development of hierarchical micro–mesoporous structures, significantly larger specific surface areas (750–976 m²/g), and narrowed optical band gaps (2.95–2.74 eV), enabling enhanced light absorption and improved adsorption capability. Among the samples, AC–ZnCl₂ exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency, achieving nearly complete MB degradation (98.1%) with a superior apparent rate constant (<i>k</i> = 0.0498 min⁻¹), attributed to reduced electron–hole recombination as evidenced by pronounced PL quenching. AC–ZnCl₂ maintained over 89% MB degradation efficiency after four reuse cycles, demonstrating excellent stability for practical wastewater treatment. These findings demonstrate that tailoring the activation chemistry provides a highly effective approach to optimizing the photocatalytic properties of biomass-derived activated carbons for environmental remediation applications.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10971-026-07188-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}