Sharif Digital Repository

We report on the response of a monolithic high Tc transition-edge bolometer to about 3 mmWave for the first time. The detector structure consisting of 400-nm YBa2Cu3O7-x(YBCO) film on buffered yttria stabilized zirconia substrate without any coupled antenna, shows bolometric type responsivity to the 3-mmWave radiation at its transition temperature. The YBCO thin film Ce0.9La0.1O2 buffer layer are both fabricated by the metal-organic deposition method. The meander line pattern of the bolometer is designed for obtaining maximum absorption and responsivity possible when the polarized radiation of the source is aligned with the pattern. Meander lines are 50 micrometers wide and 1.5-mm long. We... 

Multi-component nanocomposite thin films (composed of cellulose nanofiber (CNF), alginate, bioglass nanoparticles (BG NPs) and gentamicin) were prepared by using cathodic electrophoretic deposition (EPD) under different isostatic pressures of 10−2 mbar (LP), atmospheric (AP), and 5 bar (HP). According to thermal gravity analysis, larger amounts of CNF and alginate could be deposited on the surface at the AP condition in comparison with the LP and HP conditions. On the other hand, higher amounts of the BG NPs could be deposited at the LP condition as compared to the other conditions. The drug (gentamicin) loading/releasing of the samples prepared at the HP condition was found to be higher... 

Chemical processing of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides has attracted immense attention due to their unique optical, electrical, and catalytic properties. In this paper, we show that under special conditions during seedless chemical vapor deposition (CVD), it is possible to grow large-area 2D WS2 layers with disc-shaped morphology, which has been scarcely reported. Detailed characterizations of the CVD-grown layers by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have revealed that a gradient in the precursor concentration in the gas phase and strain energy in the deposited hexagonal clusters favor... 

Thin films of bismuth and iron oxides were obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the surface of a flexible substrate poly(4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide) (Kapton) at a temperature of 250°C. The layer thickness was 50 nm. The samples were examined by secondary-ion mass spectrometry, and uniform distribution of elements in the film layer was observed. Surface morphology, electrical polarization, and mechanical properties were investigated by atomic force microscope, piezoelectric force microscopy, and force modulation microscopy. The values of current in the near-surface layer varied in the range of ±80 pA when a potential of 5 V was applied. Chemical analysis was performed by... 

In the last decade, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solution-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in the lab-scale has reached an incredible level of 25.5%. Generally, PSCs are composed of a stack consisting of a perovskite thin-film sandwiched between an electron transporting layer (ETL) and a hole transporting layer (HTL). Although the quality of the ETL and HTL interfaces with the perovskite thin-film is important, the quality of the perovskite thin-film is also critical to achieving high-performance PSCs. Low-temperature deposition of organic-inorganic perovskite thin-films by simple solution processes is one of the significant advantages of PSCs compared to other... 

Deposition of asphaltenes upon precipitation is a main flow assurance concern, which propelled the development of various experimental and modeling techniques to accurately predict its occurrence. This work develops an integrated approach combining thermodynamic and deposition modules with a multiphase flow simulator to simultaneously model asphaltenes precipitation and deposition in wellbores. The Peng-Robinson equation of state and the modified Miller-Flory-Huggins theory are used to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the oil and asphaltenes precipitation, respectively. The deposition module is based on conservation laws for asphaltenes transport and is linked to the flow simulator... 

Developing high-performance supercapacitors is of great significance in the area of renewable energies by virtue of having both high energy and power densities. In this work, an innovative strategy is employed for the fabrication of binder-free binary nickel–cobalt-sulfide (NCS) nanosheets (NSs) directly decorated onto the hydrothermal nickel-sulfide (Ni3S2) nanowires (NWs) as the positive electrodes. The NCS/Ni3S2-nickel foam (NF) positive electrodes rendered superior specific capacity of 499.1 mAh.g−1 at 6 A.g−1. Encapsulated iron into the carbon sphere hosts (Fe-HTCSs) are used as the negative counterparts, exhibiting remarkable specific capacitance of 336.6 F.g−1 (at 0.1 A.g−1). The... 

Evolution of renewable energies in the era of the modernized world has been strongly tied up to the incessant development of high-performance energy storage systems benefiting from both high energy and power densities. In the present work, binder-free positive electrodes are fabricated via a facile electrochemical deposition route in which copper oxide nanorods (CuO NRs) directly grown onto the copper foam (CF) are decorated with bimetallic cobalt-zinc sulfide nanoarrays (Co-Zn-S NAs). The fabricated Co-Zn-S@CuO-CFs represent promising specific capacity of 317.03 C.g−1 at 1.76 A.g−1, along with superior cyclic stability (113% retention after 4500 cycles). Negative electrodes were further... 

Active edge sites of MoS2 nanosheets exhibit promising futures for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), comparable with remarkable performances of highly cost platinum. However, 3D structures of MoS2 suffer from a lack of high mobility and unexposed active sites which lower the electrocatalytic activity. In this study, we show that there is a balance between increasing the active sites on the one hand and managing the charge transfer to facilitate the reaction on the other hand, and achieving this balance increases the efficiency of the electrocatalyst tremendously. For this purpose, we directly attached exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets onto carbon cloth (CC) substrate as a 3D network of conductive... 

In this study, ZrO2 coatings with different thicknesses were grown by the electron beam evaporation technique. The crystalline structure was studied by XRD analysis which suggested the tetragonal and monoclinic phases for ZrO2 coatings. Additionally, the film thickness slightly enhanced the crystallinity. The surface morphology and fractal features were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The surface statistical parameters and the fractal geometry were employed to analyze the impact of the coating thickness and homogeneity on the morphology of the films. The statistical processing and fractal dimension revealed variations in the morphology parameters due to the electron beam... 

WO3 films with thicknesses between 550 and 853 nm were deposited on glass substrates using the electron beam evaporation method at room temperature. The microstructures and surface roughness of the films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was observed that the crystalline structure of the WO3 thin films significantly changes from the amorphous to crystalline states with a crystalline texture, and the mosaicity and grain size dependent on the film thickness. The transmittance spectra of the obtained WO3 films were measured in the range from 340 to 850 nm, and the Swanepoel method was used to determine the refractive indices and the thicknesses of the... 

Although important advances have been acquired in the field of electrocatalysis, the design and fabrication of highly efficient and stable non-noble earth-abundant metal catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remain a significant challenge. In this study, we have designed a superior bifunctional catalyst for OER and HER in alkaline media based on the Co-Mo-P/Zn-Co-S multicomponent heterostructure. The as-prepared multicomponent heterostructure was successfully obtained via a simple three-step hydrothermal-sulfidation-electrodeposition process consisting of star-like Co-Zn-S covered with Co-Mo-P. The structure and morphology evaluation of the... 

To attain superior energy density concurrently with high power density, high-performance supercapacitors have been developed. Herein an innovative strategy has been adopted to fabricate unique binder-free electrodes composed of a unique porous structure of binary metal carbonate hydroxide nanomace-decorated hydrothermal porous carbon spheres (PCSs). Hierarchical nickel-cobalt carbonate hydroxide (NiCOCH) nanomaces, directly grown on PCSs, are used as positive electrodes for supercapacitors fabrication. Furthermore, Fe2O3@PCS composites, having benefits of highly reversible redox reaction in the negative potential window and highly porous structure, are employed as the negative electrode in... 

Studies on copper zinc tin sulpher selenide (CZTSSe) thin-film material and its applications as a base material are intensively being researched since it is an earth-abundant, inexpensive, flexible, and interesting material for next-generation optoelectronic technologies. Apropos, this study explores and reports the synthesis of CZTSSe thin films and their key optoelectronics characteristics. The reported films are fabricated on a soda-lime glass substrate by using a physical vapor deposition technique, and then annealed from 250 to 450 °C. From the X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of the as-deposited thin films is found to be amorphous in nature. Annealed thin films of CZTSSe... 

To attain superior energy density concurrently with high power density, high-performance supercapacitors have been developed. Herein an innovative strategy has been adopted to fabricate unique binder-free electrodes composed of a unique porous structure of binary metal carbonate hydroxide nanomace-decorated hydrothermal porous carbon spheres (PCSs). Hierarchical nickel-cobalt carbonate hydroxide (NiCOCH) nanomaces, directly grown on PCSs, are used as positive electrodes for supercapacitors fabrication. Furthermore, Fe2O3@PCS composites, having benefits of highly reversible redox reaction in the negative potential window and highly porous structure, are employed as the negative electrode in... 

Studies on copper zinc tin sulpher selenide (CZTSSe) thin-film material and its applications as a base material are intensively being researched since it is an earth-abundant, inexpensive, flexible, and interesting material for next-generation optoelectronic technologies. Apropos, this study explores and reports the synthesis of CZTSSe thin films and their key optoelectronics characteristics. The reported films are fabricated on a soda-lime glass substrate by using a physical vapor deposition technique, and then annealed from 250 to 450 °C. From the X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of the as-deposited thin films is found to be amorphous in nature. Annealed thin films of CZTSSe... 

Three-dimensional macroporous fluorine-doped tin oxide (p-FTO) films were successfully deposited using commercial ink of FTO powder and SnCl2 salt via Dr. Blade method. Various features of p-FTO thin films were studied as a function of the ink composition and sintering temperature. The morphological studies corroborated formation of porous, uniform, and crack-free FTO films after annealing at 300 °C for 10 min in air. X-ray diffraction pattern demonstrated development of highly crystalline FTO films. The lowest sheet resistance of 47 Ω/□ was obtained for the p-FTO film with a thickness of 21 μm. The capacitance of thin p-FTO films was investigated using a three-electrode system and the... 

Synthesis of efficient, low-cost, and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts with earth-abundant resources for electrochemical water electrolysis is a challenging subject for large-scale energy conversion processes. Herein, we report a high-performance electrocatalyst based on vanadium oxysulfide/cobalt-cobalt sulfonitride (VOS/Co-CoSN) for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER and HER). The Co-CoSN film was synthesized on a copper sheet (CS) by a facile electrodeposition method. Then, VOS was electrochemically grown onto the Co-CoSN@CS electrode at various deposition times. At the optimal deposition time (300 s), the obtained VOS-300/Co-CoSN catalyst was studied for OER and HER in... 

Herein, we report a new strategy for improving the efficiency and reducing the fabrication cost of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) by elimination of the three- or four-fold layer deposition of TiO2. This is performed by replacing a single layer deposition of mesoporous TiO2 beads, with sub-micrometer size, high surface area and tunable pore size, synthesized by a combination of sol-gel and solvothermal methods. Furthermore, superior electronic properties gained by a reduction in electronic trap states are achieved through doping of pristine TiO2 beads with lithium. The beads have a spherical shape with monodispersed texture consisting of anatase-TiO2 nanocrystals and ultra-fine pores. The... 

This paper presents a day-ahead scheduling approach for a multi-carrier residential energy system (MRES) including distributed energy resources (DERs). The main objective of the proposed scheduling approach is the minimization of the total costs of an MRES consisting of both electricity and gas energy carriers. The proposed model considers both electrical and natural gas distribution networks, DER technologies including renewable energy resources, energy storage systems (ESSs), and combined heat and power. The uncertainties pertinent to the demand and generated power of renewable resources are modeled using the chance-constrained approach. The proposed model is applied on the IEEE 33-bus...