Multistep hydrothermal route for nanocoral architecture of anatase TiO2: synthesis and characterization of dye‐sensitized solar cell performance

Multistep hydrothermal (MSH) process is employed for growth of TiO₂ nanocorals onto the conducting fluorine‐doped tin oxide‐coated glass substrates. The surface morphological features and physical properties of TiO₂ films were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy, room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology revealed the formation of TiO₂ corals having nanosized (30–40 nm) polyps. The photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO₂ nanocoral electrodes were investigated in 0.1 M NaOH electrolyte under ultraviolet illumination. The results presented in this study highlight two major findings: (i) tuning the photoelectrochemical response and photoconversion efficiency via controlled thickness of TiO₂ nanocorals by MSH route and (ii) the substantial increase in short‐circuit photocurrent (J_sc) because of the improved charge transport through TiO₂ nanocorals prepared via MSH process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of body fat on weight concerns, dating, and sexual activity: A longitudinal analysis of Black and White adolescent girls.

Using data from a 2-year longitudinal study of 200 Black and White adolescent girls (mean age was 13 years 8 months at study entry), the authors investigated the implications of differences in body fat for dating and sexual activity and the implications of heterosexual activity for dieting and weight concerns. Among White girls, and Black girls with college-educated mothers, more body fat was associated with a lower probability of dating, even among nonobese girls. However, dating and sexual experience were unrelated to subsequent dieting and weight concerns. For both Blacks and Whites, body fat was the key determinant of dieting, weight dissatisfaction, and eating concerns. These findings indicate that adolescent girls' concerns about weight have a basis in real experiential differences, and efforts to promote healthy attitudes and eating habits may be more effective if the experiential implications of weight differences are taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)