The demand for lithium-ion batteries has dramatically increased in the last decade. However, the battery life offered by suppliers does not the level that can adequately meet the needs of end users. The development of new generation materials is so crucial accordingly. The nano-sized silicon with high theoretical capacity as the anode active material is one of the most promising sources, however, there are some problems (volume expansion) need to be solved in the use of silicon. In this study, a new generation polymer binder containing conjugated anthracene units, which gives conductivity and ethylene glycol lateral groups as another segment of the polymer backbone, which allows volumetric expansion with its flexibility has been developed. After preparing an electrode with silicon and developed conductive polymer binder (9:1) without adding any conductive additive, 800 mAh/g specific capacity is acquired after 400 th cycle. It is thought that the obtained results will create an important infrastructure for the new generation conductive and flexible polymer binders for LIBs.

Biochar has excellent properties for removing organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater and it can be used as a sorbent to degrade microbes from the environment owing to its large surface activity, porous properties, and high ion exchange capacity. Owing to their high reactivity, surface energy, and large surface area, metal oxides (MOs) have drawbacks such as passivation and aggregation, which decrease their good physicochemical properties. To overcome these drawbacks, biochar is a promising candidate to enhance the sorption capacity of MOs. Therefore, modified biochar with MOs can be used to maximize efficiency in removing contaminants from the environment. This chapter gives a short review on the fabrication, characterization, and modification of biochar MOs. The removal performance and antibacterial efficiency of biochar MOs are also discussed.

The details in the refractive index and the extinction coefficient have been determined as the modification of the optical constants had great importance to solve the adulteration problems of the thin film solution at the synthesis and coating processes of the ZnO:Al thin films (prepared using the sol–gel dip technique). The detailed examination of the refractive index has provided an understanding of the significance of the stability of the chemical composition of the thin film and the effect of the sol–gel solution on its optical model. The supervision of the post coating process has provided more efficient control of the bending of light after the coating process. After the reproducibility of the thin film was performed at the same optical characteristics the control of UV absorption has indicated that the thin film annealed in nitrogen ensured the optimum absorption at the blueshift region. Hence, the optical constants have been compared sensitively to determine the ideal refractive index and low extinction coefficient of the thin film to avoid the change of refractive index by the heating of film.

Cu micrometalic particles with the supersonic velocity (3 Mac) were applied to determine the optimum microparticle bombardment effect on the ZnO:Al thin-film surface derived by sol–gel method (which allows mixing at the atomic level to form colloidal particles). The mechanical damage deriving by the Cu particles with high kinetic energy has indicated the practical coating parameters (presenting surface related aspects) for its fabrication steps to use in the diot applications. The key parameters of the practical ohmic contact deposition on the film surface (describing the functional behavior of the ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction) were examined to develop low ohmic contact resistance (derived by using Cu layer) for use in optoelectronic devices. The annealing of ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction (at 700 °C in vacuum) has supported to obtain a suitable metal contact with optimum low resistance by using the cold gas dynamic spraying technique. The conductive and rectifier behaviors of ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction have indicated the utilization of the Cu stack layer without the need for the extra thermal annealing treatment of Cu ohmic contact (after the annealing of ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction according to the specific analyses for applications in optoelectronics). The generated damage depended on the acceleration of Cu particles through the trapezium structure of the ZnO:Al surface (annealed at 800 °C). The Cu particles with high purity have been provided to avoid the cracked surface (annealed at 700 °C in vacuum). The developed in-depth surface performance has emphasized the relation to the control of the surface properties at the atomic level (by using the sol–gel dip-coating technique). The annealing process (affecting the thickness of the film) has indicated the control of the temperature as the key parameter for avoiding the mechanical damage (depending on the bombardment of the dense micrometallic particles at ultra-high speed) on the film surface.

Pure and Aluminum doped zinc oxide (Al:ZnO) film samples were deposited by the sol-gel dip-coating technique for understand influence of Al concentration on the films crystallization, electrical conductivity and optical transparency. Surface morphology of the film with hexagonal wurtize crystalline structure and high c-axis orientation (in XRD analysis) displayed nanospherical particals (in SEM images). The surface roughness and average grain size increased with Al amount rise in the Al/Zn ratio. The film displayed high transparency (similar to 90%) between 300 and 800 nm for pure and 1, 3 at.% Al concentration levels. The energy band gap, refractive index, and extinction coefficient were affected slightly due to the increasing Al concentration and optical parameters attain gently a maximum value at 3 at.% Al content.

This paper presents a study of Al-doped ZnO films deposited at room temperature by a cost-effective solgel dip-coating technique. The influence of Al concentration on crystallinity, electrical and optical properties of films annealed in nitrogen and oxygen atmosphere has been studied. The resistivity has been decreased from 1.1-1.6 x 10(-4) Omega.cm to 0.73-0.93 x 10(-4) Omega.cm with the increase of Al concentration from 0,8 to 1,2 at. %, respectively. Transmission spectrum displays that optical transmittance has been displayed between 85% and 90% by increasing Al concentration. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conductive thin films of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are very promising materials as transparent electrodes because of their high conductivity, transparency, flexibility and low cost of fabrication compared to traditional materials like indium tin oxide (ITO). The quality of the film depends on the type of CNTs, dispersion conditions, fabrication and post-treatment processes. Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were firstly produced by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and then thin films were fabricated by vacuum filtration method. The post-treatments, acid treatment and annealing, were applied to improve the film quality and optoelectronic properties. Homogeneity, density, morphology, the resistivity of the fabricated SWCNT thin films were analyzed by various characterization methods. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films via 1.2 at. % Al content was deposited on p-type silicon wafers by using sol-gel dip coating technique to compare the effect of post treatment ambient on electrical characteristics of ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction. The annealing environment treatment was performed at 700 degrees C for 60 min under various gas ambients such as, air, argon, nitrogen, and vacuum. The deposited heterojunction samples were characterised in order to clarified its morphology and crystalline structure. The films showed an orientation along c-axis and the best electrical properties (0.75 x 10(-4) Omega cm) were obtained for the sample prepared in vacum. The changes in electrical properties and current-voltage performance were compared with each other after p-n junction was annealed under different ambient conditions. The heterojunction electrical parameters were determined Therefore, it was possible to make an annealing ambient comparison of the heterojunction for the cost-effect production by using sol-gel dip coating technique to use as the diode in electronic devices.