Abstract: Structures and methods for manufacturing photovoltaic devices by forming perovskite layers and perovskite precursor layers using vapor transport deposition (VTD) are described.

Abstract: Electrolytes, articles, and methods for reducing gases produced during the operation of an electrochemical cell are generally described. The inclusion of silylated sulfonic acid esters can reduce the amount of gases produced in an electrochemical cell (e.g., a battery).

Abstract: The invention relates to a photovoltaic plant (100) comprising: at least one photovoltaic module (1), including at least one junction box (13) placed on a front face of the photovoltaic module (1), via which face the solar rays enter, in proximity to a peripheral edge (4) of said photovoltaic module (1), and at least one DC current cable (15, 17) that conveys the current generated by the at least one photovoltaic module (1), characterized in that it furthermore comprises a protective sheath (5) that is placed, on the front face of the photovoltaic module (1), encircling the junction box (13) and the DC current cable (15, 17), said protective sheath (5) having a cross-section the height of which corresponds at least to the height of the junction box (13) and including a window (57) that is located in the face of the protective sheath (5) that makes contact with the photovoltaic module (1), via which window the junction box (13) protrudes from the protective sheath (5), and a closable longitudinal aperture (51)

Abstract: Method of improving the performance and safety of a Li-ion battery. The method includes using a nitrile-based small organic compound of general formula I, V or IX outlined in the application in association with the electrolyte of the battery. An electrolyte including a nitrile-based small organic compound. A battery including the electrolyte.

Abstract: A battery system, capable of detecting a pore generated in an outer package film in an early stage, includes: a battery including a plurality of laminated cells arranged along a thickness direction and connected in series, and a plate arranged between a pair of the laminated cells; a first voltage sensor configured to measure a first voltage between a terminal of a reference cell belonging to the plurality of laminated cells, and the plate; a second voltage sensor configured to measure a second voltage between a terminal of the reference cell, and among the pair of laminated cells facing the plate, the laminated cell in the reference cell side; and an electronic control unit including a first obtaining unit configured to obtain the first voltage from the first voltage sensor.

Abstract: A solar cell of an embodiment includes a p-electrode, an n-electrode, a p-type light-absorbing layer located between the p-electrode and the n-electrode and mainly containing a cuprous oxide, and an n-type layer that includes a first n-type layer which is located between the p-type light-absorbing layer and the n-electrode, which mainly contains a compound represented by Gav1Znv2Snv3M1v4Ov5, the M1 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, In, Ti, Al, B, Mg, Si, and Ge, the v1, the v2, and the v4 being numerical values of 0.00 or more, the v3 and the v5 being numerical values of more than 0, at least one of the v1 and the v2 being a numerical value of more than 0, and the v5 when a sum of the v1, the v2, the v3, and the v4 is 1 being 1.00 or more and 2.

Abstract: Provided is an ionic conductor with which adhesion between particles can be enhanced simply by pressure-molding a powder without using sulfide ionic conductors and without performing firing or vapor deposition, and which can exhibit a high lithium ionic conductivity. This ionic conductor contains, in addition to an oxide lithium ionic conductor, a complex hydride.

Abstract: Methods for nanopore-based protein analysis are provided. The methods address the characterization of a target protein analyte, which has a dimension greater than an internal diameter of the nanopore tunnel, and which is also physically associated with a polymer. The methods further comprise applying an electrical potential to the nanopore system to cause the polymer to interact with the nanopore tunnel. The ion current through the nanopore is measured to provide a current pattern reflective of the structure of the portion of the polymer interacting with the nanopore tunnel. This is used as a metric for characterizing the associated protein that does not pass through the nanopore.

Abstract: A method of washing a positive electrode active material includes (1) preparing a lithium composite transition metal oxide which contains Ni, Co and Mn, and has the Ni content of 60 mol % or more; (2) putting the lithium composite transition metal oxide into water; and (3) adding a weak acid to water to which the lithium composite transition metal oxide is added to adjust the pH to 7 to 10, wherein the acid is a weak acid.

Abstract: A perovskite solar cell includes a transparent electrode, an electron transport layer, a perovskite layer, a hole transport layer, and a second electrode in sequence. The perovskite layer includes a main perovskite layer and a two-dimensional perovskite coating layer covering both surface and periphery of the main perovskite layer. The two-dimensional perovskite coating layer includes a first overlay layer disposed between the main perovskite layer and the electron transport layer, a second overlay layer disposed between the main perovskite layer and the hole transport layer, and a third overlay layer covering the periphery of the main perovskite layer.

Abstract: Various lithium cobalt oxides materials having a chemical formula of LixCoyOz, and method and apparatus of producing the various lithium cobalt oxides materials are provided. The method includes adjusting a molar ratio MLiSalt:MCoSalt of a lithium-containing salt, and a cobalt-containing salt within a liquid mixture to be equivalent to a ratio of x:y, drying a mist of the liquid mixture in the presence of a gas to form a gas-solid mixture, separating the gas-solid mixture into one or more solid particles of an oxide material, and annealing the solid particles of the oxide material in the presence of another gas flow to obtain crystallized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material. The process system has a mist generator, a drying chamber, one or more gas-solid separator, and one or more reactors.

Abstract: Provided is a thermoelectric material which exhibits excellent thermoelectric characteristics at room temperature; a method for producing this thermoelectric material; and a thermoelectric power generation element using this thermoelectric material. In an embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric material contains an inorganic compound that contains magnesium (Mg), antimony (Sb) and/or bismuth (Bi), copper (Cu), and if necessary M (M is composed of at least one element that is selected from the group consisting of selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te)); and inorganic compound is represented by MgaSb2-b-cBibMcCud, wherein a, b, c and d satisfy 3?a?3.5, 0?b?2, 0?c?0.06, 0?d?0.1, and (b+1)?2.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, disclosed is a thermoelectric device comprising: a thermoelectric element comprising a first substrate, a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first substrate, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs disposed on the plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, and a second substrate disposed on the plurality of second electrodes; and a heat sink comprising a plurality of fins disposed to be spaced apart on the second substrate, wherein the second substrate comprises a first region overlapping the second electrodes in a vertical direction and a second region not overlapping the second electrodes in the vertical direction, and wherein separation distances between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins are different from each other in the first region and the second region.

Abstract: A photoelectrochemical secondary cell comprising a photocatalytic anode, or photoanode; an anode; a cathode comprising a metal hydride; electrolyte; separator; and case at least a portion of which is transparent to the electromagnetic radiation required by said photoanode to charge said photoelectrochemical secondary cell.

Abstract: Provided are a solid electrolyte composition including a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte and a plurality of kinds of alkane dispersion media, in which the plurality of kinds of alkane dispersion media include, with respect to a peak of each alkane dispersion medium obtained by measurement under specific conditions using a gas chromatography, two kinds of alkane dispersion media in which a difference in retention time between mutually adjacent peaks of dispersion media is more than 0 minutes and within 0.2 minutes, a solid electrolyte-containing sheet, an all-solid state secondary battery, and methods for manufacturing a solid electrolyte-containing sheet and an all-solid state secondary battery.

Abstract: A metal element-containing sulfide solid electrolyte may have an effect of suppressing hydrogen sulfide generation and may express excellent working environments. Such a metal element-containing sulfide solid electrolyte may contain a lithium element, a sulfur element, a phosphorus element, a halogen element, and at least one metal element selected from metal elements of Groups 2 to 12 and Period 4 or higher of the Periodic Table, in which the molar ratio of the lithium element to the phosphorus element (Li/P) is 2.4 or more and 12 or less, and the molar ratio of the sulfur element to the phosphorus element (S/P) is 3.7 or more and 12 or less.

Abstract: Double-sided tunneling silicon-oxide passivated back-contact solar cell and its preparation method including silicon wafer with front surface and back surface. On the back surface of silicon wafer, first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layer are provided, while on the front surface of silicon wafer, passivation layer is provided. The first semiconductor layer includes first tunneling silicon-oxide layer and first doped polycrystalline silicon layer. The passivation layer includes second tunneling silicon-oxide layer and second doped polycrystalline silicon layer. The thickness of first doped polycrystalline silicon layer is 3-8 times that of second doped polycrystalline silicon layer. The back surface of silicon wafer is provided with first phosphorus-doped diffusion region, and the front surface of silicon wafer, which is textured surface, is provided with second phosphorus-doped diffusion region.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module is formed by arranging, on one surface, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion element pairs in which an n-type thermoelectric conversion element and a p-type thermoelectric conversion element are connected by interposing an electrode plate, and connecting the plurality of the thermoelectric conversion element pairs in series; and the thermoelectric conversion module has a first output terminal provided on one thermoelectric conversion element pair arranged at one end side of the plurality of the thermoelectric conversion element pairs connected in series, a second output terminal provided on the other thermoelectric conversion element pair arranged at the other end side of the plurality of the thermoelectric conversion element pairs connected in series, and an intermediate output terminal provided at any position between the thermoelectric conversion element pair arranged at the one end side and the thermoelectric conversion element pair arranged at the other end side.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode which is capable of storing and releasing lithium, a negative electrode which is capable of storing and releasing lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte which contains lithium salts and cyclic disulfonic acid ester, in which as the nonaqueous electrolyte, a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a polymer is used, and as at least a part of the lithium salts, imide lithium salts are used. Here, the content of the cyclic sulfonic acid ester is preferably in a range of 2.0% to 5.0% by mass with respect to a total content of the nonaqueous electrolyte. Also, the proportion of the imide lithium salts is preferably in a range of 10 to 50 mol % with respect to a total amount of lithium salts in the nonaqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: A battery module reduces the risk of secondary ignition or explosion and increases cooling efficiency. The battery module includes a cell assembly having a plurality of secondary batteries stacked on each other in a front and rear direction; and a base plate configured such that the plurality of secondary batteries of the cell assembly are mounted to an upper portion thereof, the base plate including at least one gas discharge passage having a sidewall elongated in the front and rear direction to communicate with the outside and an open portion formed by a top of the sidewall in one direction and at least one anti-inflammatory mesh sheet configured to cover the open portion.