Abstract: A method of producing a laminate, wherein a wood body is provided, a curable composition in the liquid state is applied thereto, and the composition cures, wherein the composition contains at least one organic binder and at least 80% by weight of mineral fillers, based on the overall composition. The method enables permanent bonding of wood bodies and compositions that are based on organic binder and have a high content of mineral fillers. The laminates obtained from the method are comparatively lightweight, stable and durable, and are particularly suitable as sustainable components in building construction, especially as a roof element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical device (1) for determining an oxygen saturation in a tissue of a subject, comprising: a sensor (2) comprising a flexible textile (10) comprising a plurality of first optical fibers (11) and a plurality of second optical fibers (12), wherein the first optical and second optical fibers (11, 12) each comprise a first end (11a, 12a) and a second end (11b, 12b), wherein the sensor (2) further comprises a first light generating unit (3) configured to generate and couple light of a first wavelength into the first ends (11a) of the first optical fibers (11) and to generate and couple light of a second wavelength into the second ends (12a) of the first optical fibers (11), the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength, wherein the respective first optical fiber (11) is configured to emit light via a light emitting section (21) of the respective first optical fiber (11) to irradiate tissue of the subject, the light emitting section (21) being arranged between

Abstract: Disclosed are electrochemical devices, such as sodium ion conducting solid state electrolytes, sodium battery electrodes, and solid-state sodium metal batteries including these electrodes and solid state electrolytes. One example method for preparing a sodium/sodium-??-alumina interface with low interfacial resistance and capable of achieving high current density in an electrochemical cell includes the steps of: (a) providing a precursor electrolyte having a resistive surface region, wherein the precursor electrolyte comprises sodium-??-alumina; (b) removing at least a portion of the resistive surface region; (c) heating the precursor electrolyte thereby forming a solid state electrolyte, and (d) placing a side of the solid state electrolyte in contact with a sodium anode.

Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating patterns on the surface of a layer of a device (100), the method comprising: providing at least one layer (130, 230); adding at least one alkali metal (235); controlling the temperature (2300) of the at least one layer, thereby forming a plurality of self-assembled, regularly spaced, parallel lines of alkali compound embossings (1300, 1305) at the surface of the layer. The method further comprises forming cavities (236, 1300) by dissolving the alkali compound embossings. The method (200) is advantageous for nanopatterning of devices (100) without using templates and for the production of high efficiency optoelectronic thin-film devices (100).

Abstract: The present invention relates to water-soluble modified lignins preparable by enzymatic reaction of at least one water-insoluble lignin with at least one organic compound which possesses at least one group selected from primary or secondary amino group, hydroxyl group and phenyl group and has an average molecular weight in the range from 75 to 2500 g/mol. The water-soluble modified lignins are preparable under mild conditions in a simple process. They can be used as dispersants for mineral binder compositions, where they act as plasticizers and in so doing prolong the setting time to much less of an extent than the water-insoluble lignins used in their preparation.

Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.

Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Abstract: A hard material layer system with a multilayer structure, comprising alternating layers A and B, with A layers having the composition MeApAOnANmA in atomic percent and B layers having the composition MeBpBOnBNmB in atomic percent, where the thermal conductivity of the A layers is greater than the thermal conductivity of the B layers. MeA and MeB each comprise at least one metal of the group Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, and Al, pA indicates the atomic percentage of MeA and pB indicates the atomic percentage of MeB and the following is true: PA=PB, nA indicates the oxygen concentration in the A layers in atomic percent and nB indicates the oxygen concentration in the B layers in atomic percent and the following is true: nA<nB, and mA indicates the nitrogen concentration in the A layers in atomic percent and mB indicates the nitrogen concentration in the B layers in atomic percent and the following is true: pA/(nA+mA)=pB/(nB+mB).

Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.

Abstract: A method to fabricate thin-film photovoltaic devices including a photovoltaic Cu(In,Ga)Se2 or equivalent ABC absorber layer, such as an ABC2 layer, deposited onto a back-contact layer characterized in that the method includes at least five deposition steps, during which the pair of third and fourth steps are sequentially repeatable, in the presence of at least one C element over one or more steps. In the first step at least one B element is deposited, followed in the second by deposition of A and B elements at a deposition rate ratio Ar/Br, in the third at a ratio Ar/Br lower than the previous, in the fourth at a ratio Ar/Br higher than the previous, and in the fifth depositing only B elements to achieve a final ratio A/B of total deposited elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to water-soluble modified lignins preparable by enzymatic reaction of at least one water-insoluble lignin with at least one organic compound which possesses at least one group selected from primary or secondary amino group, hydroxyl group and phenyl group and has an average molecular weight in the range from 75 to 2500 g/mol. The water-soluble modified lignins are preparable under mild conditions in a simple process. They can be used as dispersants for mineral binder compositions, where they act as plasticizers and in so doing prolong the setting time to much less of an extent than the water-insoluble lignins used in their preparation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method according to which a profile consisting of a shape-memory alloy is placed into concrete, or a concrete to be reinforced is roughened on the outside, then profiles (2) consisting of a shape-memory alloy are fastened to the roughened outside (9) of the structure (6) and a cementitious matrix is applied to the roughened outside (9) to cover the profiles (2). After the cementitious matrix has set, said profiles (2) produce a contraction force and thus a tension as a result of the input of heat. The mortar covering layer (16) thereby acts as a reinforcement layer owing to the interlocking of the mortar covering layer (16) with the roughened outside (9) of the structure (6). The profiles (2) run in an outer mortar as a reinforcement layer (16) of the outside of a structure along the outside of the structure inside the mortar or reinforcement layer (16).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method according to which a profile consisting of a shape-memory alloy is placed into concrete, or a concrete to be reinforced is roughened on the outside, then profiles (2) consisting of a shape-memory alloy are fastened to the roughened outside (9) of the structure (6) and a cementitious matrix is applied to the roughened outside (9) to cover the profiles (2). After the cementitious matrix has set, said profiles (2) produce a contraction force and thus a tension as a result of the input of heat. The mortar covering layer (16) thereby acts as a reinforcement layer owing to the interlocking of the mortar covering layer (16) with the roughened outside (9) of the structure (6). The profiles (2) run in an outer mortar as a reinforcement layer (16) of the outside of a structure along the outside of the structure inside the mortar or reinforcement layer (16).

Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a graphene nanoribbon, comprising a repeating unit which comprises at least one modification, wherein the modification is selected from a heteroatomic substitution, a vacancy, a sp3 hybridization, a Stone-Wales defect, an inverse Stone-Wales defect, a hexagonal sp2 hybridized carbon network ring size modification, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: A method to fabricate thin-film photovoltaic devices (100) comprising a photovoltaic Cu(In,Ga)Se2 or equivalent ABC absorber layer (130), such as an ABC2 layer, deposited onto a back-contact layer (120) characterized in that said method comprises at least five deposition steps, wherein the pair of third and fourth steps are sequentially repeatable, in the presence of at least one C element over one or more steps. In the first step at least one B element is deposited, followed in the second by deposition of A and B elements at a deposition rate ratio Ar/Br, in the third at a ratio Ar/Br lower than the previous, in the fourth at a ratio Ar/Br higher than the previous, and in the fifth depositing only B elements to achieve a final ratio A/B of total deposited elements.