Human beings are attempting to take advantage of renewable natural resources by using solar cells. These devices take the sun’s radiation and convert it into electrical energy. The issue with traditional silicon-based solar cells is their manufacturing costs and environmental problems. For this reason, alternatives have been developed within the solar cell field. One of these alternatives is the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), also known as Grätzel solar cells. DSSCs are a type of solar cell that mimics photosynthesis. They have a photoanode, which is formed by a semiconductor film sensitized with a dye. Some of their advantages include low-cost manufacturing, eco-friendly materials use, and suitability for most environments. This review discusses four important aspects, with two related to the dye, which can be natural or synthetic. Herein, only natural dyes and their extraction methods were selected. On the other hand, this paper discusses the nanostructures used for DSSCs, the TiO2 nanostructure being the most reported; it recently reached an efficiency level of 10.3%. Finally, a review on the novelties in DSSCs technology is presented, where it is observed that the use of Catrin protein (cow brain) shows 1.45% of efficiency, which is significantly lower if compared to Ag nanoparticles doped with graphene that report 9.9% efficiency.

No abstract

Abstract

The wetting process of a ceramic substrate (Al2O3) with and without carbon coating by means of aluminum-based alloys has been investigated. A mathematical simulation that predicts wettability in the systems under study is proposed, taking into account the diffusional effects of the used constituents. The prediction of the mathematical simulation is compared with the experimental results obtained for the same systems in question. From the results obtained, it was found that the wettability of a liquid droplet of aluminum and aluminum alloys on an alumina (Al2O3) substrate with and without carbon coating can be well represented by the proposed mathematical diffusion simulation. On the other hand, the control mechanism of the contact angle in relation to the deposition of a thin layer of carbon on the ceramic substrate (Al2O3) and the presence of metals such as La and Y in the aluminum alloy, give way to the formation of Al4C3, La2O3 and Y2O3 and these types of reaction help in the decrease of the contact angle.

No abstract

CrCuFeNiTiAlx high-entropy alloys (where x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mol percent or mol %) were processed through powder metallurgy. Aluminum concentration was varied in the alloy to determine its effect on the microstructure and phase formation within the CrCuFeNiTiAlx system. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed the presence of structures mainly composed of FCC and BCC solid-solution (SS) phases in the CrCuFeNiTi alloy. The addition of aluminum content is responsible for an increased volume fraction of the BCC phase on the sintered alloys. XRD results also indicate the formation of compounds of a chemical composition and crystalline structure different from those of FCC and BCC SS phases. The presence of these compounds was also confirmed through mapping of elements and punctual chemical analysis through energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Bulk samples exhibited microstructures with multimodal grain size. From the microhardness test results, it was determined that addition of Al is proportional to an increase in hardness.

Las aleaciones de alta entropía son una nueva clase de aleaciones multicomponentes, que consisten en cinco o más elementos metálicos con proporciones equiatómicas. A pesar del gran número de elementos de aleación, las HEA pueden exhibir fases de solución sólida simples, como las fases cúbicas centrada en las caras y centrada en el cuerpo. En este trabajo se fabricó la aleación AlxCrCuFeNiTi (x = 0, 0.45, 1, 2.5, 5 mol) mediante aleado mecánico para determinar el efecto del aluminio en la evolución de fases durante el proceso y su impacto en las propiedades mecánicas. La molienda de los polvos se realizó a 300 rpm durante 180 minutos. Los polvos resultantes de la molienda se prensaron a 250 kg/cm2. Las muestras prensadas se sinterizaron a 1300°C durante 1 hora. De los resultados se tiene que, al aumentar la concentración de aluminio, las aleaciones sufren una transformación de una sola fase FCC a una mezcla de fases FCC y BCC, así como la precipitación de intermetálicos de FeAl3, Al3Ni, TiAl y Ti3Al. La aleación que alcanzó la mayor dureza fue la de mayor contenido de aluminio. Estas aleaciones se endurecen significativamente con la adición de aluminio, debido a la formación de la fase BCC y por la formación de intermetálicos.

No abstract