Shyamal Datta, Argha Dey, Nayan Ranjan Singha, Subhasis Roy
{"title":"Enhanced performance of dye-sensitized solar cell with thermally stable natural dye-assisted TiO2/MnO2 bilayer-assembled photoanode","authors":"Shyamal Datta, Argha Dey, Nayan Ranjan Singha, Subhasis Roy","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00185-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00185-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study reports the performance analysis of an organic dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), introducing MnO<sub>2</sub> as an electron transport layer in TiO<sub>2</sub>/MnO<sub>2</sub> bilayer assembly. The DSSCs have been fabricated using TiO<sub>2</sub> and TiO<sub>2</sub>/MnO<sub>2</sub> layer-by-layer architecture films onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and sensitized with natural dye extracted from <i>Malvaviscus penduliflorus</i> flower in ethanol medium. The counter electrode was prepared to layer copper powder containing paste onto FTO's conductive side by the doctor's blade method. The optical, morphological, and structural properties of photoanodes were explored via ultraviolet–visible, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. Moreover, dye complexity and thermostability of dyes were characterized via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses. The iodide/triiodide (i.e., <i>I</i><sup>?</sup>/<i>I</i><sub>3</sub><sup>?</sup>) redox couple of electrolyte solution was employed as a charge transport medium between the electrodes. Finally, photoanode and counter electrode sandwiches were assembled to envisage the photovoltaic performance potential under simulated AM 1.5G solar illumination using 100 mW cm<sup>–2</sup> light intensity. The as-fabricated DSSC comprising TiO<sub>2</sub>/MnO<sub>2</sub> bilayer assembly exhibited 6.02?mA?cm<sup>–2</sup> short circuit current density (<i>J</i><sub>sc</sub>), 0.38?V open-circuit voltage (<i>V</i><sub>oc</sub>), 40.38% fill factor, and 0.92% conversion efficiency, which is about 200% higher compared to the assembly devoid of MnO<sub>2</sub> layer.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00185-3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4913457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jaya Krishna Devanuri, Uma Maheswararao Gaddala, Vikas Kumar
{"title":"Investigation on compatibility and thermal reliability of phase change materials for low-temperature thermal energy storage","authors":"Jaya Krishna Devanuri, Uma Maheswararao Gaddala, Vikas Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00184-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00184-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two of the important aspects for the successful utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage systems are compatibility with container materials and stability. Therefore, the present study is focused on testing the corrosion resistance and surface characteristics of metals in contact with PCMs and thermal behavior of PCMs with heating/cooling cycles. The PCM selection is made by targeting low temperature (<100?°C) heat storage applications. The PCMs considered are paraffin wax, sodium acetate tri-hydrate, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. The metal specimens tested are aluminum, copper, and stainless steel because of their wide usage in thermal equipment. The tests are performed by the method of immersion corrosion test, and ASTM G1 standards are followed. The experiments are carried out at 80?°C and room temperature (30?°C) for the duration of 10, 30, and 60?days. Pertaining to thermal stability 1500 melting/freezing cycles are performed. Investigation has been carried out in terms of corrosion rate, SEM analysis of metal specimens, appearance of PCMs, and variation of thermophysical properties at 0th, 1000th, and 1500th thermal cycles. The most affected area of corrosion, including the dimension of pits, is presented, and comparison is made. Based on the corrosion experiments, recommendations are made for the metal–PCM pairs. Pure sodium acetate trihydrate is observed to suffer from phase segregation and supercooling. After 1500 thermal cycles, the variation in melting and freezing point temperatures for rest of the five PCMs are in the range of ??1.63 to 1.57?°C and ??4.01 to 2.66?°C. Whereas, reduction in latent heat of melting and freezing are in the range of 17.6–28.95% and 15.2–26.78%.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00184-4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4874513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent advances in anthocyanin dyes extracted from plants for dye sensitized solar cell","authors":"Negese Yazie Amogne, Delele Worku Ayele, Yeshitila Asteraye Tsigie","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00183-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00183-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are under extensive research works due to their appealing features such as low production costs. The production costs and energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs is strongly influenced by the types of dyes used to harvest photons. Natural dyes extracted from different sources are emerged as a potential candidates to synthetic photosensitizers due to their merit properties including low cost, complete biodegradability, availability and less environmental concern. In order to improve the energy conversion efficiency of natural photosensitizers, blending of different dyes, co-pigmentation of dyes, acidifying of dyes and other approaches have been conducted by researchers, resulting in appreciable performance. This paper reviews the factors affecting the stability of anthocyanin pigments and also the solvents needed for efficient extraction of anthocyanins. Moreover, the potential application of anthocyanin dyes as photosensitizers for DSSC along with the work done over the years is covered.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00183-5","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4845978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fabrication of MoS2-deposited TiO2 hollow microspheres and their enhanced photocatalytic application in the generation of hydrogen","authors":"Sajan Ponnappa Chimmikuttanda, Maxwell Selase Akple, Amol Naik, Ravi Hethegowdanahally Rajegowda","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00182-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00182-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>MoS<sub>2</sub>-deposited TiO<sub>2</sub> hollow spheres were synthesized successfully under mild temperature and autogenous pressure. The hydrothermal technique was adopted for the synthesis of the TiO<sub>2</sub> hollow microsphere, followed by a photodeposition technique for the deposition of MoS<sub>2</sub>. The physical and chemical nature of the samples was characterized using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, XPS and UV–vis spectroscopy. In an aqueous medium under the influence of light, the characterized samples were used in the production of hydrogen via photocatalysis. The increase in the formation of hydrogen content during photocatalysis confirms the successful generation and the benefits of the photogenerated carriers. With an increase in the MoS<sub>2</sub> content, there is an incredible change in the photocatalytic performance. The resultant is due to the free moment of the holes and electrons and lessening in charge recombination centres formed as a result of the nano-heterojunction linking between MoS<sub>2</sub> and TiO<sub>2</sub>. A more significant photocatalytic production of hydrogen was achieved using 50 MST sample i.e. 106?μmol<sup>?1</sup>?g<sup>?1</sup> beyond which it tends to decrease with an increase in MoS<sub>2</sub> content.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00182-6","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"5130845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Izabella F. Coelho, Joseane R. Barbosa, Liying Liu, Cauê de S. C. Nogueira, Dante F. Franceschini, Eduardo A. Ponzio, Júlio César M. Silva, Yutao Xing
{"title":"Nickel nanoparticles supported by commercial carbon paper as a catalyst for urea electro-oxidation","authors":"Izabella F. Coelho, Joseane R. Barbosa, Liying Liu, Cauê de S. C. Nogueira, Dante F. Franceschini, Eduardo A. Ponzio, Júlio César M. Silva, Yutao Xing","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00180-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00180-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nickel nanoparticles supported by commercial carbon paper (CP) are prepared by pulsed laser deposition with deposition time of 3, 6, and 12?min as a catalyst for urea electro-oxidation. The surface conditions and the morphologies of the prepared electrodes have been characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Urea electro-oxidation reaction in KOH solution on the Ni/CP electrodes is investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results show that the electrode with less Ni nanoparticle agglomeration shows higher peak current density, which was achieved in the 3?min deposition samples when normalized by electroactive surface areas. However, the highest current normalized by the area of the carbon paper was achieved in the 6?min deposition sample due to the larger quantity of Ni nanoparticles. All the samples show good stability. Our results suggest that the low density, low cost, and environmental friendly CP can be used as support for Ni nanoparticle as a catalyst for urea electro-oxidation. It thus has great potential for many applications involving urea oxidation, such as wastewater treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00180-8","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4363792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Economic pulse electrodeposition for flexible CuInSe2 solar cells","authors":"Sreekanth Mandati, Prashant Misra, Divya Boosagulla, Tata Naransinga Rao, Bulusu V. Sarada","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00177-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00177-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Electrodeposition is one of the leading non-vacuum techniques for the fabrication of CuInSe<sub>2</sub> (CIS)-based solar cells. In the present work, pulse electrodeposition, an advanced technique, is utilized effectively for CIS absorber preparation devoid of any additives/complexing?agents. An economic pulse electrodeposition is employed for the deposition of Cu/In stack followed by selenization to fabricate CIS absorbers on flexible and glass substrates. The approach uses a two-electrode system suitable for large area deposition and utilizes the fundamentals of pulse electrodeposition with appropriate optimization of parameters to obtain smooth Cu/In precursors. The selenized CIS absorbers are of 1?μm thick while possessing copper-poor composition (Cu/In ≈ 0.9) and tetragonal chalcopyrite phase. The fabricated devices have exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 5.2%. The technique can be further improved to obtain low-cost CIS solar cells which are suitable for various small-scale energy applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00177-3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"5071146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. F. Daudt, A. Poozhikunnath, H. Yu, L. Bonville, R. Maric
{"title":"Nano-sized Pt–NbOx supported on TiN as cost-effective electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction","authors":"N. F. Daudt, A. Poozhikunnath, H. Yu, L. Bonville, R. Maric","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00179-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00179-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) play a key role for sustainable energy; however, catalyst degradation remains one of the main challenges for competing with traditional energy technologies. The Pt/C commercially available electrocatalysts are susceptible to Pt dissolution and carbon support corrosion. In this context, we design a Pt–NbO<sub><i>x</i></sub> catalyst supported on TiN nanoparticles as an alternative electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The use of Pt–NbO<sub><i>x</i></sub> reduces materials’ costs by lowering the required platinum loading and improving catalyst performance. The TiN support is selected to improve support stability. The electrocatalyst is successfully synthesized by a one-step flame spray process called reactive spray deposition technology. Electrocatalyst with two different very low Pt loadings (0.032?mg?cm<sup>?2</sup> and 0.077?mg?cm<sup>?2</sup>) are investigated and their performance as cathode is evaluated by the rotating disk electrode method. The new electrocatalyst based on Pt–NbO<sub><i>x</i></sub> supported on TiN has ORR performance that is comparable to the state-of-the-art Pt/C electrocatalyst. A half-wave potential of 910?mV was observed in the polarization curves, as well as a mass activity of 0.120 A?mg<sub>Pt</sub><sup>?1</sup> and a specific activity of 283 μA?cm<sub>Pt</sub><sup>?2</sup> at 0.9?V. These results demonstrate that Pt–NbO<sub><i>x</i></sub> on TiN electrocatalyst has the potential for replacing Pt/C cathode in PEMFC.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00179-1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4636581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noman Ashraf, Muhammad Nasir, Walid Al-Kutti, Faris A. Al-Maziad
{"title":"Assessment of thermal and energy performance of masonry blocks prepared with date palm ash","authors":"Noman Ashraf, Muhammad Nasir, Walid Al-Kutti, Faris A. Al-Maziad","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00178-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00178-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article evaluates the thermal and energy performance of mortar blocks?containing?local agricultural waste. The mortar blocks were cast by the replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with varying amounts of date palm ash (DPA) in the range of 10–30%. Experiments and simulations were carried out to assess the thermal characteristics and energy performance of the specimens. A prototype office building was modeled and simulated in DesignBuilder (Version 6.1.06) with modified blocks prepared with DPA under the Arabian Gulf environment characterized by hot and humid climatic conditions of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.?The developed blocks are characterized as lightweight blocks based on density data which satisfy the requirement of ASTM C55-11. The analysis and simulation indicate that the incorporation of DPA improves the thermal resistance of up to 47%, enhances the indoor environment?and yields annual energy consumption of up to 7.6%, consequently reduces the cost of masonry block production by?~?11% without compromising the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. The masonry blocks prepared with DPA found to be economical than conventional masonry blocks. It is postulated that the novel DPA-based developed blocks are significantly sustainable products which will contribute to the?valorization of DPA waste along with the reduction in the cost of construction and operational cost of the building.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00178-2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4486977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Julio Gutiérrez Moreno, Jiang Cao, Marco Fronzi, M. Hussein N. Assadi
{"title":"A review of recent progress in thermoelectric materials through computational methods","authors":"J. Julio Gutiérrez Moreno, Jiang Cao, Marco Fronzi, M. Hussein N. Assadi","doi":"10.1007/s40243-020-00175-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-020-00175-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reducing our overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels requires groundbreaking innovations in increasing our efficiency in energy consumption for current technologies and moving towards renewable energy sources. Thermoelectric materials can help in achieving both goals. Moreover, because of recent advances in high-performance computing, researchers more increasingly rely on computational methods in discovering new thermoelectric materials with economically feasible performance. In this article, significant thermoelectric materials discovered through these computational methods are systematically reviewed. Furthermore, the primary computational tools that aid the design of the next-generation thermoelectric materials are introduced and discussed. These techniques include various levels of density functional theory, electronic transport simulations, and phonon calculations.</p>","PeriodicalId":692,"journal":{"name":"Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy","volume":"9 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2020-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40243-020-00175-5","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4198073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}