Investigation of the Effect of the Passivation on the Charge Transfer from MAPbI3 to Electron Transport Layer Using a Heterodyne Transient Grating Spectroscopic Technique.

We fabricated MAPbI3 perovskite thin films with ZnO on a glass substrate, in which a passivation layer (Phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI); p-methoxyphenethylammonium iodide (CH3O-PEAI); 2-methoxyethylammonium iodide (MEAI)) was inserted between two layers. In order to understand the effect of the insertion of each passivation material on the transfer efficiency of the photo-generated electrons from MAPbI3 to ZnO, we observed the near-field heterodyne transient grating (NF-HD-TG) responses of each film and investigated the component arising from the recombination of the trapped electrons at the ZnO surface. Based on the accelerated recombination between photo-generated holes remaining in the MAPbI3 layer and surface-trapped electrons in ZnO and the increase in the number of the trapped electrons in ZnO when either CH3O-PEAI or PEAI was applied, we successfully revealed that the charge transfer efficiency was enhanced by the insertion of the passivation materials including a benzene ring stabilizing the defect states. Particularly, it was demonstrated that CH3O-PEAI showed the highest increase in the charge transfer efficiency, which could be attributed to the high electron density in the benzene ring, resulting from the existence of the electron donating group, CH3O, and its role in the effective transition from 3D to 2D perovskite phases.

Effect of Laser Peening on the Corrosion Properties of 304L Stainless Steel.

Dry canisters used in nuclear power plants can be subject to localized corrosion, including stress corrosion cracking. External and residual tensile stress can facilitate the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking. Residual stress can arise from welding and plastic deformation. Mitigation methods of residual stress depend upon the energy used and include laser peening, ultrasonic peening, ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification, shot peening, or water jet peening. Among these, laser peening technology irradiates a continuous laser beam on the surface of metals and alloys at short intervals to add compressive residual stress as a shock wave is caused. This research studied the effect of laser peening with/without a thin aluminum layer on the corrosion properties of welded 304L stainless steel. The intergranular corrosion rate of the laser-peened specimen was a little faster than the rate of the non-peened specimen. However, laser peening enhanced the polarization properties of the cross-section of 304L stainless steel, while the properties of the surface were reduced by laser peening. This behavior was discussed on the basis of the microstructure and residual stress.