This study investigated the different thicknesses of TiO2 photoanode films and the effect of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites on the current-voltage (I–V) performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The TiO2 layer was deposited using the doctor blade technique and the thickness of the TiO2 films was controlled by using a different number of Scotch tape layers. The silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were synthesised using a chemical reduction method and the concentration of sodium citrate as a reducing agent was varied from 4 to 12 mM to study the effect of citrate ion on the size of the nanoparticles. Ag-TiO2 nanopowder was prepared by adding pure anatase TiO2 powder into AgNP colloidal solution. The mixture was left to dry for 24 h to obtain Ag-TiO2 powder for paste preparation. The three-layer Scotch tape, with thickness of 14.38 µm, achieved a high efficiency of 4.14%. This results showed that three layers was the optimal thickness to improve dye loading and to reduce the charge recombination rate. As for the Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites, 10 mM of AgNP, with a mean diameter of 65.23 nm and high efficiency of 6.92%, proved that SPR can enhance the absorption capability of dye and improve the photon-to-electron generation.
The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of incorporating montmorillonite (MMT) on the mechanical, morphological, rheological, and thermal properties of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites. The MMT contents in 90:10 rPET/HDPE and 70:30 rPET/ HDPE ranged from 1 to 5 wt.%. rPET/HDPE nanocomposites were prepared by using a single screw extruder, and injection molded to prepare mechanical test specimens. The samples underwent rheological tests by using a capillary rheometer, and the morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was tested using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that MMT acts as compatibilizing agent and improves phase dispersion and interfacial adhesion in the nanocomposites. The maximum tensile strength was found at 3 and 1 wt.% of MMT for the 90:10 and 70:30 rPET/HDPE blends. However, the tensile modulus decreased significantly with the incorporation of MMT. The impact strength for both the 90:10 and 70:30 blends reached a maximum at 3 wt.% and started to decrease beyond 3 wt.%. The incorporation of MMT increased the shear viscosity of the 90:10 and 70:30 blends, which reached a maximum value at 3 and 1 wt.%. SEM micrographs showed a good interaction of MMT that improved the adhesion between the two phases of blends and led to an increase in the mechanical properties of rPET/HDPE nanocomposites.
Carbon-based particles, such as graphite and graphene, have been widely used as a filler in magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) fabrication in order to obtain electrical properties of the material. However, these kinds of fillers normally require a very high concentration of particles to enhance the conductivity property. Therefore, in this study, the nanosized Ni-Mg cobalt ferrite is introduced as a filler to soften MRE and, at the same time, improve magnetic, rheological, and conductivity properties. Three types of MRE samples without and with different compositions of Mg, namely Co0.5Ni0.2Mg0.3Fe2O4 (A1) and Co0.5Ni0.1Mg0.4Fe2O4 (A2), are fabricated. The characterization related to the micrograph, magnetic, and rheological properties of the MRE samples are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and the rheometer. Meanwhile, the effect of the nanosized Ni-Mg cobalt ferrites on the electrical resistance property is investigated and compared with the different Mg compositions. It is shown that the storage modulus of the MRE sample with the nanosized Ni-Mg cobalt ferrites is 43% higher than that of the MRE sample without the nanomaterials. In addition, it is demonstrated that MREs with the nanosized Ni-Mg cobalt ferrites exhibit relatively low electrical resistance at the on-state as compared to the off-state condition, because MRE with a higher Mg composition shows lower electrical resistance when higher current flow occurs through the materials. This salient property of the proposed MRE can be effectively and potentially used as an actuator to control the viscoelastic property of the magnetic field or sensors to measure the strain of the flexible structures by the electrical resistance signal.
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