Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper a new cell structure is introduced to reduce the rate of CdTe corrosion in quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) using I -/I- 3 electrolyte. In this cell, one electrode is a titania nanorod that was sensitized with CdTe quantum dots as the working electrode. A thin gold layer is sputtered on the electrode to act as a protective layer against the I-/I- 3 corrosive electrolyte and to passivate the CdTe surface traps which are the main recombination centres in a QDSSC. In addition, a Schottky barrier formed at the interface of Au and CdTe prevents direct electron recombination from the CdTe conduction band with I- 3 ions. The mechanism of charge transfer and quantum dot... 

Introduction: Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), especially those containing cadmium, have undergone marked improvements and are now widely used nanomaterials in applicable biological fields. However, great concerns exist regarding their toxicity in biomedical applications. Because of the lack of sufficient data regarding the toxicity mechanism of QDs, this study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of three types of QDs: CdTe QDs, high yield CdTe QDs, and CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs on two human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB468 and MCF-7. Methods: The breast cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of QDs, and cell viability was evaluated via MTT assay. Hoechst staining was...