We report here on an inexpensive, solid and stable solar cell designed and made entirely of synthesized materials, Sb 2 S 3 / hypericin (dye) thin film on ITO-coated glass (working electrode), aluminum (counter electrode), and PVA matrix (solid carrier) loaded with electrolyte (0.5M KI 1 0.05M I 2 ). The fact that the cell is inexpensive but also stable and solid, with efficiency of around 1.3%/cm 2 at a very low light intensity of only 5% sun, makes it particularly suitable for indoor applications. At higher light intensities of 25 and 55% sun, however, the cell exhibits lower efficiency, around 0.3 and 0.07%/cm 2 , respectively. Development of low-cost cell technology combined with understanding of low light utilization and setting of standard conditions should be some of the future directions the research in this area should follow. Therefore, in this work, we tried to give sufficient reasons for establishing standard conditions related to low light intensity.

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A nanosilver (nano-Ag)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel device was synthesized with c irradiation because it is a highly suitable tool for enhanced nano-Ag technologies and biocompatible controlled release formulations. The amount of the Ag 1 ions released in vitro by the nano-Ag/PVA hydrogel device was in the antimicrobial parts per million concentration range. The modeling of the Ag 1 ion release kinetics with the elements of the drug-delivery paradigm revealed the best fit solution (R 2 > 0.99) for the Kopcha and Makoid-Banakar's pharmacokinetic dissolution models. The term A/B, derived from the Kopcha model, indicated that the nano-Ag/PVA hydrogel was mainly an Ag 1 -ion diffusion-controlled device. Makoid-Banakar's parameter and the short time approximated Ag 1 -ion diffusion constant reflected the importance of the size of the Ag nanoparticles. However, it appeared that the cell oxidation potential of the Ag nanoparticles depended on the diffusion characteristics of the fluid penetrating into the Ag/PVA nanosystem.

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Silver nanoparticles were produced inside a poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) hydrogel (PVP) by an innovative method based on the electrochemical reduction of Ag+ ions within the swollen PVP hydrogel. UV‐visible spectroscopy showed the highest value of the absorbance intensity and the lowest values of the wavelength of the absorbance maximum and the full width at the half‐maximum absorbance for the Ag/PVP nanocomposite obtained at 200 V during 4 min. Cyclic voltammetry results suggested an adequate entrapment of the silver nanoparticles. The mechanical properties under bioreactor conditions of the Ag/PVP nanocomposite suggested the possibility of wound dressing application. Silver release from Ag/PVP nanocomposites was confirmed under static conditions as well as by their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:217–226, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers