(Press-News.org) Improving solar cell design is integral for improving energy consumption. Scientists have lately focused on making solar cells more efficient, flexible, and portable to enable their integration into everyday applications. Consequently, novel lightweight and flexible thin film solar cells have been developed. It is, however, not easy to combine efficiency with flexibility. For a material (usually a semiconductor) to be efficient, it must have a small "band gap"--the energy required to excite charge carriers for electrical conduction--and should absorb and convert a large portion of the sunlight into electricity. Till date, no such efficient absorber suitable for thin film solar cells has been developed.
Typically, charge carriers in a semiconductor are generated in pairs of negatively charged electrons and positively charged "holes" (essentially, the "absence" of electrons). For efficient electrical conduction, these electrons and holes need to be separated. A class of materials called "ferroelectrics" can greatly facilitate this separation, thanks to their spontaneous "electric polarization," a phenomenon analogous to spontaneous magnetization in iron. However, due to large band gaps and poor light-to-electricity conversion, they have seen limited photovoltaic applications.
In a END
A polarization-driven guide to making high-performance, versatile solar cells
Scientists discover 'spontaneously polarizing' materials that can help realize high-performance, lightweight solar cells
2021-01-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Alpha-ray missile therapy: tumor cells attacked from intracellular region
2021-01-04
Osaka, Japan - A cancer-specific L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is highly expressed in cancer tissues. Inhibiting the function of LAT1 has been known to have anti-tumor effects, but there has been limited progress in the development of radionuclide therapy agents targeting LAT1. Now, a multidisciplinary research team at Osaka University has established a targeted alpha-therapy with a novel drug targeting LAT1.
The researchers first produced the alpha-ray emitter 211Astatine, no easy task given that Astatine (At) is the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth. Targeted alpha-therapy selectively delivers α-emitters to tumors; the advantage over conventional β-therapy is that alpha ...
Convex to concave: More metasurface moiré results in wide-range lens
2021-01-04
The odd, wavy pattern that results from viewing certain phone or computer screens through polarized glasses has led researchers to take a step toward thinner, lighter-weight lenses. Called moiré, the pattern is made by laying one material with opaque and translucent parts at an angle over another material of similar contrast.
A team of researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, TUAT, in Japan have demonstrated that moiré metalenses--tiny, patterned lenses composed of artificial "meta" atoms--can tune focal length along a wider range than previously seen. They published their results on November ...
Parents' finances differently affected by having a child diagnosed with cancer
2021-01-04
Mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with cancer are affected financially in different ways. While mothers' incomes fall in the short term and then rise, the adverse financial repercussions on fathers occur later. Researchers at Uppsala University have investigated the socioeconomic impact on parents of having a child diagnosed with cancer. The study is published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Previous research has shown that when a child falls ill with cancer, the parents are affected financially as well as psychologically. The available literature shows that mothers are more affected than ...
Innovative battery chemistry revolutionizes zinc-air battery
2021-01-04
High-performance, eco-friendly, safe and at the same time cost-effective: the zinc-air battery is an attractive energy storage technology of the future. Until now, the conventional zinc-air battery has struggled with a high chemical instability, parasitic reactions which rooted in the usage of alkaline electrolytes lead to electrochemical irreversibility. Based on an innovative, non-alkaline, aqueous electrolyte, an international research team led by scientist Dr. Wei Sun of MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Muenster has developed a new battery chemistry for the zinc-air battery which overcomes the previous technical obstacles. The scientific team has published the detailed results of their research project, involving ...
Tracking COVID-19 in transmission in Chicago schools: Public health officials take data-driven approach to reopening city public schools
2021-01-04
December 31, 2020 - Data on COVID-19 transmission among Chicago youth - particularly in the city's extensive network of Catholic schools - supports a strategy for gradual reopening of the city's public school system, according to a report in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
"Data from the nation's largest Catholic school system reveals that implementation of layered mitigation efforts can support the goal of reopening in-person education in a safe but not zero-risk environment," write Marielle Fricchione, MD, and colleagues of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). Based ...
OSU studies find Oregon's Medicaid expansion improved prenatal care access, birth outcomes
2021-01-04
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- A pair of recent studies from Oregon State University found that Oregon's Medicaid expansion in 2014 has led to increased prenatal care among low-income women, as well as improved health outcomes for newborn babies.
In the three years after the expansion, one study found that Oregon saw an almost 2 percentage point increase in first trimester prenatal care utilization, relative to 18% of the pre-expansion population who lacked any access to prenatal care in the earlier stages of pregnancy.
In the same period, the second study found, Medicaid expansion was associated with a 29% reduction in low birthweight among babies born to women on Medicaid, ...
Charging ahead for electric vehicles
2021-01-04
By applying statistical geometry to analyzing urban road networks, KAUST researchers have advanced understanding of how wireless charging roads might influence driver behavior and city planning in a future where electric vehicles (EVs) dominate the car market.
"Our work is motivated by the global trend of moving towards green transportation and EVs," says postdoc Mustafa Kishk. "Efficient dynamic charging systems, such as wireless power transfer systems installed under roads, are being developed by researchers and technology companies around the world as a way to charge EVs while driving without the need ...
Frequent travel could make you 7% happier
2021-01-04
VANCOUVER, Wash. --People dreaming of travel post-COVID-19 now have some scientific data to support their wanderlust.
A new study in the journal of Tourism Analysis shows frequent travelers are happier with their lives than people who don't travel at all.
Chun-Chu (Bamboo) Chen, an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University, conducted a survey to find out why some individuals travel more frequently than others and whether or not travel and tourism experiences have a prolonged effect on happiness and wellness.
The results of his analysis show individuals who pay more attention to tourism-related information and frequently discuss their travel plans ...
Results of comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 animal model study published in Nature Microbiology
2021-01-04
San Antonio, Texas (January 4, 2020) - Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) and Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) published their findings regarding a comprehensive animal model study of SARS-CoV-2 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Microbiology. These findings were originally posted online in BioRxiv in June of 2020. The study evaluated three nonhuman primate (NHP) species (Indian rhesus macaques, African baboons and new-world origin common marmosets) and young and old animals, to determine susceptibility to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the development of COVID-19 disease. Over the course of the study, the macaque and baboon ...
Drug discovery study identifies promising new compound to open constricted airways
2021-01-04
TAMPA, Fla (Jan 4, 2021) -- Despite the progress made in managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), poorly controlled symptoms for both respiratory diseases can lead to severe shortness of breath, hospitalizations or even death.
"Only about 50 percent of asthmatics, and an even lower percentage of people with COPD, achieve adequate control of lung inflammation and airway constriction with currently available medications," said END ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity
More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia
“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues
What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?
A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists
Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script
Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories
Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds
Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR
New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications
State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides
Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization
Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults
Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement
Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development
A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI
Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption
Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications
Adults with autism show similar brain mapping of body parts as typically developing adults
Uncovering behavioral clues to childhood maltreatment
Premenstrual symptoms linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Newly discovered remains of ancient river landscapes control ice flow in East Antarctica
Newly discovered interstellar object 'may be oldest comet ever seen'
Animal-inspired AI robot learns to navigate unfamiliar terrain
Underserved youth less likely to visit emergency department for concussion in Ontario, study finds
‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger
Beetles under climate stress lay larger male eggs: Wolbachia infection drives adaptive reproduction strategy in response to rising temperature and CO₂
Groundbreaking quantum study puts wave-particle duality to work
Weekly injection could be life changing for Parkinson’s patients
[Press-News.org] A polarization-driven guide to making high-performance, versatile solar cellsScientists discover 'spontaneously polarizing' materials that can help realize high-performance, lightweight solar cells