广义正交码索引调制系统的性能分析

摘 要：为了提高码索引调制（code index modulation，CIM）系统的传输效率，提出了一种具有更低复杂度的单输入单输出（single input single output，SISO）的广义正交码索引调制（generalized orthogonal code index modulation，GQCIM）系统。CIM 系统使用扩频码和星座符号传输信息，但只能激活两个扩频码索引和一个调制符号。而 GQCIM 系统以一种新颖的方式克服了只激活一个调制符号的限制，同时充分利用了调制符号的正交性，增加扩频码索引以传输更多的额外信息位，提高了系统的传输效率。此外，分析了GQCIM系统的理论性能，推导了误码率性能的上界。通过蒙特卡罗仿真验证了GQCIM系统的性能，对比发现GQCIM系统的理论和仿真性能一致。而且在相同的传输效率下，结果显示GQCIM系统的性能优于同样具有正交性的调制系统，如广义码索引调制（generalized code index modulation，GCIM）系统、CIM系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided quadrature spatial modulation，CIM-QSM）系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided spatial modulation，CIM-SM）系统、脉冲索引调制（pulse index modulation，PIM）系统。     

Integrated LaB6/g-C3N4 solar absorber for solving dye accumulation during solar steam generation

Solar steam generation has attracted considerable interest due to its easy accessibility and sustainability. However, dye molecules were gradually concentrated on bulk water or the surface of solar absorbers during the disposal of dye wastewater. Herein, LaB₆/g-C₃N₄ composites were immobilized on porous cotton cloth, served as a solar absorber resistant to dye clogging. The optimal solar absorber possessed solar harvesting of 92.3% and showed great application potential in the field of the treatment of dye wastewater. This study presented a new approach for the treatment of dye wastewater.     

Thermal transport and chemical conversion in single reacting sorbent particles

The effects of particle size and carbon dioxide concentration on chemical conversion in engineered spherical particles undergoing calcium oxide looping are investigated. Particles are thermochemically cycled in a furnace under different carbon dioxide concentrations. Changes in composition due to chemical reactions are measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Gas composition at the furnace exit is evaluated with mass spectroscopy. A numerical model of thermal transport phenomena developed previously is adapted to match the physical system investigated in the present study. The model is used to elucidate effects of reacting medium characteristics on particle temperature and reaction extent. Experimental and numerical results show that (1) an increase in particle size results in a decrease in carbonation extent, and (2) the carbonation step consists of fast and slow reaction regimes. The reaction rates in the fast and slow carbonation regimes increase with increasing carbon dioxide concentration. The effect of carbon dioxide concentration and the distinction between the fast and slow regimes become more pronounced with increasing particle size.     

Configurational Isomers Induced Significant Difference in All-Polymer Solar Cells

The design of polymer acceptors plays an essential role in the performance of all-polymer solar cells. Recently, the strategy of polymerized small molecules has achieved great success, but most polymers are synthesized from the mixed monomers, which seriously affects batch-to-batch reproducibility. Here, a method to separate γ-Br-IC or δ-Br-IC in gram scale and apply the strategy of monomer configurational control in which two isomeric polymeric acceptors (PBTIC-γ-2F2T and PBTIC-δ-2F2T) are produced is reported. As a comparison, PBTIC-m-2F2T from the mixed monomers is also synthesized. The γ-position based polymer (PBTIC-γ-2F2T) shows good solubility and achieves the best power conversion efficiency of 14.34% with a high open-circuit voltage of 0.95 V when blended with PM6, which is among the highest values recorded to date, while the δ-position based isomer (PBTIC-δ-2F2T) is insoluble and cannot be processed after parallel polymerization. The mixed-isomers based polymer, PBTIC-m-2F2T, shows better processing capability but has a low efficiency of 3.26%. Further investigation shows that precise control of configuration helps to improve the regularity of the polymer chain and reduce the π–π stacking distance. These results demonstrate that the configurational control affords a promising strategy to achieve high-performance polymer acceptors.     

Dithizone,carminic acid and pyrocatechol violet dyes sensitized metal (Ho,Ba& Cd) doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposite as a photoanode in hybrid heterojunction solar cell

Considering the great importance of nanocomposite based photo-active nanomaterials for a variety of electronics, photonics and photovoltaics application, it is always worth considering to synthesize new hetreostructure. This paper describes the sol-gel and hydrothermal synthesis of metal (holmium, barium, and cadmium) doped TiO₂/CdS nanocomposites for photoanode applications. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, UV–VIS, EDX, and SEM were used to examine the synthesized heterostructures. The band gap of pure TiO₂ NPs is 3.10 eV, which was effectively decreased to 2.16 eV by doping and coupling with CdS. The nanomaterial's crystallinity, crystallite size, morphology and elemental composition were determined by XRD, SEM and EDX, respectively. As sensitizers, the organic dyes dithizone, carminic acid, and pyrocatechol violet were used. FTIR was used to analyze the effective dye grafting on the surface of nanomaterials. In the presence of hole conducting P3HT polymer as solid state electrolyte, the sensitized materials were evaluated for solid state dye-sensitized solar cells. Compared to the reference device, Cd–TiO₂/CdS photosensitized using Pyrocatechol violet dye demonstrated the highest efficiency of 2.68% (0.82%). Other parameters of this device, including open circuit voltage (Voc) and short circuit current (Jsc), were determined to be 16.97 mA cm² and 0.41V, respectively.     

Non-Halogenated-Solvent Processed and Additive-Free Tandem Organic Solar Cell with Efficiency Reaching 16.67%

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have recently reached a remarkably high efficiency and become a promising technology for commercial application. However, OSCs with top efficiency are mostly processed by halogenated solvents and with additives that are not environmentally friendly, which hinders large-scale manufacture. In this study, high-performance tandem OSCs, based on polymer donors and two small-molecule acceptors with different bandgaps, are fabricated by solution processing with non-halogenated solvents without additive. Importantly, the two active layers developed from non-halogenated solvents show better phase segregation and charge transport properties, leading to superior performance than halogenated ones. As a result, a tandem OSC with high efficiency of up to 16.67% is obtained, showing unique advantages in future massive production.     

The thermochromic characteristics of Zn-doped VO2 that were prepared by the hydrothermal and post-annealing process and their polyurethane composite films

In this paper, Zn-doped VO₂ nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal-annealing process, and the thermally induced visible light transmittance enhancement of Zn-doped VO₂ has been studied for the first time. It is found that Zn-doped VO₂ not only exhibits excellent solar modulation ability (ΔT_sol = 15.27%) but also can reduce the phase transition temperature and increase the visible light transmittance after the heat-induced phase transition (ΔT_lum=+5.78%). Moreover, with the increase of Zn doping concentration, the phase transition temperature (T_c) and phase transition hysteresis (ΔT) both decrease. It is shown that the Zn-doped VO₂-PU films not only have good solar light modulation ability and properties of improving visible light transmission after phase transition, but also have good durability. The research result is of great significance for improving the visible light transmittance after phase transition and realizing the practical application of VO₂ in the field of smart windows.     

Enhancing the Photovoltaic Performance of Ladder-Type Heteroheptacene-based Nonfullerene Acceptors by Incorporating Halogen Atoms on Their Ending Groups

Ending group halogenation is an effective strategy for modulating the energy levels, bandgaps, and intermolecular interactions of nonfullerene acceptors. Understanding the influence of different halogen atoms on the acceptor properties is of great importance for designing high-performance nonfullerene acceptors. Here, three acceptor–donor–acceptor (A-D-A) type nonfullerene acceptors (M5, M6, and M7), which are constructed by using a ladder-type heteroheptacene core without the traditional sp³ carbon-bonded side chains as the electron-rich core, and 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile without or with halogen atoms as the ending groups. The nonfullerene acceptors with chlorinated (M6) and brominated (M7) ending groups exhibit broadened absorption spectra, down-shifted energy levels, and enhanced molecular ordering compared to the counterpart without any halogenated ending groups (M5). Among the nonfullerene acceptors, M6 has the strongest intermolecular π π interaction with its shortest π π interaction distance and the longest coherent length which are beneficial for enhancing the charge transport and therefore boosting the photovoltaic performance. An excellent power conversion efficiency of 15.45% is achieved for the best-performing polymer solar cell based on M6. These results suggest that the halogenated ending groups are essential for high-performance heteroheptacene-based nonfullerene acceptors considering their simultaneous enhancements in both the light-harvesting and the charge transport.     

Improving the fill factor of N2200-based all polymer solar cells by introducing EPPDI as a solid additive

A cheap and commercially available small molecule (namely EPPDI) is introduced to the active layer of N2200-based all polymer solar cells as a solid additive. EPPDI at the optimal ratio can improve the D-A nano-scale morphology and reduce trap density of the active layer by filling morphological spaces. As a result, the photovoltaic performance of the resulting devices based on PF2:N2200 are increased from 6.28% to 7.03% with significantly enhanced fill factor. This work demonstrates a facile approach for improving the performance of all polymer solar cells.     

The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Progression of Human Neuroblastoma

The long-underestimated role of extracellular vesicles in cancer is now reconsidered worldwide by basic and clinical scientists, who recently highlighted novel and crucial activities of these moieties. Extracellular vesicles are now considered as king transporters of specific cargoes, including molecular components of parent cells, thus mediating a wide variety of cellular activities both in normal and neoplastic tissues. Here, we discuss the multifunctional activities and underlying mechanisms of extracellular vesicles in neuroblastoma, the most frequent common extra-cranial tumor in childhood. The ability of extracellular vesicles to cross-talk with different cells in the tumor microenvironment and to modulate an anti-tumor immune response, tumorigenesis, tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance will be pinpointed in detail. The results obtained on the role of extracellular vesicles may represent a panel of suggestions potentially useful in practice, due to their involvement in the response to chemotherapy, and, moreover, their ability to predict resistance to standard therapies—all issues of clinical relevance.