Ultrathin metallic interconnections in perovskite-organic tandem solar cells (PO-TSCs) are commonly driven toward highest possible coverage to achieve efficient low-loss carrier recombination, inevitably causing severe plasmonic absorption and optical reflection. Here, we demonstrate that efficient tandem interconnection can be achieved at an Au coverage of only ∼77.4% by regulating conductive recombination pathways. A ZnS interlayer-regulated Au growth strategy transforms isolated Au clusters into laterally extended planarized domains, substantially increasing the fraction of low-loss recombination pathways while concurrently mitigating optical dissipation by suppressing localized surface plasmon resonance. As a result, the optimized PO-TSCs achieve an efficiency of 27.1% with an extrapolated T80 lifetime exceeding 1400 h. This work pushes the limit of metallic interconnections close to the theoretical values and deepens the understanding of conductive recombination pathway regulation in tandem devices.

Breaking the optical symmetry is vital for light-harvesting devices, while the broadband asymmetric light manipulation remains challenging. Herein, optical non-reciprocity with subwavelength pyramid arrays (SPAs) is proposed to synergistically harness the Mie resonance and the multi-order diffraction for blocking light escaping. A forward optical transmittance of over 95% is obtained with an asymmetric ratio of over 2.5 dB in a wide spectral region that fully covers the absorption spectrum of organic solar cells (OSCs). The non-reciprocal optical path in OSCs reduces the threshold thickness of the active layer for efficient light-harvesting as well as the boost in charge extraction. The optimized OSCs achieve an efficiency of 20.70% and a certified value of 19.71%. The versatility of the optical non-reciprocity with SPAs has also been demonstrated for the performance enhancement in perovskite and quantum dot solar cells with different absorption spectra. This strategy surpasses traditional anti-reflective schemes and paves the way for optical manipulation in thin-film optoelectronic devices.

Achieving sustainability in modern electronics requires the development of active components that combine functionality with environmental responsibility. Among these, eco-friendly high-performance diodes are essential building blocks. Here, we demonstrate Schottky diodes based on solution-processed zinc-tin-oxide (ZTO) thin films. The use of abundant materials and low processing temperatures results in an overall cheaper device that maintains compatibility with flexible substrates. The ZTO diodes exhibit best in class results for vertically stacked solution-based oxide diodes, such as rectification ratios exceeding nine orders of magnitude, and intrinsic cut-off frequencies above 40 GHz.

DNA-binding proteins from starved cells (Dps) are small multifunctional protein nanocages expressed by prokaryotes under oxidative stress or during starvation, acting as a key bacterial defense mechanism. Dps proteins protect DNA either through direct binding or by scavenging reactive oxygen species precursors. In most Dps homologs studied to date, DNA-binding is mediated by flexible, intrinsically disordered N- or C-terminal extensions. In this study, we investigated the interaction of Deinococcus grandis Dps (DgrDps) and a mutant variant, lacking the first 46 N-terminal residues, with supercoiled plasmid pUC19 using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), DNase I protection assays, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD). DgrDps binds supercoiled pUC19 with an apparent dissociation constant (KD) of 5.2 ± 0.3 µM, exhibiting positive cooperativity. Our results indicate that DNA binding is primarily mediated by the flexible N-terminal tails of DgrDps. AFM imaging revealed that DgrDps binds to multiple sites on the plasmid, inducing DNA bridging and compaction. Furthermore, the presence of 96 Fe2+/dodecamer increased the compaction of these protein-pUC19 complexes. This organization confers physical protection against DNase I digestion. Additionally, SRCD spectroscopy provided insights into the structural features and thermal stability of the DgrDps-DNA complexes.

As crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells become thinner to reduce cost and weight, the optical design principles that govern light trapping (LT) must evolve. Conventional texturing remains effective in thick wafers but loses practicality as thickness decreases, whereas thin-film nanophotonics relies on guided-mode coupling mechanisms incompatible with wafer-scale constraints. This disconnect exposes the need for a thickness-aware understanding of LT in silicon. These challenges motivate a manufacturing-aware unification of optical and drift-diffusion transport that clarifies how photonics gains translate into device-level performance across silicon thicknesses. Here, novel high-index honeycomb nanovoids are patterned onto c-Si absorbers, preserving electronic quality while enabling strong optical gains from ultra-thin to wafer-scale devices. Optics is here coupled with drift-diffusion and complemented with Fourier-space descriptors, together with an unprecedented angle-resolved light scattering analysis to quantify lattice-mediated light coupling and energy redistribution. On 1-mu m c-Si absorbers, the nanovoids are predicted to enhance photocurrent by similar to 60% and near double efficiency relative to planar counterparts, sustaining angular gains up to 40 degrees. Experimentally realized nanovoids onto interdigitated back-contact c-Si cells, they deliver approximate to 51% efficiency gains. These results demonstrate that front-coated photonic nanovoids enable scalable, electrically benign LT across thickness regimes, unlocking a viable path toward ultrathin, high-performance silicon photovoltaics, grounded in a holistic full-device design.

The development of transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) is crucial for next-generation optoelectronic devices. In this work, we explore the design of metallic mesh electrodes (MMEs) and fabricate silver MMEs using colloidal lithography, introducing two architectures that operate in different optical regimes: the photonic micromesh (PhoMM) and the plasmonic nanomesh (PlaNM). The PhoMM leverages high electrical conductivity and high optical-window transmission, while the PlaNM exploits plasmonic crystal resonances that enhance the transparency beyond the geometric open-area fraction. A design methodology was developed based on theory, simulation and experimentation, which provides an efficient algorithm for the dimensioning of MMEs with any arbitrary periodic geometry. Through this algorithm, both architectures were dimensioned and fabricated, with PhoMMs achieving Hackee's figure of merit as high as 7.5 × 10-2 Ω-1 and the best PlaNMs as high as 3.8 × 10-3 Ω-1, both surpassing the ITO standard (2.0 × 10-3 Ω-1). This work demonstrates the feasibility of both PhoMMs and PlaNMs, and provides a generic design methodology for the integration of MMEs in a plethora of technologies, such as photovoltaics, light-emitting devices, photodetectors, electrochromic windows, and sensors.

Sustainable photocatalysis has emerged as a promising approach for environmental remediation by combining efficiency with green chemistry principles. In this study, Ca-TiO2 photocatalytic platforms were developed using cellulose paper as a substrate, calcium sourced directly from eggshell biowaste, and a sustainable microwave-assisted synthesis approach. A novel functionalization of the Whatman paper preserved its structural integrity at temperatures above 200 degrees C, enabling the direct growth of TiO2 nanomaterials on paper substrate without any post-synthesis treatment. Incorporation of bio-derived Ca2+ modified the TiO2 structure, inducing structural defects that included lattice distortions, voids, and surface step sites, modifying optical absorption, and enhancing surface hydroxylation. The resulting Ca-TiO2 paper-based platforms efficiently degraded tetracycline, achieving over 80% removal under solar irradiation in 150 minutes, corresponding to a photodegradation rate 1.3 times higher than that of pure TiO2. Reusability and ecotoxicity tests confirmed their stability and safety for long-term environmental applications. By integrating waste valorization, green synthesis, and structural modifications, this work demonstrates a sustainable and scalable strategy for producing high-performance photocatalytic platforms, aligning with circular economy principles and offering potential solutions for global water pollution challenges.

Bacterial cellulose (BC), a renewable microbially produced biocompatible polymer, is widely studied as a wound dressing given its nanofibrillar structure, mechanical strength, and high water retention capacity. However, pristine BC is largely biologically inert and does not actively stimulate tissue regeneration, highlighting the need for its biofunctionalization. Effective wound care requires dressings that both protect the wound environment and actively promote healing, driving growing interest in advanced and affordable bioactive wound dressings. FucoPol (FP), a fucose-containing, polyanionic microbial polysaccharide with proven wound-healing, antioxidant, and photoprotective properties, offers an attractive strategy to impart bioactivity to BC. In this study, BC membranes were functionalized by impregnation with an FP solution, enabling efficient diffusion and loading of the bioactive polysaccharide. The resulting FP-functionalized membranes presented reduced crystallinity (CI = 47 vs 56%) and water-holding capacity (41 ± 2.1 vs 75 ± 0.9 g/g). However, they outperformed neat BC in biological properties; BC/FP membranes promoted keratinocyte proliferation and metabolic activity and accelerated wound closure (28.3 ± 7.5% at 24 h). Overall, FP-functionalized BC membranes emerge as promising materials for developing bioactive wound dressings with clear enhanced therapeutic potential, particularly for early-stage wound management.

This work presents an optimisation study of silicon surface preparation for silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) fabricated from surface-damaged wafers, aiming to ensure minimal surface defects and improved passivation at the crystalline silicon-hydrogenated amorphous silicon (c-Si/a-Si:H) interface. KOH etching conditions were optimised to remove diamond-wire-saw (DWS) damage on c-Si while tuning nanoscale faceting for improved interface passivation. Namely, KOH 45% was used to smooth the surface and remove saw damage, while KOH 5% generated approximately 20 nm pyramidal-like features in a single-step, IPA-free process. For the fabrication of SHJ solar cells with an Aluminium Back Surface Field (Al-BSF), intrinsic and n-type doped a-Si:H layers were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on the front side of the devices. Two different (i)a-Si:H films, one dense, deposited with 50% hydrogen dilution, (id)a-Si:H, and the other, under-dense, using pure silane gas, (iud)a-Si:H, were used in different solar cells. A relative improvement of 18% in implied PCE (Suns-Voc) was observed for KOH 5% with dense (id)a-Si:H versus KOH 45%, which was attributed to the effect of nanoscale faceting created on the c-Si surface by the KOH 5% treatment.

Geobacter bacteria produce multiheme c-type cytochrome nanowires that are involved in long-range extracellular electron transfer. The ability of these protein nanowires to conduct electrical current makes them promising candidates for electronic devices, offering several functional and sustainable advantages over traditional materials. Therefore, this study focused on synthesizing hybrid protein fibers that mimic the natural Geobacter extracellular nanowires. To achieve this, a mutated PpcA triheme protein variant was used as the building block, with thiol-ene coupling employed to bind the protein molecules. This engineered PpcA variant (PpcAK9CK22C) maintained a structure similar to that of the native protein. Thermal denaturation studies revealed a two-state process, with a melting temperature of 62 ± 1 °C and an enthalpy change of 61 ± 2 kcal/mol. The new protein nanowires showed a lower heme group content than the precursor protein and displayed distinct secondary structure features, with a slight reduction in helical content and an increase in β-sheet and unordered structures. Their thermal stability also differed, as it could not be described by the same model applied to the PpcA variant. Despite these differences, the nanowires retained their ability to undergo redox cycling. Morphologically, they consisted of linear single-protein filaments extending over 300 nm in length.

The transition toward sustainable solution-processing of carbon nanomaterials has positioned the bio-derived solvent Cyrene as a green alternative to toxic amides like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. While Cyrene possesses ideal surface energy for stabilising carbon allotropes, its high viscosity (14.5 cP) can complicate the dynamics of liquid-phase processing, a problem that highlights the relative lack of investigation into nanomaterial processing in high-viscosity environments. In this work, we provide a comprehensive investigation into how this constraint dictates the morphological and electronic properties of carbon nanomaterial dispersions. We first demonstrate that Cyrene is susceptible to degradation under high-power sonication (45 W), creating to non-volatile residues that can hinder thin-film performance. In the case of CNTs, high viscosity establishes a fundamental debundling limit, where the average bundle diameter is constrained to approximately 4.7 nm and the yield of individual nanotubes is capped at similar to 16%. For graphene, the high viscosity necessitates centrifugal forces approximately 50 times greater than those used in aqueous systems to achieve desired nanosheet size fractions, resulting in nanosheets with vastly higher average thicknesses. While high-temperature annealing is required to remove the high-boiling solvent from thin films, residual degradation products limit the maximum conductivity to similar to 1000 S m(-1). Nevertheless, transparent conducting thin films of nanotubes were successfully fabricated, achieving a conductivity of similar to 500 S m(-1) at > 80% optical transmittance. These results emphasise that while Cyrene is a viable green solvent, its high viscosity represents a critical bottleneck that must be managed to drive the performance of sustainable carbon electronics.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin films are promising transparent conductors for electrodes and represent a potential alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO), which is costly and depends on critical raw materials. Optimizing PEDOT properties through careful control of processing parameters is essential for tailoring structure–property relationships in next-generation electronic devices. This study systematically investigates the influence of the oxidant-to-monomer ratio (OMR) on PEDOT films deposited by oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD). The monomer 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and the oxidant antimony pentachloride (SbCl5) were used. By varying only the SbCl5/EDOT vapor-phase ratio while keeping the deposition temperature (150 °C) and film thickness (∼100 nm) constant, the effect of OMR on film morphology, molecular structure, and electrical properties was isolated. Films deposited at lower OMR values (0.1) exhibited higher electrical conductivity, attributed to reduced structural disorder. These effects were further confirmed in diode devices fabricated on both rigid and flexible substrates. PEDOT films deposited at an OMR of 0.1 produced bottom electrodes with superior electrical performance, demonstrated by higher current density and improved rectification ratio. The PEDOT films were also integrated into printed flexible zinc oxide (ZnO) Schottky diodes, achieving good rectification ratios and favorable ideality factors. Overall, the results demonstrate that the oxidant-to-monomer ratio is a critical parameter for tuning PEDOT film properties. This approach enables the fabrication of PEDOT electrodes with application-specific electronic characteristics, supporting their use as potential ITO alternatives while facilitating scalable vapor-phase processing for flexible electronic devices.

The merging of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies with tandem architectures, such as perovskite-on-silicon double-junction solar cells, offers avenues to expand solar electricity. Their combination of flexibility, affordability, low weight, and high efficiency enables applications ranging from portable electronics to building-integrated and vehicle-integrated PV, or solar-powered space systems. Nevertheless, the efficiency of perovskite-on-silicon tandem PV is often constrained by suboptimal optical management, particularly in ultra-thin designs where light trapping (LT) and current/voltage matching are critical. Here, we develop an optoelectronic framework to optimize 2- and 4-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem cells, featuring 1 mu m-thick crystalline silicon absorbers with front-integrated photonic structures. To maximize power conversion efficiency (PCE), both the LT geometry and perovskite thickness were systematically optimized. In addition, indium tin oxide (ITO)-based and optically engineered interlayers are shown to exhibit similar optical performance, reinforcing ITO as a choice for 2-terminal tandems. The ultra-thin photonic-enhanced 2-terminal tandem achieves a PCE of 23.8%, corresponding to a 21.8% relative improvement over its planar counterpart, whereas the 4-terminal configuration reached a combined efficiency of 26.7%, primarily from LT-improved silicon photocurrent. These findings highlight the role of opto-electronically optimized light-management solutions in unlocking the potential of ultra-thin tandem solar cells for flexible, high-efficiency, and energy harvesting, paving the way for next-generation photovoltaics.

Metal oxides represent a highly attractive class of materials for the development of sustainable electronic devices, which demands novel strategies that enable component reusability and reduced environmental impact, while maintaining high performance. In the present work, we report the fabrication of printed thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on eco-friendly and solution-processable metal oxides. The device is composed of two independently fabricated parts, one is a spray-coated zinc oxide (ZnO) active layer deposited on patterned ITO/glass electrodes, and the other a reusable gate dielectric/electrode structure comprising screen-printed zirconium oxide (ZrO2) on a carbon nanotubes paper substrate (CNT-paper), with the ZrO2 nanopowder synthesized by microwave-assisted hydrothermal route. These two components are placed in mechanical contact by pressure allowing effective physical contact between the layers while enabling the ZrO2/CNT-paper structure to be detached and reused, as demonstrated across the twelve samples investigated in this study. The obtained TFTs exhibit excellent electrical performance, with an I-on/I-off > 10(4), onset voltage as low as V-on approximate to 0.79 +/- 0.08 V, and subthreshold swing of SS = 119.5 +/- 18.7 mV dec(-1). Furthermore, the transistors showed excellent stability under cyclic testing, such as multiple sequential double-sweep transfer curves and cycles of dynamic gate-pulsed response measurement. Notably, after detachment and reapplication of the ZrO2/CNT-paper structure onto a new Glass/ITO/ZnO device, the transistor characteristics are preserved, leading to low error and transfer profiles with no visible degradation occurring. Our findings on gate reusability pave the way for more sustainable and modular transistor applications.

Diffuse (directional-hemispherical) and angular transmittance are critical figures of merit for wave optical light-trapping yet have never been available directly from finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations. We introduce an FDTD post-processing formalism capable of returning absolute diffuse, direct, and total transmittance together with complete angle-resolved distributions, grounded in in-house open-source package coded for seamless integration with optimization workflows and for independent verification. The reliability of this method is demonstrated by simulating three canonical crystalline-silicon architectures: a planar reference, periodic micrometric upright pyramids, and photonic nanovoids. From the resulting angular power maps, we extract the silicon critical angle and quantify the portion of incident light retained by total internal reflection in each design, thereby establishing a rigorous link between optical scattering and carrier-generation potential. The wavelength-scaled nanovoid coating sustains broadband diffusion, converting incoming solar radiation into scattering angles that maximize optical path length. By providing a standard-compliant, parameter-driven route to diffuse and angular transmittance, the proposed formalism eliminates laboratory integrating-sphere measurements from the design loop and compresses development cycles from weeks to hours. Beyond photovoltaic modules, this architecture-agnostic framework is readily extensible to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)- or International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-based standards and other photonic systems, enabling a truly simulate-to-specification paradigm for large-scale manufacturing and rapid materials discovery.

This study investigates the impact of annealing and plasma treatments on the electrical and structural properties of Mo/MoO _x /IGZO/Ti/Mo memristors, with focus on the effective Schottky barrier modulation at the MoO _x /IGZO interface. The IGZO memristors demonstrate reliable analog switching with area-dependent resistance states, showcasing the potential of interface engineering in improving memristor performance. The role of oxygen vacancies as key contributors to the conduction in IGZO is explored, emphasizing their formation and distribution under varying conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that annealing redistributes oxygen within IGZO, lowering the effective Schottky barrier at the bottom interface where resistive switching (RS) takes place, and improving device-to-device variability. On the other hand, an oxygen plasma treatment on the active Schottky electrode can control whether the equilibrium state of the devices is at the low resistive state (LRS) or at the high resistive state (HRS). Additionally, employing a top contact with high oxygen affinity increases the I _LRS / I _HRS ratio of the memristors. Long-term passivation studies show that parylene-C significantly improves device yield after more than five years of ambient aging. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms governing RS in IGZO-based memristors and highlight the critical interplay between fabrication steps and device functionality. In total, more than 90 devices were characterized, strengthening the statistical relevance of the findings.

Osteoporotic fractures in older adults place a significant burden on healthcare systems due to prolonged healing times and escalating costs. Innovative approaches closely mimicking the human bone microenvironment are paramount for advancing bone tissue regeneration. This study leverages a sacrificial template methodology to develop hierarchical 3D porous gelatin-NaNbO3@PDMS scaffolds with gyroid structures mimicking cancellous bone architecture, tailored for enhanced stimuli-responsive biological performance. Modulating porosity levels (similar to 0%, 18 %, and 63 %) enables macro-to-micro pore transitions, highlighting how porosity and zero-curvature surfaces impact critical properties for bioactive scaffold applications. Under simulated physical activity pressures, lower scaffold porosity enhances structural integrity, mechanical stability, and damping capacity, driven by reduced thickness plastic deformation. Corona discharge poling generates electrically charged stimuliresponsive scaffolds, enhancing electric field intensity through charge trapping. Combined with ultrasound stimulation (50 and 250 mW.cm(- 2)), it boosts metabolic activity, gene expression, and mineralization, increasing calcium deposition by up to 1200 % compared to unstimulated controls. Finite element analysis reveals that the 63 % porosity scaffolds generate a sixfold stronger electric field than its 18 % counterpart, enhancing stimuliresponsive cell alignment, with ultrasound stimulation boosting it by similar to 10 %. These discoveries in zerocurvature geometries and stimuli-responsive systems redefine bone regeneration strategies by mimicking bone anisotropy through electric field stimulation, offering transformative insights for advanced biomaterials in implants and physiotherapy.