Researchers have developed a new titanium-based material that is a good candidate for making lead-free, inorganic perovskite solar cells.

In a new paper, which appears in the journal Joule, the researchers show that the material is especially good for making tandem solar cells—arrangements in which a perovskite cells are placed on top of silicon or another established material to boost the overall efficiency.

Perovskites have emerged as a promising alternative to silicon for making inexpensive and efficient solar cells. But for all their promise, perovskites are not without their downsides. Most contain lead, which is highly toxic, and include organic materials that are not particularly stable when exposed to the environment.

“Titanium is an abundant, robust, and biocompatible element that, until now, has been largely overlooked in perovskite research,” says senior author Nitin Padture, professor of engineering and director of the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation.

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Scientists who introduced laser-induced graphene (LIG) enhanced their technique to produce what may become a new class of edible electronics.

The chemists, who once turned Girl Scout cookies into graphene, are investigating ways to write graphene patterns onto food and other materials to quickly embed conductive identification tags and sensors into the products themselves.

“This is not ink,” says James Tour, chair of chemistry and professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. “This is taking the material itself and converting it into graphene.”

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Why attend?

Consider ECS the prologue to your success story. As the must-attend event for academic and industry professionals from across the globe, it introduces you to the electrochemical and solid state science and technology trends, insights, and players who can help you make major strides in your career.

ECS meetings offer five days of learning, technical presentations, business development and networking opportunities for scientists, engineers and industry leaders from more than 70 countries. With a wide range of technical sessions, social events and hands-on courses, ECS meetings are the best investment you can make in your career.

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In a recently published ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology paper, ECS member Roger Loo and coauthors describe a new epitaxial growth technology and address the challenges of implementation. The open access article, “Epitaxial CVD Growth of Ultra-Thin Si Passivation Layers on Strained Ge Fin Structures,” was designated Editors’ Choice due to its significance and the importance of the technology described.

“The work combines carefully thought out and elegant experimental work, with appropriate simulation work that compliments the experiments,” said Jennifer Bardwell, ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology technical editor in the area of electronic materials and processing. “I am certain that it will be of great interest to many of our readers.”

We recently sat down with Loo to discuss the work and its impact on the field.

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Twelve new issues of ECS Transactions have just been added to the ECS Online Store for pre-order.

The following issues of ECST will be published from symposia held during the 233rd ECS Meeting in Seattle, and will be available in limited quantities for pick-up at the meeting.

Electronic (PDF) editions will be made available for purchase beginning May 4, 2018. To pre-order a CD or USB edition, please follow the links below:

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
March 16, 2018
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #3

Symposium A02: Challenges in Novel Electrolytes, Organic Materials, and Innovative Chemistries for Batteries – in Honor of Michel Armand

Symposium Focus: On polymer electrolytes, ionic liquid electrolytes, new electrolyte salts, conductive layer-coated electrode materials, electrode materials for organic batteries, metal/electrolyte interfaces, fuel cells made with previous materials and/or electrolytes, anode metal based rechargeable batteries, and any innovative cell design and chemistry.

Both theoretical and experimental papers are accepted, and contributions from industry and students are encouraged.

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By: Jaci VanHeest, University of Connecticut

As Fitbits and other wearable activity monitors change how regular people exercise and track their activity, they’re having similar effects on how Olympians train and recover between workouts.

It’s long been common for coaches to use video cameras to show athletes what their form and movements look like, to track progress, and to fine-tune exactly the right technique for, say, taking off for a jump or landing after a particular trick. But those only show what’s going on from the outside.

Now, wearables, biometrics and apps analyzing their data are becoming much more common for athletes at all levels, giving indications of what’s going on inside an athlete’s body. I have worked as a sport physiologist with elite athletes for two decades, including with USA Swimming and U.S. Figure Skating; there’s not yet much research about the results in figure skating, but wearables have helped coaches, athletes and sport scientists in other sports like swimming, cycling, soccer and volleyball.

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Fuel cells play a major role in creating a clean energy future, with a broad set of applications ranging from powering buildings to electrifying transportation. But, as with all emerging technologies, researchers have faced many barriers in developing affordable, efficient fuel cells and creating a way to cleanly produce the hydrogen that powers them.

In a new Perspective article, published in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, researchers are aiming to tackle a fundamental debate in key reactions behind fuel cells and hydrogen production, which, if solved, could significantly bolster clean energy technologies.

In the open access article, “Perspective—Towards Establishing Apparent Hydrogen Binding Energy as the Descriptor for Hydrogen Oxidation/Evolution Reactions,” Yushan Yan and his coauthors from the University of Delaware provide an authoritative overview of work done in the areas of hydrogen oxidation and evolution, present key questions for debate, and provide paths for future innovation in the field.

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Engineers used tissue paper—similar to toilet tissue—to make a new kind of wearable sensor that can detect a pulse or a blink of an eye.

The sensor, which is light, flexible, and inexpensive, could be used for health care, entertainment, and robotics, researchers say.

Tearing tissue paper that’s loaded with nanocomposites and breaking the paper’s fibers makes the paper acts like a sensor. It can detect a heartbeat, finger force, finger movement, eyeball movement, and more, says Jae-Hyun Chung, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Washington and senior author of the paper in Advanced Materials Technologies.

“The major innovation is a disposable wearable sensor made with cheap tissue paper. When we break the specimen, it will work as a sensor.”

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A small metallic tab that, when attached to the body, is capable of generating electricity from bending a finger and other simple movements could one day power our electronic devices.

“No one likes being tethered to a power outlet or lugging around a portable charger. The human body is an abundant source of energy. We thought: ‘Why not harness it to produce our own power?’” says Qiaoqiang Gan, associate professor of electrical engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University at Buffalo and lead author of a paper describing the tab in the journal Nano Energy.

The tab is a triboelectric nanogenerator. Triboelectric charging occurs when certain materials become electrically charged after coming into contact with a different material. Most everyday static electricity is triboelectric.

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