On the interlayer toughening of carbon fibre/epoxy composites using surface-activated ultra-thin PEEK films

The exceptional mechanical properties of Polyether-ether-ketone(PEEK) polymers make them ideal candidates for interlayer toughening of carbon fibre/epoxy composites. Herein, ultra-thin PEEK films with a thickness of 8μm, 18μm and 25μm were used for interlayer toughening of an aerospace-grade carbon fibre/epoxy composite. The mode-I and mode...

Traps in the spotlight: How traps affect the charge carrier dynamics in Cs₂AgBiBr₆ perovskite

Suitable optoelectronic properties of lead halide perovskites make these materials interesting semiconductors for many applications. Toxic lead can be substituted by combining monovalent and trivalent cations, such as in Cs₂AgBiBr₆. However, efficiencies of Cs₂AgBiBr₆-based photovoltaics are still...

Effect of pinholes in Nb₄C₃ MXene sheets on its electrochemical behavior in aqueous electrolytes

Two-dimensional (2D) niobium carbide, Nb₄C₃T_x (T_x: O, OH, and F), a representative member of the 43 MXene structural motif, has shown promising electrochemical performance in acidic electrolytes. The capacitive performance of Nb₄C₃T_x in neutral aqueous electrolytes...

The fundamental operation mechanisms of nc-SiO_X≥0:H based tunnel recombination junctions revealed

Two terminal multi-junction (MJ) photovoltaic (PV) devices are well established concepts to increase the solar-to-electrical power conversion in reference to single PV junctions. In multi-junction PV devices two consecutive sub-cells are interconnected using a tunnel recombination junction (TRJ) in which the light excited holes of one sub...