Topic Review
Environmental Stability of Perovskite
This entry introduces the environmental stability of MAPbI3 perovskite thin film and MAPbBr3 perovskite single crystal.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 May 2021
Topic Review
Bifacial Photovoltaics
In 2016 the first >2 MWp fixed tilt bifacial PV system (“La Hormiga”) was built by MegaCell in San Felipe, located in the region of Valparaiso in Chile, using nPERT BiSoN modules. The innovations in this system were the adapted mounting structures (which were not covering the rear side of the modules), as well as the enhancement of albedo using white quartz stones below them. The bifacial gain was about 15% with the natural albedo of ca. 28%, whereas the albedo enhancement to 75% provided by the white stones led to a bifacial gain of about 25%. After that, Sunpreme installed their SHJ (Silicon HeteroJunction) modules in a 10 MWp bifacial system on a US industrial rooftop, and large bifacial systems were installed in China in the TopRunner program, where the Chinese Government was supporting innovations to be introduced into the market. Yingli installed a fixed tilt 50 MWp system with bifacial nPERT Panda modules, followed by a 100 MWp “Panda PV system” in 2018. Since then large bifacial PV systems are entering the PV market. In 2021 bifacial PV became bankable and will become main-stream in the coming 5 years.
  • 1.0K
  • 08 May 2021
Topic Review
3D-Printed Satellite Brackets
Brackets are the load-bearing components in a satellite. The current age of satellites comprises specific brackets that set out as a link between the bodies of the satellite, reflector parts, and feeder facilities mounted at its upper end. Brackets are used to carry loads of the satellite body frame, supporting elements, batteries, and electronic goods. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process in which a 3D solid object is built by adding the material layer-over-layer. The success of making the product using AM technology requires greater experience in Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) which makes use of the design of freedom of AM. Owing to the various advantages of AM and DFAM, it is easy to create high strength-to-weight ratio products. This is an important contribution to aerospace industries in meeting the unabated demand for lightweight and strong structural applications.
  • 1.0K
  • 09 Sep 2022
Topic Review
CeO2-based transition metal catalysts
The rational design and fabrication of highly-active and cost-efficient catalytic materials constitutes the main research pillar in catalysis field. In this context, the fine-tuning of size and shape at nanometer scale can exert an intense impact not only on the inherent reactivity of catalyst’s counterparts but also on their interfacial interactions, opening up new horizons for the development of highly active and robust materials. The main implications of ceria nanoparticles’ shape engineering (rods, cubes, polyhedra) in catalysis are revealed, on the ground of some of the most pertinent heterogeneous reactions, such as CO2 hydrogenation, CO oxidation, and N2O decomposition. It is clearly revealed that shape functionalization can remarkably affect the intrinsic features and in turn the reactivity of ceria nanoparticles. More importantly, by combining ceria nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) of specific architecture with various transition metals (e.g., Cu, Fe, Co, Ni) remarkably active multifunctional composites can be obtained due mainly to the synergistic metal-ceria interactions, providing the design principles of earth-abundant metal oxide catalysts for various real-life environmental and energy applications.
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Single-Crystal Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese Cathode Research
The booming electric vehicle industry continues to place higher requirements on power batteries related to economic-cost, power density and safety. The positive electrode materials play an important role in the energy storage performance of the battery. The nickel-rich NCM (LiNixCoyMnzO2 with x + y + z = 1) materials have received increasing attention due to their high energy density, which can satisfy the demand of commercial-grade power batteries. Prominently, single-crystal nickel-rich electrodes with s unique micron-scale single-crystal structure possess excellent electrochemical and mechanical performance, even when tested at high rates, high cut-off voltages and high temperatures.
  • 1.0K
  • 27 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Circular Economy
Thermosetting Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) are engineered composites made out of carbon fibers (CFs) as the reinforcement and epoxy resin as the polymer matrix, which acts as load transfer elements across fibers.Thermosets are commonly charachterized by their high performance and flexibility according to different combination of polymeric-based materials (e.g. epoxies, polyurethane, rubber) and carbon fibers type. CFRPs owns durable and heat-resistant features that make proper them for cars or electrical appliances. CFRPs cannot be easily recycled or broken down after use, because the chemical bonds holding them cannot be changed or reversed as for thermoplastic material. New technological solutions are emerging with specific focus on the circular economy context.
  • 1.0K
  • 06 May 2022
Topic Review
Fire-Safe Polymer Composites
Currently, polymers are competing with metals and ceramics to realize various material characteristics, including mechanical and electrical properties. Flame retardants can also be introduced to further reinforce the fire performance of polymers.
  • 1.0K
  • 09 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Nanotechnology and Biodegradable Biopolymer-Based Packaging Materials
There is great interest in developing biodegradable biopolymer-based packaging materials whose functional performance is enhanced by incorporating active compounds into them, such as light blockers, plasticizers, crosslinkers, diffusion blockers, antimicrobials, antioxidants, and sensors. However, many of these compounds are volatile, chemically unstable, water-insoluble, matrix incompatible, or have adverse effects on film properties, which makes them difficult to directly incorporate into the packaging materials. These challenges can often be overcome by encapsulating the active compounds within food-grade nanoparticles, which are then introduced into the packaging materials. The presence of these nanoencapsulated active compounds in biopolymer-based coatings or films can greatly improve their functional performance. For example, anthocyanins can be used as light-blockers to retard oxidation reactions, or they can be used as pH/gas/temperature sensors to produce smart indicators to monitor the freshness of packaged foods. Encapsulated botanical extracts (like essential oils) can be used to increase the shelf life of foods due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The resistance of packaging materials to external factors can be improved by incorporating plasticizers (glycerol, sorbitol), crosslinkers (glutaraldehyde, tannic acid), and fillers (nanoparticles or nanofibers). Nanoenabled delivery systems can also be designed to control the release of active ingredients (such as antimicrobials or antioxidants) into the packaged food over time, which may extend their efficacy.
  • 991
  • 22 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Carbon-Based Composites
Carbon-based composites are materials in which a primary component in the form of a carbon structure or structures (graphene, carbon nanotubes, mesoporous carbon, etc.) and usually an inorganic phase or phases are combined into one system. Such a material is expected to exhibit additive or synergetic interfacial effects resulting in enhanced properties, such as reactivity in catalytic or electrocatalytic reactions.
  • 991
  • 14 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Glass Crystalline Materials
Glass crystalline materials (GCM) are composite solids consisting of both vitreous and crystalline phases. The major component can be the crystalline phase with a vitreous phase acting as a binding agent or alternatively the vitreous phase can be the major component, with crystalline particles dispersed in the glass matrix. 
  • 985
  • 27 Apr 2021
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