Abstract: Method for making a gas diffusion layer for an electrode, the method including processing quartz wool with water in a blender to form a suspension, filtering the suspension to remove water and contaminants, to form a cake of entangled quartz fibres, annealing the cake of entangled quartz fibres without complete melting of the fibres to obtain a porous quartz felt having pore size greater than 1 ?m and coating the porous quartz felt with a conductive material. Gas diffusion layer for an electrode and photoelectrode including the gas diffusion layer.

Abstract: A composite material made of an amorphous (bi)metal sulfide nanoparticles directly linked, through coordinate covalent bonds, to a sulfur-containing polymer and a method of preparation of the composite material. The composite material can also be used as a catalyst for hydrogen production. Finally, a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser and a photoelectrochemical cell, can both including the composite material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a carbon dioxide capture device comprising a first reactor and a second reactor both of which show a (photo)anode containing or connected to oxygen evolution and/or carbon dioxide evolution catalyst(s) and a (photo)cathode containing or connected to an oxygen reduction catalyst, wherein the first reactor comprises an anion exchange membrane placed between the porous (photo)anode and porous (photo)cathode, and the second reactor comprises a proton exchange membrane placed between the porous (photo)anode and porous (photo)cathode. On the porous (photo)cathode side of the first reactor there is a fluid inlet able to carry carbon dioxide, air and water, and on the side of the porous (photo)cathode of the second reactor there is a fluid outlet able to carry carbon dioxide and water.

Abstract: A device for coating semiconductor/semiconductor precursor particles on a flexible substrate and a preparation method of a semiconducting thin film, wherein the device includes: a container for a first and second solvent substantially immiscible; injection means for injecting a predetermined dispersion volume of at least one layered semiconductor particle material or its precursor(s), occurring at a liquid-liquid interface formed within the container and between the first and second solvent, and creating a particle film at the liquid-liquid interface; a first support means; substrate extracting means; substrate supply means; compression means, reducing a distance between particles and push the film onto the substrate, wherein the compression means includes several pushing means mounted on a drive device, wherein at least two of the several pushing means are at least partially submerged in the second solvent during drive device rotation, and moved through the second solvent toward the first support means.

Abstract: An ionic liquid (IL)-containing perovskite precursor composition includes perovskite precursors; and a salt of a cationic imidazole derivative in which at least one of the two nitrogen atoms in the imidazole ring is linked to a carbon chain bearing a cyano (—C?N) group. A perovskite solar cell with high stability includes a layer constituted by a perovskite film formed using the perovskite precursor composition.

Abstract: A method for preparing a semiconducting thin film and device for carrying out the method, wherein the method includes: (1) providing a liquid-liquid interface; (2) providing at least one layered semiconductor material or its precursor(s) in the form of particles in a solvent in the form of a dispersion; (3) injecting the dispersion at the liquid-liquid interface, in order to obtain an assembly of semiconductor/semiconductor precursor particles; (4) bringing the assembly of into contact with a flexible substrate; and (5) applying a surface pressure to the dispersion to obtain a particle film of semiconductor/semiconductor precursor on the substrate, wherein the first solvent has a higher density than the second solvent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of a composite material comprising steps of: (a) reacting gaseous magnesium (Mg) and silica (SiO2) in an inert atmosphere; (b) washing the product obtained in step (a) in an acidic medium; and (c) reacting further gaseous magnesium (Mg) with the silica (SiO2) and silicon (Si) product obtained in step (b). The process of the invention allows Mg2Si/MgO nanocomposites to be prepared without too many separate steps, and wherein the MgO phase is homogeneously dispersed within the Mg2Si matrix. The nanocomposites obtained may for example find practical application as thermoelectric materials in thermoelectric generators.

Abstract: A process for preparing stacks of metal chalcogenide flakes includes: (a) reacting together a source of the metal atom of the target metal chalcogenide with a source of the chalcogenide atom of the target metal chalcogenide, in the presence of a spacer, so as to produce flakes of the metal chalcogenide; (b) depositing metal chalcogenide flakes obtained using step (a) onto a substrate to form a stack of assembled metal chalcogenide flakes, wherein the spacer contains an alkyl chain linked to a functional group able to bond to the metal chalcogenide surface, said alkyl chain having a length of less than 18 carbon atoms, preferably between 6 and 14 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A PIN type infrared photodiode including a first electrode, a n-type semiconductor, an atomic layer deposition coating of lead sulfide, a p-type semiconductor and a second electrode, wherein the n-type semiconductor comprises nanowires conformally coated with the atomic layer deposition coating of lead sulfide.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device has an electron transport layer, an active layer, and a hole transport layer. Each of the electron transport layer, the active layer, and the hole transport layer has quantum dots.

Abstract: The present invention presents a process for preparing a quantum dot array comprising at least the steps of: (a) providing a crystalline semiconductor substrate surface; (b) depositing quantum dots on the said substrate surface by a process of successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). The steps can be repeated to build up a quantum dot superlattice structure.

Abstract: A micropillar array structure includes a substrate; and an array of micropillars provided on a surface of the substrate, wherein the micropillars are substantially transparent to light, and the height of micropillars is at most 500 ?m. The micropillar array structures can be used in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells.