Conventional soft template methods for synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) use unsustainable, toxic and carcinogenic phenolic compounds as carbon precursor and aldehydes as crosslinker. Lignin is a potential carbon...

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The silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell has long been considered as one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation PV market. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) shows good carrier selectivity when combined with c-Si solar cells. This has led to the rapid demonstration of the remarkable potential of TMOs (especially MoOx) with high work function to replace the p-type a-Si:H emitting layer. MoOx can induce a strong inversion layer on the interface of n-type c-Si, which is beneficial to the extraction and conduction of holes. In this paper, the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering was used to deposit MoOx films. The optical, electrical and structural properties of MoOx films are measured and analyzed, with focus on the inherent compositions and work function. Then the MoOx films are applied into SHJ solar cells. When the MoOx works as a buffer layer between ITO/p-a-Si:H interface in the reference SHJ solar cell, a conversion efficiency of 19.1% can be obtained. When the MoOx is used as a hole transport layer (HTL), the device indicates a desirable conversion efficiency of 17.5%. To the best of our knowledge, this current efficiency is the highest one for the MoOx film as HTL by RF sputtering.

As one of the important value-added chemicals that has wide applications, the catalytic hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol has been a hot topic in biomass upgrading. In order to support the prosperity of the sorbitol industry, catalysts with superior activity, higher selectivity, longer life, and lower cost are desirable. Herein, tremelliform graphene-like carbon-encapsulated Ru catalysts (Ru/GLC) were synthesized from 4-nitrocatechol by using solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly and KHCO3 chemical activation processes. The Ru/GLC materials were used for the catalytic hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol, and the best Ru/GLC-600 sample prepared at a 600 °C activation temperature exhibited both high glucose conversion of 100% and sorbitol yield of 96.8% at 140 °C and 3 MPa H2 in 120 min. The Ru/GLC-600 catalyst exhibited excellent stability and durability that sorbitol yield could be remained at 95.4% after recycling five runs. The catalyst was applicable to concentrated glucose solutions (50 wt %) with 95.6% sorbitol yield. Compared with previously reported catalysts, Ru/GLC catalyst had lower apparent activation energy (E a = 30.66 kJ/mol) and higher turnover frequency (TOF = 1680.6 h–1). This work provides a simple one-pot synthesis strategy for graphene-like carbon materials for metal encapsulating, and the prepared materials exhibited high catalytic activity and stability for glucose hydrogenation to sorbitol.

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