Advances in upscalable wet methods and ink formulations have improved the properties of printed molecular thin films along with the performance of printed electronic devices.
21 November 2011 in Energy & Environmental Science
The use of carbon nanotubes in photovoltaics is still challenging due to different issues connected to their synthesis, purification, functionalization, processing and device integration. From this perspective at first we review on selected contributions dealing with the above issues; then we focus on the advantages and limitations of carbon nanotubes for the development of organic solar cells.
Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an emergent class of biocompatible inorganic lamellar nanomaterials that have attracted significant research interest owing to their high surface-to-volume ratio, the capability to accumulate specific molecules, and the timely release to targets. Their unique properties have been employed for applications in organic catalysis, photocatalysis, sensors, drug delivery, and cell biology. Given the widespread contemporary interest in these topics, time-to-time it urges to review the recent progresses. This review aims to summarize the most recent cutting-edge reports appearing in the last years. It firstly focuses on the application of LDHs as catalysts in relevant chemical reactions and as photocatalysts for organic molecule degradation, water splitting reaction, CO2 conversion, and reduction. Subsequently, the emerging role of these materials in biological applications is discussed, specifically focusing on their use as biosensors, DNA, RNA, and drug delivery, finally elucidating their suitability as contrast agents and for cellular differentiation. Concluding remarks and future prospects deal with future applications of LDHs, encouraging researches in better understanding the fundamental mechanisms involved in catalytic and photocatalytic processes, and the molecular pathways that are activated by the interaction of LDHs with cells in terms of both uptake mechanisms and nanotoxicology effects.
26 June 2017 in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces