For further uptake in the solar cell industry, n-ZnO/p-Si single heterojunction solar cell has attracted much attention of the research community in recent years. This paper reports the influence of bandgap and/or electron affinity tuning of zinc oxide on the performance of n-ZnO/p-Si single heterojunction photovoltaic cell using PC1D simulations. The simulation results reveal that the open circuit voltage and fill factor can be improved significantly by optimizing valence-band and conduction-band off-sets by engineering the bandgap and electron affinity of zinc oxide. An overall conversion efficiency of more than 20.3% can be achieved without additional cost or any change in device structure. It has been found that the improvement in efficiency is mainly due to reduction in conduction band offset that has a significant influence on minority carrier current.

The current research aimed to evaluate in vitro biological activities of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles using the Allium sativum clove extract. The stability of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles was evaluated via storage at 4°C, room temperature (37°C), and calcined at 300°C, 500°C, and 700°C. The antibacterial effect was evaluated using agar well, spread plate, biofilm reduction, and cell proliferation inhibition assays. The cytotoxic and antidiabetic effects were determined via brine shrimp lethality, protein kinase inhibition, and α-amylase inhibition assays. DPPH scavenging, iron-chelating, anticoagulant, and hemolytic effects were evaluated. The highest inhibition of Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed when freshly prepared, calcined (300°C), and stored nanoparticles (4°C and 37°C) were applied (9.66, 9.55, 7.33, and 6.65 mm) against freshly prepared and calcined at 700°C which showed the highest inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.55 and 7.66 mm). Cell viability assay, biofilm reduction assay, and spread plate method showed a significant antibacterial effect of freshly prepared silver nanoparticles. Freshly prepared and calcined nanoparticles at 300°C and 500°C possessed strong antioxidant and iron-chelating activity. Among all the synthesized silver nanoparticles, freshly prepared and calcined nanoparticles (300°C and 500°C) increases the prothrombin time. Silver nanoparticles possessed significant anticoagulant properties and less toxic at least concentration toward human RBCs. In brine shrimp lethality assay, freshly prepared nanoparticles showed a stronger toxic effect and caused high mortality of larvae. Protein kinase inhibition assay revealed that freshly prepared nanoparticles had the highest zone of inhibition (18.0 mm) at 50 µg/disc. Green-synthesized nanoparticles would be used as potential therapeutic agents to overcome both infectious and noninfectious diseases.