Functional Materials for Fabrication of Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells: Ink Formulation and Its Effect on Solar Cell Performance.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly developed into one of the most attractive photovoltaic technologies, exceeding power conversion efficiencies of 25% and as the most promising technology to complement silicon-based solar cells. Among different types of PSCs, carbon-based, hole-conductor-free PSCs (C-PSCs), in particular, are seen as a viable candidate for commercialization due to the high stability, ease of fabrication, and low cost. This review examines strategies to increase charge separation, extraction, and transport properties in C-PSCs to improve the power conversion efficiency. These strategies include the use of new or modified electron transport materials, hole transport layers, and carbon electrodes. Additionally, the working principles of various printing techniques for the fabrication of C-PSCs are presented, as well as the most remarkable results obtained from each technique for small-scale devices. Finally, the manufacture of perovskite solar modules using scalable deposition techniques is discussed.

Leaching of Atoms, Clusters, and Nanoparticles.

Since the elucidation of the leaching process by Mizoroki in the 1970s, the research focused on this problem has increased. As a result, it has been discovered that the leached metals can not only hinder product yield, but they can also remain as contaminants of the final products. Thus, it can be concluded that metal leaching needs to be diminished or avoided more efficiently. This problem is important for the industry and the environment because of the increases in costs and pollution. In 2014, we reported a brief review related to this important feature; now we would like to report on the latest findings on this important phenomenon, including an update on the mechanisms used to explain leaching and the reactions that support those mechanisms and including patents related to leaching in catalysis that have appeared in recent years.

Creating and validating a warfarin pharmacogenetic dosing algorithm for Colombian patients.

PURPOSE: Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant associated with adverse reaction to drugs due to wide inter- and intra-individual dosage variability. Warfarin dosage has been related to non-genetic and genetic factors. CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene polymorphisms affect warfarin metabolism and dosage. Due to the central role of populations' ethnical and genetic origin on warfarin dosage variability, novel algorithms for Latin American subgroups are necessary to establish safe anticoagulation therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We genotyped CYP2C9*2 (c.430C > T), CYP2C9*3 (c.1075A > C), CYP4F2 (c.1297G > A), and VKORC1 (-1639 G > A) polymorphisms in 152 Colombian patients who received warfarin. We evaluated the impact on the variability of patients' warfarin dose requirements. Multiple linear regression analysis, using genetic and non-genetic variables, was used for creating an algorithm for optimal warfarin maintenance dose. RESULTS: Median weekly prescribed warfarin dosage was significantly lower in patients having the VKORC1-1639 AA genotype and poor CYP2C9*2/*2,*2/*3 metabolizers than their wild-type counterparts. We found a 2.3-fold increase in mean dose for normal sensitivity patients (wild-type VKORC1/CYP2C9 genotypes) compared to the other groups (moderate and high sensitivity); 31.5% of the patients in our study group had warfarin sensitivity-related genotypes. The estimated regression equation accounted for 44.4% of overall variability in regard to warfarin maintenance dose. The algorithm was validated, giving 45.9% correlation (R 2=0.459). CONCLUSION: Our results describe and validate the first algorithm for predicting warfarin maintenance in a Colombian mestizo population and have contributed toward the understanding of pharmacogenetics in a Latin American population subgroup.

Leaching in metal nanoparticle catalysis.

Since the discovery of catalysis, the identification of the different species in the mechanism involved in the reaction has been a challenge. When nanocatalysis entered the scene, the detection of material that came out from solutions attracted the attention and raised several questions: was this solid part of the nanocatalyst? was it the precursor of the nanocatalysts (the so-called precatalyst)? or was it the nanocatalyst itself? The discussion focuses on whether the catalysis is determined by the species that exist in solution or if it is generated from the support and hence the catalytic reaction is carried out with these soluble species. Furthermore, it appears that leaching is a phenomenon which occurs mainly in palladium- catalyzed reactions and that involves palladium nanoparticles (NPs). The research, findings and patents in the leaching process in catalytic reactions are reviewed in the present paper.