Present invention discloses a microfluidic energy harvester for converting solar energy into electrical energy. A preferred embodiment of the present microfluidic energy harvester includes a substrate having an embedded central microchannel, electrolyte configured to reside and/or flow in said central microchannel and electrode assembly having one or more pair of electrodes arranged in a series and integrated with said central microchannel from sides ensuring direct contact between said pair for electrodes with said electrolyte while it reside and/or flow in said central microchannel for ensuing electrochemical photovoltaic effect to convert the solar energy into the electrical energy under direct solar illumination by working under regenerative conditions. The microfluidic energy harvester is capable of producing high density power from three different resources, (a) the solar irradiation produces a photovoltaic potential difference between the metal/metal-oxide electrodes, (b) SPR of the metal nanoparticles suspended in the electrolyte amplifies the photovoltaic potential difference under solar irradiation, and (c) the flow of the nanoparticle laden electrolyte produces a streaming potential between the electrodes by converting the mechanical energy into the electrical one near the electrodes. The transparency of the polymer and adequate absorptivity of the metal/metal-oxide electrodes ensured facile absorption of solar irradiation in the microfluidic energy harvester. The flexibility of the MEH can be tuned by adjusting the cross-linking of the PDMS matrix. The multiplicity of the microchannels and electrodes are expected to increase the total amount of energy harvested.

A method for fabricating a film on a substrate and a method for controlling the heating rate of a plurality of nanoparticles to transform the plurality of nanoparticles into a plurality of nanorods and nano-cone structures includes the steps of providing a sol precursor, providing a substrate, depositing the sol precursor onto the substrate via a sol-gel technique, annealing the sol precursor under ambient pressure at a controlled heating rate, and cooling down the sol precursor to form a film.

The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a porous material, which porous material comprises a semiconductor comprising a perovskite. The porous material may comprise a porous perovskite. Thus, the porous material may be a perovskite material which is itself porous. Additionally or alternatively, the porous material may comprise a porous dielectric scaffold material, such as alumina, and a coating disposed on a surface thereof, which coating comprises the semiconductor comprising the perovskite. Thus, in some embodiments the porosity arises from the dielectric scaffold rather than from the perovskite itself. The porous material is usually infiltrated by a charge transporting material such as a hole conductor, a liquid electrolyte, or an electron conductor. The invention further provides the use of the porous material as a semiconductor in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is the use of the porous material as a photosensitizing, semiconducting material in an optoelectronic device. The invention additionally provides the use of a layer comprising the porous material as a photoactive layer in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is a photoactive layer for an optoelectronic device, which photoactive layer comprises the porous material.

The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a porous material, which porous material comprises a semiconductor comprising a perovskite. The porous material may comprise a porous perovskite. Thus, the porous material may be a perovskite material which is itself porous. Additionally or alternatively, the porous material may comprise a porous dielectric scaffold material, such as alumina, and a coating disposed on a surface thereof, which coating comprises the semiconductor comprising the perovskite. Thus, in some embodiments the porosity arises from the dielectric scaffold rather than from the perovskite itself. The porous material is usually infiltrated by a charge transporting material such as a hole conductor, a liquid electrolyte, or an electron conductor. The invention further provides the use of the porous material as a semiconductor in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is the use of the porous material as a photosensitizing, semiconducting material in an optoelectronic device. The invention additionally provides the use of a layer comprising the porous material as a photoactive layer in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is a photoactive layer for an optoelectronic device, which photoactive layer comprises the porous material.

An electrode suitable for constructing an electrochemical double layer capacitor and/or supercapacitor is provided that includes an electrode material a metal organic framework (MOF), wherein the MOF includes an inorganic building unit including metal atoms selected from group 1 to group 12 elements, and functional groups of organic linkers including oxygen (O) and one or more atoms selected from the group comprising phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), silicon (Si), selenium (Se) and bismuth (Bi). The functional groups of the organic linkers can include phosphonate, arsonate, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid, arsonic acids and/or arsinic acids, monoester and/or diester forms thereof. Further, the metal atoms may be selected from zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), gold (Au) and silver (Ag). The use of the MOF as a semiconductor in semiconductor applications, a semiconductive device, such as a photovoltaic cell, including the MOF are also provided.

The present invention provides a hybrid ferroelectric discotic liquid crystal solar cell by incorporating an electrolyte composition for improving power conversion efficiency of the solar cell. The hybrid ferroelectric (FE) discotic liquid crystal solar cell comprises a first layer of n-type inorganic semiconductor deposited on conductive fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass plate 101, a second thin layer of light absorbing inorganic sensitizer 103; wherein the inorganic sensitizer strained titania FTO glass-plate acts as a photo anode, a third layer of ferroelectric discotic liquid crystal electrolyte 104 applied between the photo anode and a photo cathode and a fourth layer of reflective platinum deposited FTO glass-plate 105 configured to act as the photo cathode. The ferroelectric discotic liquid crystal electrolyte composition comprises of an achiral HAT6 discotic molecule (2,3,6,7,10,11-Hexakis-hexyloxy triphenylene) and at least two additives, wherein the additives includes tertiary butyl pyridine (t-bPy) and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulphonyl)imide Li[CF3SO2]2N.

A photoelectric conversion device includes: a first base plate; a second base plate disposed in opposition to the first base plate; a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells that are disposed between the first base plate and the second base plate and that each include a photoelectrode and a counter electrode disposed at a side closer than the photoelectrode to the second base plate; a first wiring structure disposed adjacently to the photoelectric conversion cells and capable of electrically connecting adjacent photoelectrode conversion cells; and a second wiring structure at least partly disposed between the counter electrode and the second base plate and capable of electrically connecting any photoelectric conversion cells among the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells.

A dye-sensitized solar cell (100) includes: a first electrode containing first metal oxide particles and including a porous semiconductor layer (16A) carrying dye; a second electrode acting as a counter electrode of the first electrode; and a porous insulating layer (36A) provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, the porous insulating layer (36A)(i) holding an electrolytic solution (42) containing a redox couple and a pyrazole-based compound, and (ii) containing second metal oxide particles.

The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a porous material, which porous material comprises a semiconductor comprising a perovskite. The porous material may comprise a porous perovskite. Thus, the porous material may be a perovskite material which is itself porous. Additionally or alternatively, the porous material may comprise a porous dielectric scaffold material, such as alumina, and a coating disposed on a surface thereof, which coating comprises the semiconductor comprising the perovskite. Thus, in some embodiments the porosity arises from the dielectric scaffold rather than from the perovskite itself. The porous material is usually infiltrated by a charge transporting material such as a hole conductor, a liquid electrolyte, or an electron conductor. The invention further provides the use of the porous material as a semiconductor in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is the use of the porous material as a photosensitizing, semiconducting material in an optoelectronic device. The invention additionally provides the use of a layer comprising the porous material as a photoactive layer in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is a photoactive layer for an optoelectronic device, which photoactive layer comprises the porous material.

Various embodiments of systems and methods for a thermogalvanic brick are disclosed.