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Cattle are among the animals with diurnal activity, which is due to the specific animal–environment relationship and the natural role wild cattle play in the ecosystem. As humans began domesticating, breeding these animals, they became an integral part of this relationship. This review article addresses the most important current issues: 1) a characterisation of contemporary knowledge on the biological determinants of the vision abilities of dairy cattle, 2) a discussion of the relationship between these abilities and animal health and performance, and 3) a characterisation of the light–animal relationship under husbandry conditions. The intricate link between the anatomical and physiological aspects of visual function in cattle and their circadian rhythms was emphasised. This connection directly influences cattle growth and development, as well as the health and performance of dairy cows during the long/short day photoperiods. The article also considers the possibility of managing dairy cows' photoperiod and light quality to enhance their performance and overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient semi‐transparent solar cells can extend the adoption of photovoltaics beyond standard utility‐scale, commercial, or residential applications. Halide perovskites are particularly suitable in this respect owing to their tunable bandgap. The main drawbacks in the development of transparent perovskite solar cells are the high open‐circuit voltage (Voc) deficit and the difficulties in depositing high‐quality thin films over large area substrates, given the low solubility of bromide and chloride precursors. In this work, passivation strategies are developed for the high bandgap Br perovskite able to reduce charge recombination and consequently improve the Voc. The study demonstrates 1 cm2 perovskite solar cells with Voc up to 1.73 V (1.83 eV Quasi Fermi Level Splitting) and a PCE of 8.1%. The average visible transmittance (AVT) exceeds 70% by means of a bifacial light management and a record light utilization efficiency (LUE) of 5.72 is achieved. Moreover, the potential use of the technology is evaluated toward Internet of Things (IoT) application owing to a bifaciality factor of 87% along with 17% PCE under indoor lighting. Finally, the up‐scaling is demonstrated by fabricating 20 cm2 active area modules with PCE of 7.3% and Voc per cell up to 1.65 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of continuous blue light (CBL) treatment on quality-related metabolites, focusing on ascorbic acid (AsA) accumulation in hydroponically grown Eruca vesicaria (L.). Plants were subjected to CBL treatment, consisting of 24-h exposure to constant-intensity blue light (48 μmol m−2 s−1) and 12-h exposure to the remaining spectrum (192 μmol m−2 s−1). The activities of key enzymes in AsA biosynthesis and recycling were analyzed, including L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDh), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDhAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DhAR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The results showed a significant increase in AsA accumulation of 65.9% during the “day” and 69.1% during the “night” phases under CBL compared to controls. GalLDh activity increased by 20% during the “day phase” in CBL-treated plants. APX activity also rose significantly under CBL conditions, by 101% during the “day” and 75.6% during the “night”. However, this did not affect dehydroascorbic acid levels or the activities of MDhAR and DhAR. These findings highlight the potential of tailored light treatments to enhance the nutraceutical content of horticultural species, offering valuable insights for sustainably improving food quality in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems and understanding the roles of blue light in ascorbic acid biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to climate and resource challenges, the transition to a renewable and decentralized energy system is imperative. Ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)‐based solar cells are compatible with such transition due to their low material usage and improved production throughput. Despite the benchmark efficiency of CIGS technology, ultrathin configurations face efficiency drops arising from increased rear interface recombination and incomplete light absorption. Dielectric passivation schemes address rear interface recombination, but achieving simultaneous electrical and optical gains is crucial for thinning down the absorber. Plasmonic nanoparticles emerge as a solution, enhancing light interaction through resonant scattering. In the proposed architecture, the nanoparticles are encapsulated within a dielectric rear passivation layer, combining effective passivation and light trapping. A controlled deposition and encapsulation of individualized nanoparticles is achieved by an optimized process flow using microfluidic devices and nanoimprint lithography. With the developed plasmonic and passivated architecture, a 3.7 mA cm−2 short‐circuit current density and a 23 mV open‐circuit voltage improvements are obtained, leading to an almost 2% increase in light‐to‐power conversion efficiency compared to a reference device. This work showcases the developed architecture potential to tackle the electrical and optical downfalls arising from the absorber thickness reduction, contributing to the dissemination of ultrathin technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of the genus Asparagopsis are rich in halogenated bioactive compounds, particularly bromoform. Its use as a feed additive in ruminant livestock drastically decreases the animal's methane production, thereby reducing the industry's environmental impact. Addressing the high demand for Asparagopsis biomass requires the understanding of the culture conditions that promote higher growth rates and bromoform content. Here we evaluated how different light quality combinations (High-Blue:Red, Medium Blue:Red, High-Blue:Green:Red, and White) and four light intensities (30, 60, 90 and 120 μmol photons m−2 s−1) affect the growth and bromoform content of the Asparagopsis taxiformis tetrasporophyte in indoor tumbling cultures at two biomass densities. We also assessed the effect of light intensity on the photosynthetic response by measuring oxygen evolution rates. Light spectra containing intermediate wavelengths promoted higher growth, regardless of biomass density. Of the different light qualities tested, white light promoted the highest bromoform content. Increasing light intensity led to a positive response in A. taxiformis growth. However, the photosynthetic parameters estimated showed that the two higher light intensity treatments were above the saturation irradiance, for both culture densities. This, along with the observed development of contamination, suggests that long-term cultures of A. taxiformis should be maintained at light intensities no higher than 60 μmol photons m−2 s−1. In addition, we found that exposing cultures to higher irradiances does not guarantee a bromoform-richer biomass. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing biomass and bioactive compound production in indoor cultures of the Asparagopsis genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of light management for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has recently been emphasized because their power conversion efficiency approaches their theoretical thermodynamic limits. Among optical strategies, anti-reflection (AR) coating is the most widely used method to reduce reflectance loss and thus increase light-harvesting efficiency. Monolayer MgF2 is a well-known AR material because of its optimal refractive index, simple fabrication process, and physical and chemical durabilities. Nevertheless, quantitative estimates of the improvement achieved by the MgF2 AR layer are lacking. In this study, we conducted theoretical and experimental evaluations to assess the AR effect of MgF2 on the performance of formamidinium lead-triiodide PSCs. A sinusoidal tendency to enhance the short-circuit current density (J SC) was observed depending on the thickness, which was attributed to the interference of the incident light. A transfer matrix method-based simulation was conducted to calculate the optical losses, demonstrating the critical impact of reflectance loss on the J SC improvement. The predicted J SCs values, depending on the perovskite thickness and the incident angle, are also presented. The combined use of experimental and theoretical approaches offers notable advantages, including accurate interpretation of photocurrent generation, detailed optical analysis of the experimental results, and device performance predictions under unexplored conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro/mini‐light emitting diode (LED) arrays are regarded as the most promising next generation of display devices. However, the inherent Lambertian radiation of LED chips results in a significant pixel crosstalk. To improve the display quality, high‐quality micro/mini‐LED display pixels with fully enclosed composite micro/nano‐packages and in situ nanoimprint technology are proposed and demonstrated in this work. The nanoimprint template is designed as a composite structure comprising an intermediate sandwich cavity array and thin‐bottom nanostructure layer. Contact is maintained between the template and LED chips array substrate. By vacuuming the sealed sandwich cavities, the thin‐bottom nanostructure layer is deformed to drive the upward protrusion of the liquid optical polymer. Moreover, the nanocavities on the thin nanostructure layer are fully filled by the polymer, forming a composite micro/nano‐package. The characteristics of the composite micro/nano‐package, such as the aperture and protrusion height, can be flexibly adjusted by changing the template structure or process parameters. A 6 × 8 array LED chips display device enclosed by a composite micro/nanopackage is developed. The divergence angle of the single LED chip decreases to 72° from the original 138°, the light‐extraction efficiency increases18.4%, and the luminescence spectrum and current‐voltage characteristics changes only minimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the great increase in installation, photovoltaics will develop as the main power supply source for the world shortly. However, the actual power generation and lifetime of photovoltaics are greatly compromised by the high working temperature under outdoor operation. In this review, the recent advances of four promising passive photovoltaic cooling methods are summarized with the aim to uncover their working principles, cooling performance, and application potential in photovoltaic devices. For radiative cooling, light management strategies with ultraviolet‐photon downshift and sub‐bandgap reflection are discussed in detail to reveal their great potential in reducing photovoltaic working temperature and enhancing power generation. Subsequently, the great cooling benefits of passive evaporative cooling are underlined in terms of its superior cooling power and temperature drop of photovoltaic devices. Moreover, the promising integrated cooling strategy is further highlighted due to its great potential in enhancing electricity production and fresh water supply. Most crucially, the remaining challenges and the authors'r insights are presented to advance the commercial applications of passive cooling methods in photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in artificial intelligence‐generated configurations (AIGC) have transformed various fields in science and technology domains and enabled the inverse design of materials and structures for enhanced performance with minimal human input. The patterned micro‐/nanostructures are widely adopted to increase power conversion efficiencies in thin‐film organic solar cells (OSCs), making these structures highly suitable for AIGC applications. Although the computational cost of traditional numerical simulations is a barrier to making AIGC high throughput, this issue is addressed by integrating the high‐speed automated machine learning (AutoML) Analyzer with genetic algorithm‐based topology optimization algorithms. Compared to standard numerical solutions, the AutoML Analyzer in the proposed system predicts outcomes ≈22 700 times faster, resulting in a 98.47% reduction in computation costs, while maintaining high average accuracies of ≈99%. By evaluating an extensive dataset of 600 000 AIGCs, an optimized PM6:Y6 OSC device design with a power conversion efficiency of 17.58% is identified, significantly outperforming the 14.70% baseline efficiency of the OSC device without the poly methyl methacrylate scattering and substrate layers. Results underscore the potential of AIGC techniques for efficiently enhancing the performance of photovoltaic devices in renewable energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three types of optical textured glass substrates were prepared at the glass/transparent conductive oxide interface using polydimethylsiloxane nanoimprint lithography to increase the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). There were three types of textures: nanotexture, microtexture, and micro/nano double texture. In terms of optical characteristics, it was confirmed that the reflectance of all of the textured glass substrates was lower than that of flat glass in the mean value of the 400–800 nm wavelength band. Further, the diffuse transmittance was higher than that of flat glass for all of the textured glass substrates, and the D-Tx was particularly high. DSSCs were fabricated using N749 and N719 dyes; their size was 6 mm2. The conversion efficiencies of the N749 DSSCs were improved by 11% for the N-Tx (η of 2.41%) and 10% for the D-Tx (η of 2.38%) compared with flat glass (η of 2.17%) DSSCs. On the other hand, the M-Tx did not improve it. The conversion efficiencies of the N719 DSSCs with textured glass substrates were improved by 7.5% for the M-Tx (η of 2.74%), 18% for the N-Tx (η of 3.01%), and 26% for the D-Tx (η of 3.22%) compared with flat glass (η of 2.55%) DSSCs.

This study investigates the effect of continuous blue light (CBL) treatment on quality-related metabolites, focusing on ascorbic acid (AsA) accumulation in hydroponically grown Eruca vesicaria (L.). Plants were subjected to CBL treatment, consisting of 24-h exposure to constant-intensity blue light (48 μmol m−2 s−1) and 12-h exposure to the remaining spectrum (192 μmol m−2 s−1). The activities of key enzymes in AsA biosynthesis and recycling were analyzed, including L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDh), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDhAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DhAR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The results showed a significant increase in AsA accumulation of 65.9% during the “day” and 69.1% during the “night” phases under CBL compared to controls. GalLDh activity increased by 20% during the “day phase” in CBL-treated plants. APX activity also rose significantly under CBL conditions, by 101% during the “day” and 75.6% during the “night”. However, this did not affect dehydroascorbic acid levels or the activities of MDhAR and DhAR. These findings highlight the potential of tailored light treatments to enhance the nutraceutical content of horticultural species, offering valuable insights for sustainably improving food quality in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems and understanding the roles of blue light in ascorbic acid biosynthesis.

Recent research on combining photovoltaic (PV) modules with radiative sky cooling (RSC) technology has elicited much interest. Such cross‐disciplinary technology coupling provides a feasible approach to solar cells' nighttime applications. However, current commonly used radiative sky cooling materials' (RSCMs) conflict with the solar light harvesting and utilizing of PV module. The spectral selectivity characteristics of the strong transmission in the solar spectrum range (0.3–1.1 μm) and the enough emissivity within the atmosphere transparency window (8–13 μm) are the essential to develop the PV module‐usable RSC coating. Herein, antireflection (AR) structure optimize method and RSC coating design method are proposed to achieve nighttime RSC capacity with high solar radiation transmission property via the RSCM selection and light management, in the visible, near‐infrared, and midinfrared wavelength range, originating from the subwavelength optical effects of bioinspired AR design. A kind of double‐layer coating consisting of the PDMS substrate layer and SiO2 close‐packed hexagonal rotating parabolic body‐bioinspired moth‐eye structure cover layer is designed in this research. The coating has 0.997 average transmissivity characteristic in solar spectrum and can lower the PV cell temperature over 10.5 K than ambient at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properly chosen light management strategy in perovskite solar cell devices is indispensable in achieving high power conversion efficiency. To diminish the reflection losses, texturization of the front surface, similar to what is used in established solar cell technologies, shall be taken into consideration. Within this paper, a honeycomb‐like textured SU‐8 photoresist layer is applied using a roller nanoimprint technique onto a planar perovskite solar cell to minimize reflection losses. The results show that the applied honeycomb pattern reduces the solar‐weighted reflectance from 13.6% to 2.7%, which enhances the current density of the unmodified cell by 2.1 mA cm−2, outperforming the commonly used planar MgF2 antireflective coating by 0.5 mA cm−2. The experimental results are combined with optical modeling to find optimized structures and predict the optical behavior within a solar module. The process used within this work can be transferred to perovskite‐silicon tandem solar cells, providing a promising pathway for the reflection reduction in future devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three types of optical textured glass substrates were prepared at the glass/transparent conductive oxide interface using polydimethylsiloxane nanoimprint lithography to increase the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). There were three types of textures: nanotexture, microtexture, and micro/nano double texture. In terms of optical characteristics, it was confirmed that the reflectance of all of the textured glass substrates was lower than that of flat glass in the mean value of the 400–800 nm wavelength band. Further, the diffuse transmittance was higher than that of flat glass for all of the textured glass substrates, and the D-Tx was particularly high. DSSCs were fabricated using N749 and N719 dyes; their size was 6 mm2. The conversion efficiencies of the N749 DSSCs were improved by 11% for the N-Tx (η of 2.41%) and 10% for the D-Tx (η of 2.38%) compared with flat glass (η of 2.17%) DSSCs. On the other hand, the M-Tx did not improve it. The conversion efficiencies of the N719 DSSCs with textured glass substrates were improved by 7.5% for the M-Tx (η of 2.74%), 18% for the N-Tx (η of 3.01%), and 26% for the D-Tx (η of 3.22%) compared with flat glass (η of 2.55%) DSSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced light management via front‐coated photonic nanostructures is a promising strategy to enhance photovoltaic (PV) efficiency through wave‐optical light‐trapping (LT) effects, avoiding the conventional texturing processes that induce the degradation of electrical performance due to increased carrier recombination. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) honeycomb arrays with different geometry are engineered through a highly‐scalable colloidal lithography method on flat crystalline silicon (c‐Si) wafers and tested on standard planar c‐Si interdigitated back‐contact solar cells (pIBCSCs). The photonic‐structured wafers achieve an optical photocurrent of 36.6 mA cm−2, mainly due to a broad anti‐reflection effect from the 693 nm thick nanostructured coatings. In contrast, the pIBCSC test devices reach 14% efficiency with 679 nm thick TiO2 nanostructures, corresponding to a ≈30% efficiency gain relative to uncoated pIBCSCs. In addition, several designed structures show unmatched angular acceptance enhancements in efficiency (up to 63% gain) and photocurrent density (up to 68% gain). The high‐performing (yet electrically harmless) LT scheme, here presented, entails an up‐and‐coming alternative to conventional texturing for c‐Si technological improvement that can be straightforwardly integrated into the established PV industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐cost photoactive hybrid materials for light management, based on neutral organic molecules intercalated into saponite, were prepared by facile green methods and characterized. TPBI (2‐(2'‐tosylaminophenyl)benzimidazole) was chosen as an organic host dye, envisioning its application as a downconverter in silicon or dye‐sensitized photovoltaic modules. Mixed with a cationic surfactant, the neutral molecule was intercalated with a sort of "trojan horse" approach by an easy, almost solvent‐free method, thus limiting its aggregation. The obtained material was characterized by combining spectroscopic, diffractometric, and microscopic techniques. Moreover, the intercalation of the dye, the species present in the interlayer, their stability and mutual interactions were assessed by TGA‐GC‐MS. We obtained a material containing a fluorescent dye in the solid state and stabilized by intercalation and dispersion into saponite. At last, this material was used to prepare a photoactive polymer by melt blending, obtaining materials with the desired optical properties, with Stokes shifts larger than 100 nm and an emission yield above 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polyphenols are a phenolic bioactive compound extracted from tea leaves and have been widely used as additives to prepare functional materials used in packaging, adsorption and energy fields. Nevertheless, tea polyphenols should be extracted first from the leaves before use, leading to energy consumption and the waste of tea. Therefore, completely and directly utilizing the tea leaf to fabricate novel composite materials is more attractive and meaningful. Herein, semi-transparent green-tea-based all-biomass light-management films with improved strength, a tunable haze (60–80%) and UV-shielding properties (24.23% for UVA and 4.45% for UVB) were directly manufactured from green tea by adding high-degree polymerization wood pulps to form entanglement networks. Additionally, the green-tea-based composite films can be produced on a large scale by adding green tea solution units to the existing continuous production process of pure cellulose films. Thus, a facile and feasible approach was proposed to realize the valorization of green tea by preparing green-tea-based all-biomass light-management films that have great prospects in flexible devices and energy-efficient buildings.

The flexible transparent electrode is a crucial component of wearable photoelectric devices, and has a significant influence on the performance and development of wearable devices. Here, a phosphor/polyimide/polyurethane@silver composite nanofiber (NF) web electrode was fabricated by electrospinning and magnetron sputtering for wearable photoelectric devices. The electrode demonstrated a promising light management ability with converting ultraviolet light to visible light, high conductivity with sheet resistance of 22.1 Ω/square, and high transparency with transmittance of over 80%. Besides, the electrode possessed an excellent stretched capacity with tensile strain of over 100%, and tensile stability with the resistance increased by ∼75% after 500 stretching cycles at the tensile stain of 50%. As a result, a flexible perovskite solar cell (PSC) was assembled by using the NF web electrode, and possessed the power conversion efficiency of 3.47%, which is higher than that of PSCs based on electrodes without phosphor. Furthermore, the flexible PSCs exhibited promising mechanical stability under bending, and could serve as wearable devices. This work provides a feasible and promising method to prepare lightweight, stretchable, light management, and transparent electrodes for photoelectric devices, and may facilitate the development of wearable photoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the efficiency of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells (SCs), it is paramount to enhance the utilization of sunlight by light management. In this study, the dependences of weighted reflectance and thus generation current (J G) for SHJ SCs on different anti-reflective structures are displayed by OPAL2 simulation tool. According to this, SiN x and SiO2 films are deposited on front of indium tin oxide (ITO) as multilayer anti-reflection coatings (ARCs). It is demonstrated experimentally that the photovoltaic performance of SHJ SCs can be significantly improved by multilayer ARCs. Especially, with 90/21/40 nm SiO2/SiN x /ITO anti-reflective layer structure, the reflectance of SHJ SC is reduced as low as 0.94%, and the current density is shown to be increased by 4.34% compared to the common SCs. This work shows a promising and cost-effective way to achieve higher light utilization and thus promotes photovoltaic characteristics for SHJ SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Herein, we develop a strategy of matched spectral and temporal light management to improve photosynthetic efficiency by co-assembling natural thylakoid membrane (TM) with artificial long afterglow particle (LAP). To be specific, LAP with excellent stability and biocompatibility possesses the capabilities of light conversion and storage, optically-matched with the absorption of TM. These favorable features permit LAP as an additional well-functioned light source of photosynthesis performed by TM. As a consequence, enhanced photosynthesis is achieved after co-assembly, compared with pure TM. Under light, the rates of electron transfer, oxygen yield and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in this biohybrid architecture are boosted owing to down-conversion fluorescence emission from LAP. Under dark, persistent phosphorescence emission in charged LAP facilitates continual photosynthesis of TM, while that of pure TM almost stops immediately. This proof-of-concept work opens a new route to augment the photosynthetic efficiency of green plants by utilizing precise light-managed materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The properly chosen light management strategy in perovskite solar cell devices is indispensable in achieving high power conversion efficiency. To diminish the reflection losses, texturization of the front surface, similar to what is used in established solar cell technologies, shall be taken into consideration. Within this paper, a honeycomb‐like textured SU‐8 photoresist layer is applied using a roller nanoimprint technique onto a planar perovskite solar cell to minimize reflection losses. The results show that the applied honeycomb pattern reduces the solar‐weighted reflectance from 13.6% to 2.7%, which enhances the current density of the unmodified cell by 2.1 mA cm−2, outperforming the commonly used planar MgF2 antireflective coating by 0.5 mA cm−2. The experimental results are combined with optical modeling to find optimized structures and predict the optical behavior within a solar module. The process used within this work can be transferred to perovskite‐silicon tandem solar cells, providing a promising pathway for the reflection reduction in future devices.

Abstract Windows are critically important components in building envelopes that have a significant effect on the integral energy budget. For energy saving, here we propose a novel design of hydrogel-glass which consists of a layer of hydrogel and a layer of normal glass. Compared with traditional glass, the hydrogel-glass possesses a higher level of visible light transmission, stronger near-infrared light blocking, and higher mid-infrared thermal emittance. With these properties, hydrogel-glass based windows can enhance indoor illumination and reduce the temperature, reducing energy use for both lighting and cooling. Energy savings ranging from 2.37 to 10.45 MJ/m2 per year can be achieved for typical school buildings located in different cities around the world according to our simulations. With broadband light management covering the visible and thermal infrared regions of the spectrum, hydrogel-glass shows great potential for application in energy-saving windows. Graphical Abstract

• Novel Sr-doped BaTiO 3 ETL enhances perovskite solar cell performance beyond traditional TiO 2 layers. • BST-incorporated PSCs achieve 16.32% efficiency, with potential to reach 28.65% in optimized devices. • FDTD simulations reveal BST's superior optical and electrical properties compared to BTO-based cells. • Findings advance interfacial engineering in PSCs, promising significant improvements in photovoltaic technology. This work investigates the potential of BaTiO 3 (BTO) and Sr-doped BaTiO 3 (BST) as electron transport layers (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) through Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to optimize the thickness of each layer in the PSC structure, with the aim of enhancing the photovoltaic performance and stability. Results indicate that BST-based PSCs exhibit superior optical and electronic properties compared to BTO-based PSCs, achieving higher ultimate efficiency (28.65 %) and power conversion efficiency (16.32 %). This improvement is attributed to better band alignment and higher electron mobility in BST, which enhances charge separation and reduces recombination losses. Optical analysis reveals that BST-based PSCs have a consistently higher spectral response across all wavelengths, indicating more effective light absorption and conversion into electrical current. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of BST-based PSCs is consistently higher, resulting in an increase in Jsc of 16.87 mA/cm2 compared to 15.96 mA/cm2 for BTO-based cells. These findings highlight the potential of BST as a superior ETL material for high-performance PSCs, offering light management and charge-transport properties improved compared to those of conventional BTO-based ETLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a window that generates electricity when sunlight enters the room has long been a dream, and it is most likely to become reality with the advent of thin‐film perovskite solar cells (PSCs). As thin‐film solar cells, high‐efficiency PSCs have two significant advantages. One is that they can be flexible, and the other is that they can be semitransparent (ST). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs is now over 25%; meanwhile, the PCE of ST‐PSCs is over 19% for devices formed using various fabrication processes and modification methods. Herein, the challenges leading to the deterioration of the PCE of ST‐PSCs are discussed along with their corresponding solutions. In detail, this review presents an overview of composition engineering, additive engineering, interface engineering, light management, and charge transport management, which are critical factors for fabricating high‐performance ST PSCs. Finally, new challenges and the outlook for future ST‐PSCs research are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polyphenols are a phenolic bioactive compound extracted from tea leaves and have been widely used as additives to prepare functional materials used in packaging, adsorption and energy fields. Nevertheless, tea polyphenols should be extracted first from the leaves before use, leading to energy consumption and the waste of tea. Therefore, completely and directly utilizing the tea leaf to fabricate novel composite materials is more attractive and meaningful. Herein, semi-transparent green-tea-based all-biomass light-management films with improved strength, a tunable haze (60–80%) and UV-shielding properties (24.23% for UVA and 4.45% for UVB) were directly manufactured from green tea by adding high-degree polymerization wood pulps to form entanglement networks. Additionally, the green-tea-based composite films can be produced on a large scale by adding green tea solution units to the existing continuous production process of pure cellulose films. Thus, a facile and feasible approach was proposed to realize the valorization of green tea by preparing green-tea-based all-biomass light-management films that have great prospects in flexible devices and energy-efficient buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable research efforts have aimed to control indoor temperatures to improve daily life and industrial production. However, current strategies, which involve active regulation of energy input or passive regulation of sunlight transmission, cannot control indoor temperatures under all weather conditions. Herein, a self‐adaptive thermal management device (STMD) that uses solar energy (heating) and radiative cooling (cooling) by exploiting the temperature differences across the device is reported. The adaptive heating and cooling functions are achieved by modulating sunlight transmittance and reflectance using a porous SiO2 coating separated/merged with a refractive index‐matched liquid which serves as a shutter. As a result, the STMD in the opaque mode exhibits low transmittance and in the transparent mode exhibits sufficiently high solar transmittance. Taking advantage of this self‐regulated shuttering mechanism, the developed STMD enables i) an increase of ≈10 °C relative to the ambient temperature under a solar intensity of 400 W m−2 in cold weather and ii) a temperature reduction of ≈5 °C under a solar intensity exceeding 900 W m−2 in hot weather. The described design strategy offers an approach for constructing smart light‐controlling devices and thermal‐controlling building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using core−shell type plasmonic particles are designed, which possess the plasmon resonance in the near‐infrared range. This can selectively strengthen the interaction of the perovskite layer with low‐energy photons. The mesoporous PSCs employing the plasmonic particles have delivered a 10%–15% enhancement of external quantum efficiency in the plasmonic resonance range. This surface‐plasmonic effect has been analyzed using complementary techniques, including selective wavelength excitation and time‐dependent photoluminescence. It is shown that the metal‐based core−shell‐type plasmonic structures in PSCs optimize the scattering and absorption of incident light and the dynamics of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, both optical and electronic effects increase the power conversion efficiency of PSCs from 17.49% to 19.88%, paving a way toward controlling the thickness of the photoactive layer for advanced devices such as tandem solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional paper holds significant potential in some special fields, which has achieved great development. Nevertheless, using cellulose paper to fabricate functional paper, which integrates transparency, robustness, flexibility, shape memory, and sustainability, remains a challenge. Herein, the vitrimer precursor was vacuum impregnated into cellulose paper and then in-situ polymerized to develop a vitrimer-cellulose paper (VCP) with transparency, shape manipulation, robustness, and sustainability. Taking advantage of the vitrimer's dynamic performance, the resulting VCP demonstrated excellent optical transparency (transmittance of 84%, haze of 75%), enhanced mechanical strength (tensile strength of 80.5 MPa), chemical resistance, thermal-triggered shape manipulation, and reprocessing. Noteworthily, VCP possessed outstanding light management capability with effective light propagating and scattering performance. Furthermore, VCP laminate showed increased mechanical property with the increased layers, and it can be reprocessed to a bulk composite after crushing. These incorporated merits of VCP make a promising candidate for light management and sustainable building application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research highlights the potential of specific light spectral regions to significantly enhance microalgae biomass production compared to conventional white light illumination. However, conflicting results of existing studies on the most optimal wavelengths reveal a knowledge gap regarding the underlying factors for optimal spectrum. The present paper aims to address this gap by critically analyzing existing studies on light spectral quality and its impact on microalgae growth. The analysis focuses on identifying the key factors determining an optimal light spectrum for microalgae cultivation. The study critically evaluates the effects of narrow wavelengths, assessing whether monochromatic light may be effective in maximizing biomass yield. While wavelength manipulation has a high potential, a deeper investigation into combining narrow wavelengths at varying ratios to determine the most effective spectral composition for maximizing growth is required. The study aims to provide insights into designing an optimal light spectrum for sustainable and efficient microalgae cultivation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Solar steam generation (SSG) presents a promising approach to addressing the global water crisis. Central to SSG is solar photothermal conversion that requires efficient light harvesting and management. Hierarchical structures with multi-scale light management are therefore crucial for SSG. At the molecular and sub-nanoscale levels, materials are fine-tuned for broadband light absorption. Advancing to the nano- and microscale, structures are tailored to enhance light harvesting through internal reflections, scattering, and diverse confinement effects. At the macroscopic level, light capture is optimized through rationally designed device geometries, configurations, and arrangements of solar absorber materials. While the performance of SSG relies on various factors including heat transport, physicochemical interactions at the water/air and material/water interfaces, salt dynamics, etc., efficient light capture and utilization holds a predominant role because sunlight is the sole energy source. This review focuses on the critical, yet often underestimated, role of hierarchical light harvesting/management at different dimensional scales in SSG. By correlating light management with the structure-property relationships, the recent advances in SSG are discussed, shedding light on the current challenges and possible future trends and opportunities in this domain., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Light management strategies using photonic crystals have been proven to efficiently improve light harvesting and subsequently conversion efficiency of various optoelectronic devices. This study focuses on 3D inverse opal CH3NH3PbI3 photoanodes in perovskite solar cells from a combined numerical and experimental approach. Varying the pore size and the layer thickness in numerical simulations, we first determined theoretical optimum from a purely optical point of view. Corresponding 3D inverse opal photonic nanostructures were then fabricated through spin-coating protocols using polystyrene nanospheres of various diameters as hard templating sacrificial agents. It demonstrates how the photonic nanostructuration of the perovskite layer impacts both optical and electronic properties of experimental samples. Regarding the individual 3D inverse opal perovskite layers, an optimum of light absorption is reached for an ∼500 nm diameter pore photonic nanostructure, with a photonic absorption enhancement as high as 16.1% compared to an unstructured compact benchmark. However, in addition to electronic-related countereffects, local light absorption in the hole transporting material is observed in assembled solar cells, weakening the light management benefits of the perovskite layer nanostructuration to only ∼3% photonic enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light‐management films made entirely from natural polymers with tunable haze properties are developed via a facile approach. A novel green method based simply on the blending of network cellulose (NC)/water suspension with alginate (CaAlg) aqueous solution is proposed. The unique NC suspension created by a controlled hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose acts as the scatterer media while alginate serves as the transparent host matrix. NC features isotropic intertwined network of nanofibers that contributes to light scattering and produces optical haze. The opaque but hazy NC is dispersed purposefully in the alginate film, where its original properties are preserved owing to its poor solubility in water. Additionally, the dispersion notably increases the roughness of the composite film surface and acts as a light scatterer. Eventually, composite CaAlg/NC film with high transparency (>94%) and customized haze (15–73%) at 550 cm−1 wavelength is fabricated. Herein, the transparent alginate is successfully combined with the hazy cellulose of uniformly distributed nanofibers by blending to fabricate transparent/hazy all‐natural films. The fabricated films exhibit high transparency with tailored transmission haze. The film is highly fitting for large‐scale production and adequate to meet different haze requirements to accommodate different applications such as privacy protection films and antiglare/antireflection coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaics based on synthetic halide perovskites have revolutionized solar energetics in the last decade. Since 2009 the overall efficiency of the sunlight‐to‐electricity conversion in perovskite solar cells increases from 3.8% up to 25.5% (for thin‐film single‐junction perovskite solar cells) and more than 30% (for affordable tandem solar cells with top photovoltaic layer of halide perovskite). On the other hand, nanophotonics has made a huge progress in the direction of light manipulation at nanoscale, which is highly important for various thin‐film technologies. In this review, implementation of various nanophotonic designs for improvement of perovskite solar cells efficiencies is discussed. In particular, different methodologies are covered for devices nanopatterning, nanotexturing, and nanostructuring of perovskite solar cells. Moreover, how these changes in the solar cell architecture would not only affect optical properties, but also modify charge carriers transport and harvesting are discussed. Finally, recent progress in machine learning for the perovskite solar cells design optimization is overviewed.

• Novel ETL: CSTO introduced as ETL for PSC, superior to conventional TiO 2. • Enhanced performance: CSTO boosts PSC efficiency to 28.56%. • Advanced simulation: Use SCAPS-1D & FDTD to analyze CSTO's impact on PSCs. • Improved stability: CSTO enhances durability of PSCs compared to traditional ETLs. • Theoretical & practical impact: Guides future PSC research and commercial applications. This research focuses on advancing perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology through the use of a copper-doped Strontium Titanate (CSTO) as an electron transport layer (ETL), employing a hybrid simulation framework integrating SCAPS-1D and Ansys Lumerical FDTD. We systematically explore and compare the photovoltaic performance of PSCs with three distinct ETLs—Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2), Strontium Titanate (SrTiO 3), and CSTO—uncovering the remarkable impact of copper doping on the electrical conductivity and bandgap tuning of the CSTO layer. The optimized PSC configuration with CSTO demonstrates a superior efficiency of 28.56%, attributed to the significant reduction in charge recombination and enhanced charge carrier dynamics. Notably, the device exhibits an ultimate efficiency close to the theoretical maximum, with a temperature coefficient of −0.257%/K, indicating enhanced stability under thermal stress. These findings highlight CSTO's potential to significantly improve the efficiency and durability of PSCs, paving the way for its use in high-performance photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nanoimprint lithography (NIL), the imprinting stamp's fabrication is still a significant cost factor among the consumables. Bottom‐up lithography approaches based on a phase‐separation of polymer blends can provide a cost‐effective route for fabricating these stamps. Today's polymers used to prepare phase‐separated nanostructures (PSN), however, exhibit low glass transition temperatures. As a result, the PSN are prone to in‐plane stamp distortions in the presence of high imprinting pressure and temperature, limiting their practical relevance for NIL. Here, the realization of mechanically and thermally stable PSN‐based imprinting stamps for NIL systems via a phase‐separation of a homopolymer/inorganic–organic hybrid polymer blend is reported. It is demonstrated that these imprinting stamps are easily tunable and scalable by adjusting the formulation of homopolymer/hybrid polymer mixture and deposition conditions. Feature sizes in PSN ranging from a few μm down to 100 nm are achieved through an interplay of these factors. As demonstrations of the envisioned applications, the developed imprinting stamps are integrated into a roll‐to‐roll NIL system for patterning a polystyrene thin‐film. Moreover, light management is demonstrated by nanopatterning of a perovskite semiconductor in plate‐to‐plate process. The nanopatterned perovskite film achieves an integrated absorption and a photoluminescence emission peak increase of 7%rel and 121%rel, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells are regarded as a promising candidate to surpass current efficiency limits in terrestrial photovoltaics. Tandem solar cell efficiencies meanwhile reach more than 29%. However, present high-end perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells still suffer from optical losses. We review recent numerical and experimental perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell studies and analyse the applied measures for light management. Literature indicates that highest experimental efficiencies are obtained using fully planar perovskite top cells, being in contradiction to the outcome of optical simulations calling for textured interfaces. The reason is that the preferred perovskite top cell solution-processing is often incompatible with usual micropyramidal textures of silicon bottom cells. Based on the literature survey, we propose a certain gentle nanotexture as an example to reduce optical losses in perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Optical simulations using the finite-element method reveal that an intermediate texture between top and bottom cell does not yield an optical benefit when compared with optimized planar designs. A double-side textured top-cell design is found to be necessary to reduce reflectance losses by the current density equivalent of 1 mA/cm2. The presented results illustrate a way to push perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell efficiencies beyond 30% by improved light management.

Light management strategies are of utmost importance to allow Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) technology market expansion, as it would enable a conversion efficiency boost as well as thinner absorber layers, increasing sustainability and reducing production costs. However, fabrication and architecture constraints hamper the direct transfer of light management architectures from other photovoltaic technologies. The demand for light management in thin and ultrathin CIGS cells is analyzed by a critical description of the optical loss mechanisms in these devices. Three main pathways to tackle the optical losses are identified: front light management architectures that assist for an omnidirectional low reflection; rear architectures that enable an enhanced optical path length; and unconventional spectral conversion strategies for full spectral harvesting. An outlook over the challenges and developments of light management architectures is performed, establishing a research roadmap for future works in light management for CIGS technology. Following the extensive review, it is expected that combining antireflection, light trapping, and conversion mechanisms, a 27% CIGS solar cell can be achieved.

Developing tandem solar cells is an excellent strategy to break through the Shockley–Queisser limit for single‐junction solar cells. All‐perovskite tandem solar cells (all‐PTSCs) are considered to have great potential by virtue of their advantages of low‐cost and low‐temperature fabrication. However, complicated light distribution and potential loss of incident light are two issues that hinder the development of all‐PTSCs. In this review, the recent progress in light management of two‐terminal (2T) and four‐terminal (4T) all‐PTSCs is summarized. The authors discuss the problems with wide‐bandgap and narrow‐bandgap sub‐cells and optimization strategies for efficient light management of tandem solar cells. Then, main light losses are analyzed, such as parasitic absorption, reflection, and thermal relaxation. Current mismatching is a critical condition that can affect the practical application of 2T tandem solar cells. The authors discuss how the thickness and bandgap of the absorber layer, interference, back reflections, and light distribution influence on light losses in devices and ultimately impact current matching. Also, the impact of light management on the performance of all‐PTSCs is comprehensively reviewed. Finally, key issues and the prospects for the future development of all‐PTSCs are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light management is one of the important methods to increase the efficiency of passivated emitter and rear cells (PERCs). With the help of simulation, we designed and fabricated the industrial Ga‐doped single‐crystalline silicon (sc‐Si) PERC solar cells by integrating the silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) with the traditional silicon nitride (SiNx) dielectric films on both the front and rear surfaces. In the front, the SiOxNy capping effectively decreased the reflectance in the short‐wavelength light range, thus increased the cells' short circuit current (Isc) by ~50 mA. In the back, the SiOxNy layer was inserted into the rear SiNx film, thus increased the internal reflection at the rear surface in the long‐wavelength light range, resulting in an about 24‐mA Isc gain. Totally, with the front and rear light management, the champion samples showed the significant improvement with an about 80‐mA increment in Isc of cells compared with the baseline group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]