The photoelectric conversion device includes a quantum dot accumulation zone, a base layer having current collecting properties which is disposed on at least one major surface of the quantum dot accumulation zone, and a plurality of columnar carrier collection zones, each extending from the base layer into the quantum dot accumulation zone and having an open end. Each of the carrier collection zones is composed mainly of metal oxide. An open end part has a higher mole ratio of oxygen to metal than a body part other than the open end part.

The present invention provides a method for fabricating core-shell particles supported on a carrier, the method including: forming a solution by adding a first metal supported on a carrier to a solvent; adjusting a pH of the solution from 7 to 14 and adding a metal salt of a second metal thereto; and forming core-shell particles by adding a reducing agent to the solution and forming a shell including the second metal on a surface of a core particle including the first metal, and core-shell particles fabricated by the method.

A variable capacitance capacitor element according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a supporting substrate; a first electrode layer provided on the supporting substrate; a second electrode layer provided opposite to the first electrode layer; and a dielectric layer positioned between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. In accordance with an aspect, a main component of the dielectric layer is represented by a composition formula Ba.sub.1−xSr.sub.xTiO.sub.3 (0.5≦x≦0.8), and the first thin film dielectric layer has a thickness of 200 nm or smaller.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to carbon-containing composites which are suitable for use as electrodes in electrochemical systems. The composites are formed from a scaffold of graphene and carbon nanotubes. Graphene flakes form a plurality of generally planar sheets (e.g., extending in an x-y plane) separated in the direction of a composite axis (e.g., along a z-axis) and approximately parallel to one another. The carbon nanotubes extend between the graphene sheets and at least a portion of the carbon nanotubes are aligned in approximately the same direction, at a defined angle with respect to the composite axis. At least a portion of the scaffold is embedded within a porous carbon matrix (e.g., an activated carbon, a polymer derived graphitic carbon, etc.).

Designs of extremely high efficiency solar cells are described. A novel alternating bias scheme enhances the photovoltaic power extraction capability above the cell band-gap by enabling the extraction of hot carriers. When applied in conventional solar cells, this alternating bias scheme has the potential of more than doubling their yielded net efficiency. When applied in conjunction with solar cells incorporating quantum wells (QWs) or quantum dots (QDs) based solar cells, the described alternating bias scheme has the potential of extending such solar cell power extraction coverage, possibly across the entire solar spectrum, thus enabling unprecedented solar power extraction efficiency. Within such cells, a novel alternating bias scheme extends the cell energy conversion capability above the cell material band-gap while the quantum confinement structures are used to extend the cell energy conversion capability below the cell band-gap. Light confinement cavities are incorporated into the cell structure in order to allow the absorption of the cell internal photo emission, thus further enhancing the cell efficiency.

This undercoat foil for an energy storage device electrode comprises a collector base plate, and an undercoat layer formed on at least one surface of the collector base plate, the undercoat layer containing carbon nanotubes, and the coating amount per collector base plate surface being 0.1 g/m.sup.2 or less. Since this undercoat foil can be effectively welded by ultrasound, the use thereof allows a low-resistance energy storage device and a simple and effective production method therefor to be provided.

The present invention provides: a film that comprises single-layer carbon nanotubes having shapes which enable the characteristics thereof to be sufficiently exhibited; and a process for producing the film. The film, which comprises single-layer carbon nanotubes, has portions where single-layer carbon nanotubes are densely present and portions where single-layer carbon nanotubes are sparsely present, the dense portions forming a pseudo-honeycomb structure in a surface of the film.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a coated type-I quantum dot comprising a core and a shell, and a silica layer, and a method for making the quantum dot. The quantum dot may be a thick-shelled quantum dot. Also disclosed are embodiments of a composition comprising one or more coated quantum dots and a polymer. The composition may be a luminescent solar concentrator. Device comprising the composition are disclosed. The device may comprise the composition, such as a luminescent solar concentrator, applied to a substrate, such as glass. The device may be a window or a solar module. Also disclosed is a method of applying the composition to the substrate to form a thin film luminescent solar concentrator.

A protected active metal electrode and a device with the electrode are provided. The protected active metal electrode includes an active metal substrate and a protection layer on a surface of the active metal substrate. The protection layer at least includes a metal thin film covering the surface of the active metal substrate and an electrically-conductive thin film covering a surface of the metal thin film. A material of the metal thin film is Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, or W. A material of the electrically-conductive thin film is selected from nitride of a metal in the metal thin film, carbide of a metal in the metal thin film, a diamond-like carbon (DLC), and a combination thereof.

A method of producing a composite product is provided. The method includes providing a fluidized bed of metal oxide particles in a fluidized bed reactor, providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor, providing a carbon source in the fluidized bed reactor for growing carbon nanotubes, growing carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor, and collecting a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes.